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Prediction track record
How often we called Joni Ernst's passage votes correctly, from their stated positions on each bill's tagged topics. Excludes “unclear” calls and abstentions.
0%
Accuracy
0
Correct
1
Incorrect
32
Pending
Wrong119-sjres-184
A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.
Based on 1 data point across public statements and recorded votes · AI analysis of public records
119-sconres-33·Mixed signal
A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2026 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2027 through 2035.
35/100
What they said
Apr 30, 2026
Senator Ernst advocates for her RECEIPTS Act to improve financial accountability and traceability at the Pentagon, emphasizing fiscal responsibility and the need for the department to pass a clean financial audit.
Voted Yea on A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2026 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2027 through 2035.
Senator Ernst's statement emphasizes fiscal accountability and passing a clean Pentagon audit through her RECEIPTS Act. However, the bill she voted for is a broad budget resolution that sets spending levels and includes reconciliation instructions allowing up to $70 billion in deficit increases. While the resolution theoretically provides a framework within which fiscal accountability measures could be pursued, voting for a budget that permits significant deficit spending appears inconsistent with her stated emphasis on fiscal responsibility and accountability to taxpayers. The vote does not directly advance the Pentagon audit accountability goal she highlighted.
Pairs with ambiguous language and high uncertainty are withheld until more data is available. Procedural, cloture, and amendment votes are excluded — they don't cleanly signal substantive support or opposition.
Pro analysis
AI rep analysis — Pro
Get an AI-narrated read on Joni Ernst's full voting record against your stated values — aligned themes, conflicts, notable votes, and what to watch for.
We haven't extracted campaign positions for Joni Ernst yet. Once their campaign website or position pages are processed, this card will track what they said vs how they voted.
Crossing the aisle
Passage votes where Joni Ernst broke ranks with ≥75% of Republicans. Threshold catches substantively partisan splits; unanimous-ish or close votes are excluded.
Ernst Welcomes Farm Bill Progress, More Work Needed | U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Position: Senator Ernst supports advancing the Farm Bill and advocates for specific provisions including expanded E15 access, farmland protection from foreign acquisition, farmer mental health support, SNAP accountability with equal state treatment, and a long-term solution to Proposition 12 livestock regulations.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the following statement after the Senate Agriculture Committee successfully advanced the Farm Bill in a 12-11 vote:
“Today’s vote moves the Farm Bill process forward and brings us closer to delivering certainty for Iowa farmers and rural communities. The bill includes important priorities I have fought for, from expanding access to year-round E15 and protecting American farmland from China to supporting farmer mental health,” said Senator Ernst. “There is still work ahead to build the bipartisan support needed to get a strong five-year Farm Bill across the finish line. I am ready to work with my colleagues across the aisle on a fair path forward for SNAP that strengthens accountability and treats states equally. The final Farm Bill must also include a long-term solution to Proposition 12 that protects livestock producers from a costly future patchwork of conflicting state mandates. I will keep working to deliver a Farm Bill into law that meets the needs of Iowa agriculture.”
Watch Senator Ernst’s remarks here.
Ernst Cracks Down on Chinese Surveillance of U.S. Military Shipments | U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Position: Senator Ernst introduced legislation to prohibit cargo monitoring technology linked to the Chinese Communist Party from being used to track U.S. military shipments via rail, citing national security concerns.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced the Keeping China Off the Rails Act to strengthen national security by preventing cargo monitoring technology linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from being used to track sensitive military shipments.
Rail carriers rely on Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) tags and other cargo monitoring systems to identify and track rolling stock—including boxcars, tankers, and other rail assets—as they move throughout the rail network. The Department of Defense routinely relies on rail transportation to move heavy military equipment across the United States, making these tracking systems critical for military operational security.
The Keeping China Off the Rails Act would extend prohibitions in current law for new rail cars to existing ones by requiring rail carriers certify that cargo monitoring technologies or AEI tags linked to the CCP are not being used on trains carrying Department of Defense cargo. The legislation would provide the rail industry with a four-year schedule to comply with the restriction.
“No foreign adversary—especially one as hostile as Communist China—should have access to information about sensitive military shipments or activities at some of our nation’s highest-security facilities,” said Ernst. “At a time of growing national security threats, it’s essential that the United States protects critical military infrastructure and maintains our military edge. I am proud to introduce this commonsense legislation to strengthen our national security, close this vulnerability, and help ensure our critical military equipment remains protected from hostile foreign adversaries.”
