Senator Joni Ernst represents the state of Iowa in the U.S. Senate.
Born in Red Oak, Ernst graduated from Stanton High School and studied at Iowa State University.
After graduation, she joined the U.S. Army Reserves. Ernst served in the Iowa Army National Guard from 1993 to 2015, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. During the Iraq War, she served as the commanding officer of the 1168th Transportation Company in Kuwait and later commanded the 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at Camp Dodge, the Iowa Army National Guard’s largest battalion.
In the 118th Congress, Senator Ernst serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. She also serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee.
Senator Ernst has long worked to help Iowa communities become more resilient while recovering from major storms. She understands the need firsthand – as a member of the Iowa National Guard, Senator Ernst was on the front lines of the 2008 Cedar Rapids flood and the 2011 Missouri River flood.
Senator Ernst has championed efforts to deliver robust federal flood data, including the bipartisan Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support (FLOODS) Act. This 2022 law directs NOAA to update nationwide rainfall data at least every decade, establishes a national integrated flood information system, and enhances forecasting and communication of flood, tornado, and hurricane events.
She has consistently made the Cedar Rapids Flood Risk Mitigation Project a priority and pushed for flood control on the Missouri River. Senator Ernst has also advocated for flood resilient agriculture through her work on the Emergency Watershed Program Floodplain Easement Restoration Act and the Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act of 2023.
The American Flood Coalition is an IRS Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The American Flood Coalition is not a Congressional Membership Organization and nothing on this website shall be read to imply official sponsorship by either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate or any of their respective Members. Federal Champion is an honorary title awarded by the American Flood Coalition to recognize Members of Congress who have come together to drive adaptation to the reality of higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding.
