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WEEK IN REVIEW
Dear Friend,
I hope you’ve had a great week. I’m back in Iowa this weekend making stops around the state on my 99 County Tour. If you’re not already, make sure you’re following my social media, on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, to stay in the loop!
Before you begin your weekend, I have a few updates from this week in Washington.
Providing Additional Resources to Fight the Coronavirus
This week, I joined my Republican and Democratic colleagues in Congress to provide additional resources for our federal, state, and local agencies and health partners who are on the frontlines of combating the coronavirus.
I’ve been in contact with Governor Kim Reynolds and will continue to work with her to ensure our state is prepared. Be sure to visit the Centers for Disease Control’s website to learn more.
Protecting our Military Personnel
Following the December attack on Naval Air Station Pensacola, this week I chaired a hearing to review the Department of Defense’s (DOD) vetting policies for international military students.
The tragic events at Pensacola underscore the unacceptable shortfalls in our security standards and vetting procedures. We must do more to protect our military personnel and ensure the security of our facilities.
Click here or the image above to watch my remarks.
After the hearing, I teamed up with my colleague on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Rick Scott of Florida, to introduce the Secure U.S. Bases Act, which requires a thorough vetting process before a foreign student enters the U.S. It also creates a special, limited visa for foreign students and establishes a review process so that the DOD is not operating training programs in the U.S. that would be better operated abroad.
Fighting to Expand Opportunities for Women
To kick off Women’s History Month, this week I highlighted two female trailblazersSusan B. Anthony, a pioneer in the women’s suffrage movement, and Hattie Caraway, the first woman elected to serve a full term as a U.S. Senator.
I also spoke about the work I’m doing for women in the Senate right now to increase access to child care, expand access to contraceptives over-the-counter (OTC) and without a prescription, and provide working parents the opportunity to take paid time off to spend with their newborn or newly adopted child.
Click here or the image above to watch my remarks.
Eliminating a Tax Credit for Wealthy Coastal Elites
Iowa taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for millionaires to get a discount on luxury cars. That’s why I’ve been working hard to get the Electric Vehicle (EV) tax credit off the books. With its history of systemic problems and fraud, this program needs to be scrutinized, which is why I’ve urged the IRS to take a closer look at its issues.
This week, with the Senate working on a bipartisan energy package, I built on my efforts by joining two measures to eliminate this tax benefit for the wealthy.
For more updates on what's happening in Washington, D.C. and Iowa, be sure to 'Like' my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter @SenJoniErnst, and subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Thank you!
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