The legislation provides a four-year transition period to allow rail carriers time to replace covered technologies, gives the Secretary of Defense waiver authority for national emergencies, and includes exemptions for smaller Department of Defense shipments.
Ernst Presents Squeal Award to the Shady Bunch, Families Who Make Fraud a Family Affair | U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Position: Senator Ernst is highlighting cases of family-based fraud schemes totaling $50 million in stolen taxpayer funds and introducing legislation to prohibit government financial payments to anyone living with a known fraudster or convicted criminal.
15 families collectively stole $50 million in taxpayer dollars
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced her August Squeal Award recipient: fraudster families who make a living scamming hardworking Americans.
Ernst is exposing 15 families who collectively stole $50 million taxpayer dollars and has introduced the No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act to prohibit government loans, contracts, grants, or other financial payments going to anyone living with a known fraudster or convicted criminal.
“Committing fraud is literally all relative for these families of felons,” said Ernst. “While some families have a tradition of running 5Ks on holidays, fraud runs in these families—they’ll steal $5K or more and then make a run for it. My latest investigation found schemes sprouting from family trees across the country, with kin teaming up to rip off taxpayers to the tune of $50 million. That’s why I’m giving my August 2026 Squeal Award to the ‘Shady Bunch,’ families full of fraudsters who are chips off the old cell block. Their next scam-ily reunion will be in the slammer.”
Some of the most egregious examples include:
Ernst Statement on Advancing a Bipartisan Farm Bill | U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Position: Senator Ernst supports advancing a bipartisan Farm Bill that includes provisions for E15 fuel access, protections against foreign agricultural land ownership, farmer mental health support, SNAP accountability measures, and resolution of Proposition 12 impacts. She criticizes Democrats for voting against the bill's advancement and calls for equitable treatment of states in error-rate corrections.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the following statement after Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats voted against advancing the Farm Bill, delaying critical support for America’s farmers:
“I’m disappointed the Democrats voted against advancing the Farm Bill today, leaving America’s farmers and rural communities waiting even longer for the certainty of a five-year Farm Bill. The Farm Bill released by Chairman Boozman includes priorities I’ve been fighting to deliver for Iowans for over a decade, from expanding access to year-round E15 and keeping our farmland out of the hands of China to supporting farmer mental health. While today’s vote is a setback, I remain committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure states are treated fairly as we strengthen accountability in SNAP, find a long-term fix to the harmful effects of Proposition 12, and build the bipartisan support needed to get a Farm Bill across the finish line and signed into law.”
“Our states have to get to a point where they don't have this huge discrepancy with the error rates. I've worked really hard with our friends across the aisle to try and find a solution to this, because I do think that what was done in the One Big, Beautiful Bill, it did favor certain states, and it doesn't allow for some of those states to really make the corrections as necessary,” said Ernst.
Ernst Joins Vice President Vance, White House Task Force to Wage War on Fraud | U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Position: Senator Ernst advocates for passage of her Protecting American Taxpayers Act, which she states would return over $240 billion to taxpayers by combating government fraud and waste. She supports the White House Task Force's efforts to recover fraudulently obtained funds.
WASHINGTON – Today, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined Vice President J.D. Vance and the White House Task Force to discuss how Republicans are putting fraudsters out of business.
Download more photos of Senator Ernst HERE
During the roundtable, Ernst applauded Vice President Vance’s leadership and how the Task Force has successfully clawed back billions of dollars:
Ernst also highlighted her leadership of a comprehensive anti-fraud package, the Protecting American Taxpayers Act, which would return over $240 billion to taxpayers.
“Bad actors have been scamming American taxpayers for far too long,” said Ernst. “From fake child care centers in Minnesota to incarcerated convicts collecting unemployment checks, fraud has become so pervasive that, if it were a government agency, the ‘Department of Fraud’ would rank as the fifth-largest federal department by spending. I’m grateful for the leadership of Vice President Vance and the Trump administration for cracking down on fraud across the country and sending scammers to the slammer. Now, Congress must pass my anti-fraud package to protect taxpayers. Every single day we delay, fraudsters steal more than $1.4 billion.”
Ernst has long led efforts to eliminate government waste and ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. As chair of the Senate DOGE Caucus, she has continued her decades-long mission to expose waste, fraud, and abuse and advance reforms that hold Washington accountable.
For over a decade, Ernst has exposed wasteful government spending through her monthly “squeal” awards, highlighting examples of taxpayer dollars being misused and pushing for accountability across the federal government.
