Joni Ernst was born in Red Oak, Iowa, and grew up on a farm. She earned a degree from Iowa State University and a master's degree from Columbus College, then served in the Iowa Army National Guard for over two decades, including a deployment to Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ernst served in the Iowa State Senate before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, becoming the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate and the first woman elected to federal office from Iowa.
Ernst serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, where she is a senior member. She has been a prominent advocate for military families, veterans' health care, and government spending reduction. Ernst chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee and has focused on cutting wasteful federal programs, strengthening the military, and supporting agriculture and rural communities in Iowa.
- Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology
- Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, and Food Safety
- Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit — Chairman
- Senate Committee on Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Cybersecurity
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities — Chairman
- Subcommittee on Personnel
- Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Subcommittee on Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census
- Subcommittee on Border Management, Federal Workforce, and Regulatory Affairs
- Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship — Chairman
- S. 4505: A bill to require the United States Postal Service to designate ZIP Codes for certain communities. — Introduced
- S. 4447: No Taxpayer-Funded Pensions for Sex Criminals Act — Introduced
- SRES. 722: A resolution addressing the politicization of war crimes allegations against allied special operations forces. — Introduced
- SRES. 703: A resolution expressing support for the designation of the week of May 3, 2026, through May 9, 2026, as "National Small Business Week" to celebrate the contributions of small businesses and entrepreneurs in every community in the United States. — Introduced
- S. 4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act — Introduced