Washington Update

Honoring Pea Ridge Police Officer Kevin Apple

Congressman Womack honored the life and dutiful service of Pea Ridge Police Officer Kevin Apple on the House floor

Today, our community laid a fallen hero to rest. Pea Ridge Police Officer Kevin Apple was tragically killed in the line of duty while working to apprehend two suspects.

When he approached the suspects’ vehicle, he did what professional law enforcement officers do. He didn’t shy away from the threat. He confronted it. And, in so doing, he gave his life for his community.

He reminds us of the supreme courage displayed by our men and women in uniform—and the growing dangers they face each and every day.

Through his leadership, bravery, and selfless dedication, Officer Apple exemplified the best our state has to offer. For more than 20 years, he nobly served in law enforcement. He was a protector and demonstrated the principled integrity the badge requires.

This heart for service was at the core of his character. Past his uniform, he was known as a "good neighbor" who was "always willing to help others."

Through his leadership, bravery, and selfless dedication, Officer Apple exemplified the best our state has to offer

Arkansas will not forget his service. I join Mayor Jackie Crabtree, Police Chief Lynn Hahn—and his mother Dalene Hart, step-father Richard White, and brother Kyle Hart—in mourning his loss.

The Third District was blessed to have such a dedicated hero keeping us safe. It was my privilege to honor the life and dutiful service of Pea Ridge Police Officer Kevin Apple on the House floor this week.

We will always keep his memory alive.

It’s our duty to always share the memories of those who have met their end of watch and pay tribute to their service and the ultimate sacrifice they made. God bless our law enforcement officers, their families, and the communities they work to protect each day.

Please keep Officer Apple, his family, and the Pea Ridge Police Department in your prayers. And, if you see a police officer on patrol, take a quick moment to thank them. It’s a small gesture to honor Officer Apple and all the work those in blue do to keep us safe.

Appropriations Markups

Congressman Womack speaks in opposition to unworkable funding allocations 

House Appropriations Committee markups continued. As a reminder, this is the process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation before it is advanced to the floor. Unlike last week, these markups took place before the full committee, instead of just the subcommittee members. 

Throughout the meetings, I rose to call for fiscal sanity and urged changes to these packages. I steadfastly opposed the excessive Fiscal Year 2022 subcommittee funding level caps, known as “302(b)” allocations.

As I said during my initial remarks, anybody that thinks that we're going to have our work finished in sufficient time to give all of our organizations the necessary planning to execute their program of work over the next year, would be naïve to think so.

The allocations are completely unworkable. For example, the FSGG spending bill alone boasts an overall 20% increase, with double-digit hikes across most agencies. Families and businesses across the U.S. make tough financial choices each day. Congress has a responsibility to do the same.

Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee Ranking Member Steve Womack speaks on amendments during markup

The out-of-control spending will only add to our unprecedented debt burden and guarantee higher taxes on the American people. We have a duty to address the needs of the nation, but it must be done in a responsible way.

I will also note that the Democrats’ proposed outlays come at the expense of something important to all of us. So important, it’s in our Constitution—to provide for the common defense. We just simply can't let the dangerous cuts to national security happen.

We need to rethink these allocations, take better care of our men and women in uniform, and make sure that our country is on the proper path. That way forward is not just continuing to throw enormous, obscene amounts of money at the various agencies that we fund, in various tranches.

I think we can and should do better, which is why I introduced and supported multiple amendments to revise currently unworkable appropriations bills.

Congressman Womack introduced and supported multiple amendments to revise deeply flawed appropriations bills 

An example of amendments I proposed or supported throughout the week include, but are not limited to:

• Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars: This amendment would prevent the distribution of unnecessary federal aid to states and local governments, many of which have budget surpluses, to save billions of taxpayer dollars from being wasted and prioritize fiscal responsibility.
• Pro-Life Protections: These amendments would defend the sanctity of life by restoring the long-standing prohibitions on the use of Federal Employee Health Benefits and District of Columbia local funds for abortion.
• Preventing Wasteful USPS Spending: This amendment would remove funding for a USPS pilot program for postal banking. The Postal Service needs to focus on its core mission of delivering reliable, affordable, and universal physical mail, not expanding into areas where it doesn’t have expertise.
• Holding Iran Accountable: This amendment would hold Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, accountable by prohibiting the Treasury Department from weakening sanctions against this rogue regime.
• Protecting Small Businesses: This amendment would protect small businesses from new, unnecessary, and burdensome Securities and Exchange Commission disclosures not material to their business.
• Cutting Red Tape: This amendment would safeguard an executive order implemented by President Trump, which cut down on unruly federal regulation by requiring the repeal of two regulations for every new regulation implemented.
• Supporting Arkansas Farmers and Producers: This amendment would stop a misguided attempt to restrict poultry plant line speeds, which would disrupt our protein supply chain and negatively impact Arkansas producers.

