Washington Update
I joined a radio show in the Third District to give an update on the latest from Congress.
After a busy week in Washington, it's good to be back home! Make no mistake, even though we are getting into the holiday season, the House and Senate have some big legislative items to wrap up. In the coming weeks, I will keep you updated on government funding, the debt ceiling, and more as we close out the 117th Congress.
In some good news, the House this week passed my cosponsored Lymphedema Treatment Act. The bipartisan legislation will help many Americans. Millions of cancer survivors are affected by lymphedema—a chronic condition—as a result of the treatments they underwent in their fight against the disease. It’s hard to imagine winning the battle against cancer only to face another equally debilitating illness. Though millions of patients face lymphedema, there have been many issues related to the resources and support available to them. This bill focuses on fixing that. I was proud to be an advocate for the proposal, which expands resources and Medicare access to medical necessary supplies—things like compression garments—that are needed by those faced with this complication. I have heard from Arkansas patients and providers alike about the importance of this move. It will now advance to the Senate for a vote.
Some highlights of the week in pictures:
You never know who you might find walking the halls of the House! Great to have my good friend and colleague Senator John Boozman stop into my office. It’s an honor to work alongside him and serve the great people of Arkansas!
As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), which has jurisdiction over many financial-related government agencies, I joined the Deloitte CFO Vision Summit to talk about policy issues and priorities. I talked about the budget and appropriations process, need for reforms, and legislative outlay for the rest of the year. As I noted to many of the CFOs in the crowd, Congress has not produced a budget in years—which would be unheard of to companies and American families. A failure to budget is a failure to govern. I remain resolute in leading efforts to make the tough—but necessary—decisions to chart a responsible path forward and ensure America’s future prosperity.
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The health and well-being of Arkansans is critically important. I appreciated meeting with Empower Healthcare Solutions staff to learn more about their efforts to support the most vulnerable and ensure they have access to the care and services they need. Their work changes lives and helps so many throughout our communities.
A huge congratulations to Chancellor Dr. Charles Robinson, who was officially named the next head of the University of Arkansas! This well-deserved role comes after his proven record of service to UA, its students, and the Third District community. With a commitment to excellence and preparing our next generation, his leadership will continue a strong legacy forward. I am extremely proud to have Chancellor Robinson as one of the leaders in our region and look forward to the joint work that will only grow opportunity and education throughout our great state!
Our immigration system is broken and needs serious reform. We need real solutions that secure our border, support those seeking legal pathways, and fix the many problems that have plagued our broken system for too long. I appreciated hearing the stories of those who have been impacted by these issues personally. I remain committed to delivering a working, lawful, and effective immigration system.
Helping others is part of the fabric of the Third District. This week, our community shined a bright light on the many people giving back to our region through philanthropy. God bless all the 2022 honorees who were honored at the Fayetteville Library by the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of AFP. I want to give a special commendation to J.B. Hunt’s Johnelle Hunt on her lifetime achievement award, as well as Tamara and John Roberts on their outstanding philanthropist honor!
Appreciated having Kelly Hellbusch, Mohammad Tawab, Paw Lar, Santiago Albuja, and Angel Soto in D.C. to view the Capitol! They all support the great work Tyson does in Arkansas and across the globe. It was also great to have Richard and Rhonda Emerson of Springdale and their friends Mark and Melody Mickelson join the group for the tour.
Thanks to the Sharum family of Central City and Chigumira bachelor party group of Fort Smith for stopping in for a tour. We hope you enjoyed your visit and time in our nation's capital! Safe travels back to the Natural State!
I was in my office when I got a call that an Arkansan was going to be down the hall with my good friend Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-5)—who is also the Dean of the House. I ran over to give a quick hello to Rob Walton and his team! It’s always good to have folks from the Natural State around D.C.!
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. |