Washington Update

Securing Third District Priorities

The House passed millions in funding for Third District priorities, including projects for I-49 expansion, helping our veterans, healthcare and education initiatives, and infrastructure

This week brought great news: As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), I have helped secure major wins for the Third District, along with other critical defense and domestic programs.

It’s our constitutional duty to fund the government. After a long and delayed process, we have ensured vital conservative wins and important resources for the Third District and our nation in the appropriations package that passed the House and Senate. From Northwest Arkansas to the River Valley, we are delivering on priorities to help our communities. It also supports our national defense, restrains wasteful spending that Speaker Pelosi was pushing, contains pro-life protections, and includes no poison pill riders.

Here are some examples of provisions I authored and secured:

Camp Jack: The Jack Williams Veterans Resource Center — “Camp Jack” — of Harrison will receive $2.28 million to rehabilitate and expand its facilities, which support local veterans. Created by those who have worn the uniform, Camp Jack offers a safe and welcoming environment for veterans and their families to find information on benefits and health support, attend meetings, receive food assistance, or just grab a cup of coffee and enjoy camaraderie. The center is named after Jack Williams, a proud Arkansan and American who saved many lives at the cost of his own during the Battle of Iwo Jima. This World War II hero and recipient of the Medal of Honor—the highest and most prestigious award in the U.S. military—selflessly gave his last full measure of devotion to defend our freedom, embodying the impact and meaning of the center.

Future I-49: The Arkansas Department of Transportation will receive $18 million to support the expansion of the Western Arkansas section of I-49 from Arkansas Highway 22 to I-40 in Alma. This project is the first step to having an uninterrupted interstate highway through the central United States, from Winnipeg, Canada to New Orleans. Connecting I-40 in Alma to Ft. Smith is vital to supporting the second-largest city in Arkansas and further opening up important commerce and transit routes.

Fort Smith Peak Innovation Center: The Fort Smith Peak Innovation Center will receive $400,000 for its Career Connections Curriculum to support local students and expose them to Career and Technical Education (CTE). This investment will deliver early exposure to career clusters in new Career Connections and STEM classes for grades 6-8. In these classes, PEAK will use YouScience data to match interest and aptitude to career possibilities. Career Development Facilitators, students, and counselors will also use Naviance to help create student success plans and expose our next generation to their options for careers, secondary and postsecondary training, and education.

SLS Community: SLS Community, a non-profit in Fayetteville dedicated to providing neurodiverse and developmentally disabled adults with vocational, residential, and clinical resources, will receive $3 million for infrastructure investment. The project will improve access to care, create residential housing for autistic adults, and expand clinic offerings.

Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA): The Northwest Arkansas National Airport will receive $4 million for XNA’s major lobby renovation, which will ensure continued ADA compliance and streamline the flow of passenger traffic through the terminal. Transportation infrastructure is vital to economic growth and a valuable resource for residents and businesses. This investment will improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency.

Arkansas Tech University: Arkansas Tech University will receive $675,000 to enhance its nursing program. This investment will provide new simulation labs for clinical training and education of future healthcare professionals. The pandemic has showcased the necessity of highly-skilled medical professionals in all parts of the country, with nurses being among the most highly demanded personnel.

That’s not all. The legislation also strengthens national security, gives our troops a pay raise, restrains Democrats’ wasteful spending by slashing their requested spending by nearly two-thirds, stops the White House’s plan to cancel existing border wall funding, supports Arkansas’s National Guard missions, helps the Natural State’s hardworking truckers, enhances important agriculture research initiatives and programs at the University of Arkansas, and counters Russian aggression.

Read the comprehensive details on the omnibus here.

Energy Security

The White House must end its assault on U.S. energy

As Putin continues to direct rockets and machine guns at innocent Ukrainians, we must do everything possible to cut off every resource to this war criminal and tyrant. Eliminating America from bankrolling the Kremlin’s invasion and inhumane actions means eliminating the purchase of Russian oil. I proudly voted to pass the Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act, which suspends the import of Russian oil and energy products to the U.S. It also builds on President Biden’s executive order targeting Moscow energy. These are warranted actions, but they are far from comprehensive solutions.

Energy security is national security. Real power comes from us creating our own. Instead of turning from one dictator to another, we should unleash American production and pursue an all-of-the-above energy approach. That means reversing the White House’s policies that left us beholden to foreign adversaries and compounded the pain we’ve been feeling at the pump for months.

