Sioux City Times

Joni Ernst, a U.S. Senator known for her focus on government accountability and fiscal responsibility, recently shared a series of tweets addressing issues related to improper payments and unemployment insurance. The tweets, posted on June 16, 2025, outline her concerns about financial oversight in government spending and propose legislative measures to address these issues.

In the first tweet, Ernst highlights the issue of fraudulent and improper payments made by the government. She states that "more than $160 billion in fraudulent and improper payments occurred because bureaucrats are asleep at the wheel and spending lacks proper oversight." She illustrates this point with examples such as "Barbie dolls, gangsters, and even kids" benefiting at taxpayers' expense.

The second tweet from Ernst focuses on unemployment insurance payments received by high-income individuals during the early years of the Biden administration. According to her post, "thousands earning MORE than one million dollars a year received over $271 million in unemployment insurance," funded by taxes from hardworking Americans and small businesses.

In a subsequent tweet, Ernst introduces her proposed legislation aimed at eliminating improper payments through more stringent processes. She asserts that "we can bring this number down to $0 with my DOGE in Spending Act." This bill is co-sponsored with Representative Aaron Bean and seeks to make permanent an executive order from the Trump administration designed to safeguard tax dollars.

Additional information for Step 3: Joni Ernst is a Republican senator representing Iowa since 2015.