Over the past year, Ernst has heard testimony from independent investigative journalist Nick Shirley about fraudulent child care services provided by Minnesota’s Quality Learing Center and from investigative reporter Luke Rosiak about Ohio personal care companies that received financial support from the Small Business Administration.
Ernst Confronts Fauci Face-to-Face About His COVID-19 Cover-Ups and Shutdowns | U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Position: Senator Ernst criticizes Dr. Fauci's COVID-19 pandemic response, including shutdown policies and funding of gain-of-function research at foreign institutions, and calls for accountability and public disclosure of investigation findings.
“As one of the nation's most trusted voices. You urged policies you said were absolutely necessary, even when those policies came at an enormous human and economic cost.”
WASHINGTON – Today, during a Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) questioned Dr. Anthony Fauci about how and if he was involved in the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. She criticized his societal shutdown strategy and highlighted how the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) programs funded gain-of-function researchers in China, the Netherlands, and Wisconsin. Throughout the hearing, Fauci pleaded the Fifth.
Ahead of the hearing, Ernst awarded Dr. Anthony Fauci with her Squeal Award, arguing that Fauci’s method is to deceive the public, discredit those who ask questions, destroy evidence, hide the truth, and accept a pardon to avoid accountability.
Watch Ernst’s questioning here.
“Dr. Fauci, Americans haven't forgotten the tragic stories of people who lost loved ones during COVID, and those that were denied a chance to say goodbye to their family members that were in hospitals or residing in nursing homes because of the COVID-19 protocols. Americans haven't forgotten the mandates, the adverse reactions to vaccines, the government misinformation, social media censorship, hotlines to tattle on their neighbors, the forced school closures, the tragic rise in suicides or those businesses that were forced to close during lockdowns.,” said Ernst.
Ernst has long fought to stop tax dollars from being sent overseas for risky research and to secure answers on the questionable circumstances surrounding the U.S. government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Ernst requested the Health and Human Services (HHS) OIG investigation of EcoHealth Alliance’s experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which found the group’s work with the Wuhan Institute resulted in enhanced coronaviruses and did not comply with federal reporting requirements. An Ernst-requested investigation also exposed how EcoHealth sent over $1 million U.S. taxpayer dollars to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for risky experiments on bat coronaviruses. These efforts also led to HHS defunding EcoHealth and permanently debarring the Wuhan Institute of Virology from receiving taxpayer dollars used for research of pandemic potential.
Ernst authored the provision in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act directing the DoD OIG to conduct an audit of Pentagon funding of risky research in China and other foreign nations. She is demanding that the redacted findings of the investigation be made public. In her $2 trillion blueprint to slash waste in Washington, Ernst pointed to the millions being sent to China for secretive risky research.
In May 2026, Ernst put a longtime CIA employee, with firsthand knowledge of the intelligence community’s response to the pandemic, on the record about government suppression of origin theories and bureaucratic flaws that enabled the coverup.
Fries Aren’t Free: Ernst Targets Fast Food Subsidies | U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Position: Senator Ernst calls for the Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to review and reform the Restaurant Meals Program to restrict SNAP benefits from being used at fast-food chains, arguing the program has strayed from its original purpose of serving those without cooking facilities.
A half-a-billion dollars of SNAP spent on burgers, fries, and fast food
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is strengthening nutrition standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by urging Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. to close a loophole that has allowed more than $500 million in SNAP benefits to be spent at fast-food restaurants in recent years.
In a letter to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, Ernst and Representative Brandon Gill (R-Texas) are calling for a review of the Restaurant Meals Program:
“Under federal law, SNAP benefits generally may be used for most foods and beverages intended for home consumption, but USDA places clear limits on certain items. Most notably, SNAP prohibits the purchase of foods that are ‘hot at the point of sale.’ … Congress created a narrow exception to this restriction by allowing states flexibility in how SNAP benefits could be used by those who lack access to storage or cooking facilities. … Today, this is known as RMP,” wrote the lawmakers.
“What was originally intended as a narrow accommodation … is now dominated by large national fast-food and quick-service chains. Examples of these chains include Jack in the Box, Domino’s Pizza, Popeyes, Subway, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Del Taco, KFC, Wingstop, Burger King, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, El Pollo Loco, Carl’s Jr., Dairy Queen, Denny’s, Jamba Juice, Noodles & Company, Papa John’s, Firehouse Subs, Baker’s Drive Thru, and Yoshinoya,” continued the lawmakers.