The Biden Administration might tout freezing out Russia, but they are simultaneously turning to Venezuela and Iran – dictator run and terrorist funding regimes – to produce more dirty oil to send to the U.S. Here are some facts: The U.S. was a net energy exporter in 2019 for the first time since 1952. Under President Biden, U.S. oil production has declined by over 1.5 million barrels per day, from the peak production of 13 million barrels per day in 2020. Our reliance on foreign crude oil imports has skyrocketed. America is fully capable of producing the cleanest oil and gas in the world right here at home.

True energy independence means restoring American production and dominance.

We can do that by:

• Ending Biden’s federal freeze on all new oil and gas leases
• Fast-tracking pending LNG export permits
• Expediting approval of all pipeline and energy development
• Stopping the regulatory assault on U.S. energy development and financing

Inflation

Inflation has increased every month of Joe Biden's presidency 

Every month of Joe Biden’s presidency has been met with an increase in inflation. He originally claimed it was “transitory,” and then said it had “peaked” at 6.8%. Well, that certainly hasn’t been the case. In February, prices for consumers increased by 7.9 percent, the largest increase in 40 years. In a little more than a year, we have felt the inflation rate go from 1.4% to 7.9%. This is an issue every American family and business is talking about. From gassing up the car and buying groceries to the cost of heating and cooling our homes and the largest decline in real wages—rising costs are hurting everyone. Even though economists and Republicans have been sounding the alarm on massive deficit spending under the guise of COVID relief, Democrats are still scheming for ways to spend trillions more. Instead of trying to retool their failed BBB tax-and-spend bill—which will inflate the economy more—they should be working to help middle class and working Americans. Here are a few ways forward: claw back unnecessary spending for socialist priorities, institute pro-growth policies, unleash American energy production—which is critical to fuel and transport prices and national security—and advance legislation that strengthens our economy and movement of goods, including policies that support trucking, maximize the labor force, and ease port and maritime congestions.

Meetings

Congressman Womack with Rob Ator and Tim Allen

F-35 Update: The sound of freedom—that’s what we are looking forward to hearing in the skies of the River Valley when the F-35 mission comes to Fort Smith. Bringing a flying mission back to the Flying Razorbacks has been a goal of mine since the last A-10 left. The Air Force is working through the Environmental Impact Statement process, and we are tracking everything closely in D.C. I appreciated having Rob Ator, Director of Military Affairs for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and Tim Allen, President of Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, in my office to discuss updates on this front. 

EUCOM Hearing: Ensuring the safety and security of our nation, both at home and abroad, is one of the constitutional duties of Congress. As a member of the Defense Subcommittee, I welcomed U.S. Air Force General Tod D. Wolters—who is NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Commander of U.S. European Command (EUCOM)—to the Hill this week for a classified briefing. He is the top U.S. commander in Europe and is responsible for combatant commands whose area of focus spans across Europe, portions of Asia and the Middle East, and the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. The command is comprised of more than 60,000 military and civilian personnel and is responsible for U.S. defense operations and relations with NATO and 51 countries. While I can’t discuss many aspects of the briefing, I can share General Wolters is ensuring readiness and coordinating weapons and security aid to Ukraine as it fends off Putin’s efforts to conquer a sovereign nation. He made clear, as NATO increases vigilance on the Alliance's eastern front, Allied military forces will posture and exercise to enhance readiness and interoperability. As he previously openly stated, “[Our] soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines stand ready to protect every meter of Allied territory.” These challenging times reiterate the need for Congress to provide stable funding for our military. We can’t continue to hinder our warfighters and neglect our constitutional duty of providing for the common defense. Bottom line, anything less than sustained, predictable appropriations damages national security.

Congressman Womack with Canoo President Josette Sheeran 

Canoo: The entrepreneurial and determined spirit of Arkansans, alongside a strong business environment, drives innovation and groundbreaking companies throughout the Third District and state. Canoo, an automotive and electric vehicles company, selected Bentonville as its headquarters and research and development facilities locations at the end of last year. Their relocation from California is expected to bring more than 540 jobs to Northwest Arkansas. I spoke in-depth with Canoo President Josette Sheeran about the move and the R&D in electronics, powertrain and battery vehicle engineering, and testing that will soon be taking place in our backyard. We also discussed the importance of a strong workforce and CTE training. The growth hub our area is becoming for technology and business development is a direct result of a local regulatory environment that supports – not hinders – private industry.

