Ernst bill headed for Trump’s desk
Measure would crack down on budget overruns
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Cracking down on budget-busting government spending has been a priority for U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst since she announced her first campaign for the Senate more than 12 years ago.
The Republican senator notched a victory in that effort Wednesday when the U.S. House of Representatives passed one of her waste-fighting bills and sent it to President Donald Trump.
Called the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act, it would require public notification of any taxpayer- funded project that is more than $1 billion over budget or more than five years behind schedule.
"Going a billion dollars over budget isn't a rounding error – it's a financial train wreck at taxpayers' expense," Ernst said in a written statement. "Taxpayers deserve transparency, and this legislation will shine a light on these boondoggles and hold Washington accountable for its out-of-control spending."
She has previously cited these projects which have blown their budgets by that amount:, the electronic health records system for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Bay Area Rapid Transit extension in California and NASA's Artemis Moon launch program.
The Senate passed the bill in December 2025.
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, an Iowa Republican, led the effort to get the bill passed in the House.
Ernst indicated that she expects Trump to sign the bill.