“The scale of growth warrants closer review. Data shared with our offices indicates more than $524 million in SNAP benefits were spent at RMP-authorized restaurants across the nine participating states from June 2023 through May 2025. … At the same time, the Trump administration has taken action to strengthen nutrition standards for SNAP-authorized retailers and improve access to healthier food choices. … We urge USDA and HHS to conduct a comprehensive RMP review and consider reforms to better align the program with the Administration’s MAHA goals and taxpayers’ interests,” the lawmakers concluded.
Ernst has led the fight to root out bad actors and improve the integrity of SNAP, protecting the program for those who truly need help putting food on the table. Her Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act targets billions in overpayments due to sloppy state-level administration of the program and requires states to report and repay taxpayers for all payment errors.
After the Biden administration massively expanded the number of restaurants eligible to accept SNAP benefits, Ernst introduced the McStopping Chains from Using SNAP EBT to Make Entrees (McSCUSE ME) Act to restore SNAP to its original mission of providing nutrition to food insecure Americans.
Ernst Targets Conflict-of-Interest Loopholes | U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Position: Senator Ernst and colleagues are calling on the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council to implement conflict-of-interest safeguards in federal contracting that were mandated by the 2022 Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act, which requires contractors to disclose potential conflicts before receiving federal funds.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) in demanding the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council stop dragging its feet and implement long-overdue safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest in federal contracting.
In 2022, Ernst helped pass the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act, which requires federal contractors to disclose conflicts before receiving taxpayer-funded contracts. The law required the FAR Council to update government-wide acquisition rules within 18 months, but more than two years later, the agency still has not finished the job.
“Government agencies should know whether federal contractors’ outside business interests might conflict with their work for Americans. This law will ensure that federal contractors disclose potential conflicts before they are awarded taxpayer dollars. Implementation of the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest Act must be prioritized immediately to ensure compliance,” wrote the senators.
The senators are demanding the FAR Council provide a clear timeline on its rulemaking and to identify any remaining interagency coordination that is outstanding.
“We therefore request that the FAR Council provide a timeline by which the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act will be implemented. Please also provide an update on any remaining interagency coordination or review steps necessary for the implementation of the final rule,” wrote the senators.
Ernst has long worked to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, leading her CONSULT Act to prevent the Pentagon from contracting with consulting firms that simultaneously advise the United States, Russia, China, and other countries of concern.
Ernst Says Failing to End Government Grift Is the Greatest Fraud of All | U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Position: Senator Ernst advocates for passage of her Protecting American Taxpayers Act to strengthen federal oversight and payment verification systems to reduce government fraud and waste.
If grift was a government agency, the Department of Fraud would be the fifth largest.
WASHINGTON – Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) called on Congress to crack down on rampant government fraud by passing her Protecting American Taxpayers Act, exposing how weak oversight and outdated payment systems have allowed scammers to siphon billions of taxpayer dollars.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Ernst said the federal government's current "pay and chase" approach—sending taxpayer dollars before verifying recipients—is fueling unprecedented waste, fraud, and abuse while leaving hardworking Americans to foot the bill. She noted that everyday Congress delays passing her bill, grifters are getting away with stealing another $1.4 billion.
Ernst highlighted a series of egregious examples of taxpayer-funded fraud, including:
“We’ve all received that email from a wealthy Nigerian prince asking us to wire him some money, with promises that he will return the favor with a huge reward as soon as he can access his fortune.
“Or we’ve gotten that phone call from an unknown number claiming to be the IRS, warning that an arrest warrant will be issued if we don’t immediately pay off an outstanding tax debt.
“And, of course, everyone’s been told that our extended vehicle warranty is about to expire unless we renew immediately.
“Folks, we all know these are scams and aren’t being fooled.
“Yet, somehow government bureaucrats are being bamboozled by even less sophisticated schemes.
“Except, they’re not giving out access to their own bank accounts, but rather to taxpayer dollars and the U.S. Treasury.
“So folks, I’m not making this up— a Nigerian socialite actually submitted more than 100 fraudulent applications for unemployment and disability assistance that were approved.
“He finagled more than $1.3 million of U.S. taxpayer money in this scheme.
“Some of the funds were intended to provide daycare services for disabled children, but he instead spent the money constructing a luxury resort and nightclub in Nigeria.
“This Nigerian prince of fraud was outdone by California prison inmates, who collected about $1 billion in unemployment benefits using names like John Doe, John Adams and 'Poopy Britches," while serving time behind bars.
