Washington Update
Inflation
Congressman Womack joins House Republicans for their leadership press conference.
Our economy is breaking records—but not the right ones. Six months after President Biden said inflation hit its peak at 6.8%, the Consumer Price Index surged to 9.1%. It was not only another month of accelerating inflation, but it also marked the biggest 12-month increase since 1981.
Americans are being robbed by inflation under the Biden Administration. Families are draining their wallets and savings for necessities. We are talking about things like groceries, rent, and gas. Your paycheck is worth less and less. Yet, this White House and congressional Democrats are more focused on talking points pivots than the damage of their unaffordable policy agenda. Their plan remains taxing and spending more. The economic mismanagement must end. We need fiscal responsibility and pro-growth policies.
I talked about some of the solutions House Republicans, including myself, have put forth to address these serious issues during a leadership press conference with House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (LA-1), Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (NY-21), and Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-2). I demanded President Biden end his war on American energy, highlighted some of my recent efforts to combat inflation and high gas prices, and urged Democrats to work with House Republicans to reverse their self-made crises.
High prices at the pump aren’t a real concern for President Biden.
It isn’t accidental; it’s intentional. From your wallet to your gas tank, running on empty is what Democrats want. They’ve had designs on this for years. Consider the last time Joe Biden sat in the White House as Vice President.
The Obama Administration’s former energy secretary, Dr. Chu, was previously on the record saying, “Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.”
Congressman Womack talks about the impact of Democrat energy policies.
Back in control under one-party rule, it’s their encore performance. In their own words, the pain at the pump is part of “the future of the liberal world order.”
Republicans have been sounding the alarm since day 1. Just this month, I proposed amendments that would unleash domestic energy production and prohibit any new regulations until the cost of gas reached $2.47 and the CPI was reduced to 2.1%.
Every Democrat voted NO. They are relishing the consequences of skyrocketing costs in an attempt to burden people into their Green New Deal agenda. This is the desire of the left to shape the behavior of Americans because of the radical energy policies.
As I said, the people aren’t fooled. Unleashing U.S. energy production means:
Reasonable prices at the pump
Lower utility bills
More jobs for American workers
Stronger national security
Lower inflation
America can no longer afford this economy, and it’s past time my colleagues on the other side of the aisle reverse the radical agenda we are seeing. Furthermore, instead of going to Saudi Arabia this week, President Biden should reverse his policies that have stifled American energy production.
Watch my full remarks here.
NDAA
Congressman Womack proudly voted to support the NDAA and U.S. troops.
Providing for the common defense is a constitutional imperative. Advancing the FY23 NDAA is fundamental to upholding that obligation, and I was proud to support the legislation this week in the House. The bill ensures our military is properly manned, trained, and equipped. The package makes clear we won’t allow President Biden to shortchange our brave men and women in uniform with reckless cuts and authorizes proper funding levels for national security activities, including resources to equip our troops, support military families, enhance defense capabilities, strengthen military readiness, and deter foreign adversaries. Every advantage we give our troops makes certain they never have a fair fight when defending freedom. That readiness should always be our priority.
A sampling of authorizations I strongly supported include:
- Stopping Biden Defense Cuts: Reverses harmful cuts proposed by President Biden and ensures our military is properly resourced.
- Supporting Arkansas Troops: Provides resources to support our troops at Ebbing, Fort Chaffee, and other Arkansas installations.
- Troop Pay Raise: Gives our courageous troops a pay raise.
- Afghanistan Accountability: Requires the Biden Administration to define “over the horizon counterterrorism operations” and provide additional details to aid in oversight of the failed Afghanistan withdrawal.
- Confronting Russian Aggression: Continues prohibition on U.S. military cooperation with Russia, while also supporting the European Deterrence Initiative. Also supports efforts to counter Russian influence and aggression and protect U.S. and European security.
- Countering China: Bolsters resources to improve lethality, reduces our reliance on Chinese supply chains, requires assessment of threats posed by CCP and their malign influence operations across the globe, and implements other deterrence efforts.
- Border Security: Declares the situation at our southern border a national security crisis and directs National Guard resources to support enforcement efforts.
- Maintaining Lethality: Reinforces that lethality is the central tenet of our national defense strategy and informs the Department of Defense that any effort it undertakes that does not directly augment the lethality or combat-effectiveness of the Joint Force is outside the scope of the DoD’s mission, and thus a distraction.
- Military Infrastructure: Includes historic levels of investment to accelerate depot and shipyard maintenance projects and expedite facility improvements across all services.
The legislation will now advance to the Senate before a conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions will be established. I will be sure to keep you aware of updates as the legislation is further finalized.
Additionally, I also voted to pass the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022. The legislation—which was amended, more properly targeted to need, and is now a product of bipartisan consensus—provides veterans who were exposed to burn pits or other dangerous toxins in service to our country with the healthcare and disability benefits they have earned from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Just as the soldier’s creed affirms never leaving a comrade behind, America’s duty is to both honor the fallen and those who return with wounds of war. This amended bill allows our nation to responsibly live up to that promise. I’m proud to help deliver access to lifesaving care for the men and women who defended our nation and now face illnesses and hardships of their service.
More information here.
Some picture from the week:
I appreciated speaking to Arkansans and students on Capitol Hill for the Senator Boozman Intern Lecture Series. Seeing young people inspired and eager to follow a path of public service gives me great hope for the future. Being immersed in government and policy is a unique experience. These interns are bright and doing great work on behalf of Arkansans.
Thank you to the McCall family of Springdale for stopping in for a tour!
Thank you to the Mundo family of Rogers for taking a tour with my office!
Thank you to the Williams family of Russellville for visiting with my office!
It was great giving these young constituents a tour, and I made sure they left with my challenge coin!
It was great to have the Harrity family in town!
Took Grace and Evelyn for a quick ride to the Capitol!
It was great meeting Arkansans who are part of the SOAR After School Program.
These students were in town to visit our nation's capital and see the monuments. Safe travels back to the Natural State!
Fort Smith in D.C.! Appreciated having Dr. Benny Gooden of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education visit and discuss health education and medical residency programs. Our intern Emmie, a graduate of Southside High School, joined the meeting to talk about Fort Smith Public Schools (FSPS). Dr. Gooden is the former superintendent of FSPS.
I met with Rob Geckle, President and CEO of Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, to discuss their recent announcement of moving boom production for the LMXT Bridge Tanker to the Third District. We look forward to increasing AR-3's national defense and manufacturing footprint!
Our special education leaders in Arkansas are supporting our students each day. I appreciated having directors from Harrison and around the Natural State to talk about education, mental health, the teacher workforce, and more. Thank you for your time and for all you do for our next generation and their families.
Eva Mundo is a student at Rogers High School, and she was in town for the National Youth Correspondents conference. It was a pleasure to discuss a range of issues with her, and I am proud of her for pursuing her interests and studies. Hope you enjoyed your time at the conference!
I had the opportunity to meet with Dan Holtmeyer of Rogers, who is the Northwest Arkansas Council Recycling Program Manager, and learn more about our local recycling programs and initiatives the organization is working on.
As a member of the Kappa Alpha Order, it was great to meet with active brothers of the fraternity who are interning around D.C. We talked about leadership, service, and their work this summer.
I will be back in Washington for legislative business next week! Wishing you a great weekend ahead. 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. |