Unfortunately, the Democrats rejected a majority of these commonsense reforms on party-line votes. I will not support these bills until problematic provisions are removed and the unworkable spending levels are amended. I strongly urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to reverse their partisan posture and work in good faith to produce bipartisan legislation that can pass both chambers.

Legislative Work

Congressman Womack speaks to Congressman Hal Rogers 

I opposed H.R. 3684, partisan legislation that seeks to implement liberal wish list items under the guise of infrastructure. This package is undeniably more of a vehicle to appease the socialist left rather than a serious attempt to prioritize our nation’s infrastructure needs. The bloated, big-government approach implements more Green New Deal mandates than actual provisions to support roads and bridges. It will further blow up the deficit for things like transit facility art. Decorations are not infrastructure. It also fails to fix the overly bureaucratic process that has throttled infrastructure improvement projects for decades. We need real solutions—not more wasteful spending and bad policy. Learn more about the provisions of the bill here.

I voted against Speaker Pelosi's resolution to establish a select congressional committee to investigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Her proposed structure fails to institute a process that is independent, bipartisan, and equitable in membership and subpoena power.

The American people deserve a full and objective accounting of the January 6th assault. It’s exactly why I voted for the bipartisan commission developed by Representatives John Katko and Bennie Thompson—which was designed to be fair, transparent, and afford no side an advantage.

Speaker Pelosi’s proposal overwhelmingly fails to meet those criteria. Her version is blatantly partisan and skewed to give Democrats control over appointments, staff, and subpoena power. With her decided team at the helm of the investigation, I also have no confidence we’ll receive a comprehensive rendering of the decisions out of the Speaker’s office regarding actionable intelligence apparently ignored prior to the situation. It’s pretty simple – any legitimate investigation must be free of bias and not be a partisan exercise. Our responsibility is to find and present honest and credible facts, not implement an overtly partisan process.

House Appropriations markup business took place in the Ways and Means Committee hearing room

Other bills and actions of note:

• Introduced legislation to modernize the U.S. Flag Code to reflect the special traditions and practices that have become commonplace. At a time when we are seeing increased disrespect for Old Glory, I am proud to ensure Americans have every opportunity to celebrate and show reverence for our flag;
• Led a bipartisan call to reimburse the National Guard for Capitol security. Without immediate action, the brave volunteers of our National Guard will suffer, and the National Guard Bureau estimates its readiness will decrease by fifteen to twenty percent. This can’t be allowed to happen;
• Supported the introduction of the End Zuckerbucks Act. The legislation would prohibit non-profits from providing direct funding to state and local election officials or risk losing their tax-exempt status. The bill comes after private donors like Mark Zuckerberg poured money into the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), a left-leaning non-profit. CTCL then funneled this money directly to Boards of Elections in overwhelmingly Democratic precincts, using it as leverage to tell these agencies what to do and how to do it; and
• Cosponsored the Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act. This bill would give veterans and Gold Star families free lifetime access to national parks and public federal lands and give active-duty military free annual passes.

Congressman Womack meets with Army Chief of Staff General James McConville, Arkansas National Guard Adjutant General Major General Kendall Penn, and Arkansas National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Veazey

In between legislative business, I also traveled to the Pentagon to meet with Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army General James McConville, Arkansas National Guard Adjutant General Major General Kendall Penn, and Arkansas National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Veazey to discuss the FY22 Defense Appropriations bill, readiness, and the upcoming Combat Training Center rotation for the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 39^th Infantry Brigade. We also had in-depth conversations on the impacts of the high operation tempo the Guard has experienced this year due to coronavirus support and domestic support to civil authorities missions, the future of the military and its leaders, and how the Army is a total force comprised of active duty, guard, and reserve components.

God Bless America

Celebrating our exceptional nation - Happy Independence Day!

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence to create the United States of America. Each Independence Day, we celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the greatest nation in the world. We reflect on our blessings of freedom and liberty. And, we take time to honor patriots who, from our beginnings to now, have defended and secured our country.

This year, we will mark 245 years of a lasting experiment and vision rooted in the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A journey that began long ago has endured for centuries. Through the years, Americans have written and shaped each chapter of our history—building a more perfect union.

As President Ronald Reagan once said, “Thanks to the faith and fortitude of our ancestors, freedom has flowered on our shores and has brought a legacy of liberty and opportunity to wave after wave of immigrants from every quarter of the globe. In war and peace, in good times and bad, each generation of Americans has passed on the torch of freedom.”

“We the People” are the foundation of our exceptional nation. Through trials and tribulations, it is up to each of us to determine our destiny. It also reminds me of “E Pluribus Unum,” meaning “Out of Many, One.” These words flank the Great Seal of the United States and refer to the unity of the 13 colonies creating a single nation.

As we gather to celebrate our exceptional nation, I challenge my fellow Americans to reflect on that motto. No matter our differences, we are one nation, and one people, indivisible. And, together, we will always stand stronger.

Wishing you a safe and joyous Independence Day! 

God bless America, the land of the free because of the brave. Happy 4^th of July!