Joni Ernst Archives

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., listens during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Feb. 1, 2022, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Bonnie Cash/Getty Images)

Senators sound alarm on unaddressed conflicts of interest in government contracting provision in FAR

A bipartisan group of senators is asking the Office of Federal Procurement Policy for a plan to implement a law now two years overdue.

Jul 21, 2026 By K. Sophie Will

Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference following a House Republican conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 6, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

House Small Business leaders eye short-term fix to fund tech programs

With the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs set to expire, lawmakers propose one-year funding while pushing for longer-term authorization.

Sep 4, 2025 By Matt Bracken

People walk past the headquarters of the Small Business Administration in the Southwest Federal Center area on March 24, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

House lawmakers target SBA IT modernization in bipartisan bill

The legislation calls on the agency to implement 2024 GAO recommendations regarding an online certifications platform that was marked by delays and unreliable cost estimates.

Jul 21, 2025 By Matt Bracken

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., speaks during a hearing with the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Bill to overhaul federal software buying gets another shot in the Senate

A bipartisan group of six senators re-introduced the SAMOSA Act, which would strengthen agency oversight of software purchasing and cut down on duplicative licenses.

Jun 4, 2025 By Matt Bracken

SBA building — U.S. Small Business Administration offices. (GAO photo).

Small Business Administration has a new CIO

Marcus Alzona, who assisted with the Trump inauguration, briefly served in the position.

Mar 28, 2025 By Rebecca Heilweil

Russell Vought testifies before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on his second nomination to be OMB director, in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 15, 2025. (Photo by JEMAL COUNTESS/AFP via Getty Images)

OMB nominee Russell Vought dodges Schedule F question

Any talks with Trump about the policy to ease federal agency firings “are private deliberations,” he said.

Jan 15, 2025 By Matt Bracken

SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman testifies before the House Committee on Small Business in Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2022. (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

SBA moving ahead with upgrades to certification system despite GOP protest

The agency’s modernization project will start Aug. 1 after top Republicans on the Senate and House Small Business committees asked for a delay.

Jul 19, 2024 By Matt Bracken

Ernst seeks information about SBA’s artificial intelligence use cases, IT work

In a letter, the Senate Republican questioned why the SBA hadn’t disclosed artificial intelligence uses in its inventory, alleging the agency was out of compliance.

May 31, 2024 By Madison Alder

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst speaks during the third installment of The Senate Project at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate on June 12, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Sen. Ernst calls for federal IGs to investigate employees ‘phoning it in’ during telework

In addition to impacts on service delivery, Ernst wants to know worksite attendance rates at each agency and if steps have been taken "to adjust bureaucrats’ location-based…

Aug 30, 2023 By Billy Mitchell

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 21: Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI) listens as Transportation Security Administrator David Pekoske speaks during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images).

Bill to streamline federal agency tech acquisition introduced in Senate

It is the latest legislative proposal intended to upskill the federal acquisition workforce.

Jul 27, 2022 By John Hewitt Jones