“Other con artists successfully applied for COVID cash during the pandemic using the names of well-known celebrities and fictional characters, like Charlie Brown and Nancy Drew.
“Taxpayer dollars have even been handed out to phony businesses with such obviously made up names that are so outrageous. No one could possibly believe they were real, such as Satanic Lives Matter and others that are so tasteless I can't even say them.
“Others uploaded pictures of doll faces to ‘verify’ their identities on applications for government assistance, and were still approved!
“Too often, the bilking is being done by the very bureaucrats overseeing the benefits.
“Over the years, I’ve documented countless examples of government employees caught with their hands in the cookie jar, embezzling millions of dollars and abusing their positions for personal gain.
“As a veteran, one particular example that really makes my blood boil involves a service representative for the Department of Veterans Affairs who was shaking down disabled veterans for bribes to ‘grease the wheels’ to speed up the approval of backlogged claims.
“A $3,385 kickback paid to him via Venmo was listed on the memo line as: CROOKED SHIT
“I apologize for my language, but that's what the Venmo actually said. We had to modify our chart today.
“So a VA representative was shaking down disabled veterans. This actually happened. That representative was caught and is being held responsible for shaking down our disabled veterans.
“The problem in most of these cases is the money is going out the door before verifying if the recipient is legitimate.
“If fraud is later detected, then the government has to decide if it’s worth trying to recover the stolen money.
“This ‘pay and chase’ system makes it way too easy for scammers to take the money and run.
“It’s like giving the cash advance and your bank routing number to the Nigerian prince who promised you a financial reward for your help, only to realize later you’ve been ripped off.
“Good luck getting any of your money back!
“It’s the grift that keeps on giving.
“As a result, fraudsters are getting away with stealing more than $1.4 billion in taxpayer money every single day.
“Every single day, folks, $1.4 billion, are fraudsters are making off with.
“If grift was a government agency, the Department of Fraud would the fifth largest.
“The $521 billion going to fraud every year exceeds the individual annual budgets of the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation, Homeland Security, State, and Justice.
“That’s right, folks, fraudsters are being better taken care of than our veterans and our farmers.
“While hardworking Americans are struggling to make ends meet, fraudsters are living large on the loot that they’re taking from the Treasury.
“Government grift and graft are endless, and so are the excuses for not stopping it, but the public’s patience isn’t.
“So who is responsible for allowing fraud to continue?
“Folks, the buck stops right here with Congress.
“Congress decides how much of your paycheck must be sent to Washington and writes the laws determining exactly how every one of those dollars be spent.
“But the haste to spend trillions of tax dollars as quickly as possible is resulting in outrageous amounts of waste, fraud, and abuse.
“From fake child care centers in Minnesota to convicts collecting unemployment checks, fraudsters are blatantly getting away with treating the national treasury like their own personal piggy bank.
“At the request of Majority Leader Thune, I’ve compiled a comprehensive package of proposals put forth by our Senate colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to end fraud once and for all.
“Specifically, my Protecting American Taxpayers Act will—
“stop handing out quick cash with no questions asked;
“trigger automatic investigations when there are sudden and suspicion spikes in payment claims;
“ban convicted fraudsters from receiving taxpayer dollars;
“take back the money that was already stolen; and
“send scammers to the slammer.
“If enacted, this bill would save $240 billion.
“The choice is quite simple: Give this money to fraudsters or return it to the taxpayers.
“The bill is now before the Senate, and every day we delay passing it, grifters are getting away with stealing another $1.4 billion.
“And allowing that to continue is the greatest fraud of all.”
Highway Robbery! Ernst Audits Discover Transportation Funds Paying for Empty Offices | U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Position: Senator Ernst argues that the Department of Transportation is wasting hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars on underutilized office buildings and proposes consolidating federal office space and selling underused properties to redirect funds toward transportation infrastructure.
Taxpayers being run over by $370 million annual price tag for underused offices
WASHINGTON – Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the findings of two separate reviews, showing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars intended for transportation are instead being wasted on underutilized offices for bureaucrats around the country.
A staggering 89% of 189 buildings used by the Department of Transportation (DOT) are underutilized, costing $370 million in annual rental, operations, and maintenance spending, according to an investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO review was conducted at the request of Senators Ernst and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
Another analysis by the Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB), conducted at Ernst's request, found underutilized space in government buildings costs taxpayers $1.34 billion annually. Seven out of every ten desks in government office buildings are sitting empty. Two of the worst examples are DOT headquarters buildings in Washington, D.C.:
Ernst's oversight has already produced results. Following her request for an investigation, DOT terminated nine office leases, saving taxpayers $3.6 million annually in rent.