Arkansas Lupus Advocates: Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that is difficult to diagnose, treat, and live with. The disease impacts the immune system, which produces autoantibodies that attack healthy cells and tissues, including those of the skin, joints, heart, lung, kidneys, and brain. You might have heard of the condition—but it takes on a new meaning when you hear the effect it has on people each day. While legislative votes got in the way of the meeting, Katie Cottier and Emily Lancaster of Yellville shared their personal stories about the impact Lupus has had on their lives and families with my staff. For centuries, innovation and research have brought medical breakthroughs, and America must keep building that pipeline. They discussed medical research and development programs, including initiatives at the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Defense. Year after year, we see how numerous improvements in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals bring new cures to light and improve the health outcomes of people across the nation. Policies coming from Washington should encourage investment and break down barriers that hamper drug discovery.

Congressman Womack with Arkansas Bankers

Arkansas Bankers: Our community banking and financial services sectors are critical to small businesses, families, and our economy. I welcomed Arkansas Bankers, including Beth Presley (Fort Smith), Donald Walker (Fayetteville), Jim Taylor (Rogers), Derek Eckelhoff (Springdale), and members from across the Natural State, to my office. From cryptocurrency and lending initiatives to data security and economic recovery, we talked about a range of legislative issues. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), I reiterated my commitment to legislation that supports a regulatory environment focused on protecting Americans, small businesses, and economic strength—not one fixated on raising revenue by overly burdening our taxpayers and financial institutions.

Arkansas Convenience Stores: Hearing from our small business owners is critically important as I evaluate proposals and legislation in Congress. We talked about inflation and the impact of gas prices on businesses, consumers, and merchants. Furthermore, we discussed policies regarding credit card processing, payment security, and fraud protections. Thanks to Aaron Littlefield (Fort Smith, AR), Steven Ferren (Pine Bluff, AR), Sonja Hubbard (Texarkana, TX), and Thomas Brennan (West Des Moines, IA)—a member of the Long Gray Line—for sharing their insights. 

Congressman Womack with OG&E Chairman and CEO Sean Trauschke

Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E): American energy production has taken center stage in lots of national conversations lately. Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) provides utilities in Arkansas and the surrounding areas. We discussed power issues and OG&E’s operations in the Natural State, including regulatory concerns and priorities for consumers in the region. Policies coming out of Congress should always help America’s energy independence and support lower costs for residents.

George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations: We want our farmers, ranchers, and businesses to be able to reap the benefits of market access. An interconnected economy is not going away. I will of course mention that there is no denying that relations with certain countries like China are complex, but our trade ties are inextricably linked. We can’t fully cut ourselves off from such a large source of demand for both Arkansas and American products – but, we do have to be mindful of how we compete, invest, interact and collaborate. I spoke with Dr. John Kent of Fayetteville and other members of the foundation about these issues. Communist China is actively working to target every aspect of American enterprise, and we must ensure we are cognizant of these threats and challenges. Furthermore, we need to continue our focus on fair trade deals, market access for U.S. goods, and securing our technology.

Congressman Womack with Honeywell leadership

Honeywell: Honeywell’s products and services are found on virtually every commercial, defense, and space aircraft. Their unique technologies contribute to the vitality of the nation’s defense, and I received briefings related to their work with the Department of Defense. As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I’m consistently focused on ensuring our warfighters have the strongest tools, and that proper oversight of contracts provides accountability to American taxpayers. Our systems must always be secure, effective, and of the highest standard.

Great to have University of Arkansas Law School students stop into my office!

We are in the midst of Arkansas State Basketball Finals. Proud to say, we have multiple AR-3 teams competing:

• 5A Girls: Greenwood beat Jonesboro to earn the champion title! Congratulations to the Lady Bulldogs, Coach Clay Reeves, and Assistant Coach Ryan Lensing.
• 6A Girls: Northside took on North Little Rock. They didn’t clinch the title but worked hard on the court the entire game. Congratulations to the Lady Bears and Coach Rickey Smith on a great season.
• 6A Boys: Bentonville took on North Little Rock. The Tigers may not have left with the title they hoped for, but we still congratulate the team, Coach Dick Ripee, and Assistant Coach Ryan Ripee on a great season.
• 3A Girls: Bergman takes on Lamar on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Let’s go Panthers and Coach James Halitzka!
• 4A Girls: Farmington will take on Nashville on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Go Cardinals, Coach Brad Johnson, and Assistant Coach Denver Holt!

Wishing you a great weekend. You can keep an eye on my website or check out my Twitter and Instagram pages to stay up-to-date with the latest news from my office.