Sioux City Times

Senator Joni Ernst, representing Iowa in the United States Senate, addressed several topics on her social media account on September 19, 2025. Her posts covered government funding negotiations, concerns over Chinese espionage, and a visit from Iowans to Washington, D.C.

In a post published at 18:53 UTC, Ernst commented on ongoing budget discussions in Congress: "Schumer's shutdown threat shows he bows to the far left instead of serving hardworking Americans. While Republicans are working to keep the government open for the people, Democrats are obstructing to prevent us from eliminating waste. Government inefficiency at its finest," she wrote.

Later that day at 19:59 UTC, Ernst turned her attention to national security issues involving China: "The CCP will stop at nothing to infiltrate the U.S. Thank you @RepBrianBabin for investigating this espionage, so we can put an end to it! My INNOVATE Act would close loopholes to safeguard our research from China."

At 21:38 UTC on the same day, Senator Ernst highlighted a meeting with constituents: "Washington is always a better place when Iowans are in town!"

These statements come amid ongoing debates in Congress about federal spending and government shutdowns. Disagreements between Democratic and Republican lawmakers have led to recurring threats of shutdowns as deadlines approach for approving government funding measures. In recent years, such standoffs have focused on issues ranging from discretionary spending levels to policy riders attached to appropriations bills.

Senator Ernst's mention of the "INNOVATE Act" refers to proposed legislation aimed at closing gaps in U.S. laws that could allow foreign entities—specifically those linked with China—to access sensitive American research or technology. Efforts like these have increased as bipartisan concern grows over potential espionage and intellectual property theft tied to the Chinese government.

Her remarks also reflect broader tensions in U.S.-China relations and highlight congressional initiatives meant to strengthen protections against foreign interference.