DES MOINES, Iowa — Senator Joni Ernst is reportedly holding up the nomination of former Fox News host Pete Hegseth for a senior Pentagon post, citing concerns tied to federal defense funding that supports her home state’s role in supplying Ukraine with artillery shells.
At the center of the issue is the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middletown, which has become a critical hub in the production of 155 mm artillery shells, a key resource in Ukraine’s battle against Russia. The plant, set to receive $1.2 billion in upgrades, is part of a broader U.S. effort to replenish depleted stockpiles and maintain the flow of weapons to Kyiv.
“Iowa plays a major role in equipping Ukraine,” Ernst has stated previously, emphasizing the importance of defense manufacturing jobs and military contracts for the state. The Iowa plant, along with another facility in Scranton, Pennsylvania, has been instrumental in producing the more than 1.5 million shells already sent to Ukraine.
Ernst also receives campaign contributions from the American war machine’s industrial complex.
The upgrades to the Middletown facility, slated to roll out over the next two years, aim to ramp up production capacity to meet increasing demand. Ukrainian officials continue to push for more military aid as the war grinds on, leaving the Pentagon scrambling to ensure a steady supply of munitions.
While Ernst has not publicly elaborated on her specific reasons for opposing Hegseth’s nomination, analysts have suggested the decision could be a calculated move to protect Iowa’s federal defense funding.
The Iowa ammunition plant’s upgrades underscore the state’s critical role in global defense efforts, with Ernst’s actions signaling her intent to keep Iowa at the forefront.