DOT Secretary Sean Duffy is leading the effort to consolidate office space being paid for by the department, which was using just 14% of the available area in its headquarters during the Biden administration.
“Even after the Trump administration brought DOT back to work and began consolidating office space, nearly all the agency’s buildings remain largely unused,” said Ernst. “Spending more than $155,000 per employee for office space is highway robbery, especially when there is ample room in other half-filled buildings nearby. Hundreds of millions of dollars that DOT could be putting toward roads, bridges, highways, and airports are instead being wasted financing Taj Mahal buildings for bureaucrats. These roadmaps provided by GAO and PBRB pave the way for saving taxpayer dollars and downsizing the government. I appreciate Secretary Duffy’s leadership, but Congress needs to remove the bureaucratic roadblocks causing delays and costing taxpayers. I will be offering an amendment to make the rubber hit the road on this process when the reconciliation bill comes to the Senate floor later this year. It’s a simple concept: Use it orlose it!”
In December 2023, Ernst exposed how federal office buildings were virtual ghost towns with her naughty list that showed not a single federal agency was occupying even half its office space.
In 2024, Ernst released her “Out of Office” report revealing the cost and extent of abandoned and underutilized government buildings.
Ernst has led the call to sell off empty and expensive Washington buildings, and her FOR SALE Act would put six pieces of prime properties in the nation’s capital on the auction block to generate $400 million or more in revenue, while also canceling costs, including $2.9 billion for overdue maintenance. Her DISPOSAL Act eliminates regulatory hurdles to fast-track the sale of unneeded federal buildings.
In March, Ernst joined Administrator Edward Forst to announce that the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Regional Office Building in D.C. had been sold, saving taxpayers over $700 million.
In February, Ernst announced that the nearly empty USDA South Building is soon-to-be for sale, saving taxpayers $1.7 billion in repairs and operating expenses.
Every year, Washington pays out over $81 million maintaining underutilized offices, including nearly 7,700 vacant buildings and another 2,265 that are largely empty. GSA reported that deferred maintenance costs exceed $6 billion and will grow to $20 billion in five years.
Source: GDELT 2.0 GKG, filtered to a curated list of national outlets. Inclusion is not endorsement; opinion pieces and reported news are mixed.
Recent stock activity
Periodic transaction reports filed under the STOCK Act — disclosed by the rep, sourced from public filings.
No disclosed trades on record.
Source: open-data mirrors of the Senate eFD and House Clerk financial-disclosure systems. Disclosure within 30 days of trade is required by law (45 for spouse/dependent trades).
Top PAC donors · 2026 cycle
Political action committees that gave the most to this rep's principal campaign committee this cycle. PAC giving is direct organizational support — industry, ideological, or leadership.
1.TEAM JONI3 contributions$38,102
2.CLUB FOR GROWTH PACIdeological3 contributionsFiscal-conservative PAC focused on free-market economics and limited government. Backs candidates supporting lower taxes, reduced spending, and deregulation across both parties.AI$37,566
3.SUSAN B ANTHONY LIST CANDIDATE FUND2 contributions$25,453
8.VOTESANE PACIdeological1 contributionSingle-issue advocacy PAC — supports candidates based on positions related to mental health, healthcare policy, or rational governance approaches.AI · low$12,770
9.PRO-ISRAEL AMERICA PAC1 contribution$12,135
10.KEEP THE SENATE RED1 contribution$11,941
Source: OpenFEC (api.open.fec.gov) Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “committee.” Aggregated by contributing committee. Self-transfers from joint-fundraising / victory committees are excluded.
Top individual contributors · 2026 cycle
Itemized individual contributions over $200 to this rep's campaign committee, aggregated by donor employer. PAC giving is shown above; this section is people, not organizations.
1.US AI$13,200
2.APOLLO$11,000
3.EDWARD C. LEVY CO.$7,292
4.PIVOTAL VENTURES$7,000
5.THE ANSCHUTZ CORPORATION$7,000
6.AUDAX CORPORATION$7,000
7.APOLLO MANAGEMENT$7,000
8.DANIELS INVESTMENT CO$7,000
9.NEW MOUNTAIN CAPITAL$7,000
10.BARTLETT AND COMPANY INC.$7,000
Source: OpenFEC Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “individual,” aggregated by the donor's self-reported employer. This is a geographic / industry correlation, not a corporate endorsement.
