Washington Update
Limit, Save, Grow
As your representative, I strive to be a rational, practical voice in Washington. I work to implement solutions to the many challenges facing our nation to better the lives of the great people of the Third District.
One of the biggest challenges our nation faces right now is our unsustainable, almost $32 trillion, national debt because of the impact it has on every single American. It is one of the greatest threats to American prosperity, security, and the economic success of future generations, and it is high time we address it.
To put things into perspective, last year, our country spent roughly $6.2 trillion, and we made about $4.9 trillion, resulting in a deficit of nearly $1.4 trillion. The numbers don’t lie. We simply can’t continue living beyond our means.
This week, my Republican colleagues and I took a step forward in addressing the financial trainwreck our nation is plummeting toward by passing the Limit, Save, Grow Act.
This legislation does three important things.
- Limits runaway spending in Washington by establishing discretionary spending levels for Fiscal Year 24 at Fiscal Year 22 levels and allows for 1% annual growth over the next ten years.
- Claws back unspent Covid funds, defunds Biden’s IRS agents, puts a stop to Green New Deal giveaways, and gets rid of Biden’s unfair student loan handout.
- Grows our economy by strengthening the workforce and unleashes reliable, American-made energy.
Together, these components save hardworking taxpayers roughly $4.8 trillion. In exchange for these pro-growth and cost-saving policies, the debt limit would be responsibly lifted through March 31, 2024, or by $1.5 trillion, whichever occurs sooner.
Now, the ball is in Senate Democrats’ court. They must come to the table, along with President Biden, and admit we have a spending problem. Both parties have played a part in digging this hole, and it will require both parties to get us out.
I’m fully aware the Limit, Save, Grow Act will come back with a lot of changes. But this is only the first step. Republicans are the only ones who’ve put forward good faith negotiation topics to get the ball rolling, and time is ticking.
As you know, I've never believed defaulting on the full faith and credit obligations of our nation is the right answer. I also don’t think the answer is a clean debt ceiling increase, which Democrats are proposing, because all that does is turn a blind eye to the vital decisions that need to be made.
Hopefully, we land somewhere in the middle. We must pay our bills, but we also must take strides in ensuring our children and grandchildren can live in a better America, that isn’t shackled by never-ending debt.
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It was an honor to preside over the House Floor during debt ceiling debate to ensure fairness and efficiency.
Upholding Oversight and Accountability in Congress
In the same vein, I expressed my opposition to the bloated budget proposal for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to Chair Lina Khan in this week’s Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee on Appropriations Committee hearing.
With fiscal responsibility at top of mind, especially as we’re figuring out the budget and negotiating the debt ceiling, I asked Chair Khan about the FTC’s budget request, which is asking for $160 million more over last year’s enacted levels.
What’s more concerning to me rather than the sheer budget request, is the way the FTC has used the funds, because we’ve recently seen the FTC weigh in on areas that are outside of its authority and deciding on issues through subjective means.
We’ve also continued to hear there’s a command-and-control issue at the FTC. Including a mass exodus of senior staff, resignation of the only Republican on the Commission, and abysmal employee survey results. To this end, I asked Chair Khan about the office culture at the FTC, the potential hinderance of mergers that could benefit consumers, and the breakdown of the FTC budget.
Requests of this magnitude, especially with these concerns, must be explained and justified thoroughly. The FTC’s mission of protecting consumers and encouraging growth can’t be blurred. I can’t support such a massive increase for the FTC’s budget, especially given the Commission’s recent track record and given the nation’s current fiscal outlook.
Read more about the hearing I led and my discussion with Chair Khan in The Epoch Times.
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Preparing our next generation of AR-3 cadets and midshipmen
Last Saturday, I was honored to host two Service Academy Day events in Rogers and Fort Smith! We had a great turnout of students eager to learn more about what our nation’s academies have to offer.
Preparing the best and brightest young men and women for careers as military officers is one of our nation’s most important functions, and recruiting the top student leaders in my district to the country’s service academies is of the utmost importance to me. It’s always a source of pride for me to see these young people compete and qualify for admission. Our nation is well-served by the cadets and midshipmen who hail from Arkansas’ Third District!
Hear from one of the impressive attendees, Ethan, who has been accepted to West Point here.
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Welcome to Washington!
Earlier this month, I traveled to Singapore with Senator Boozman to thank our allies for trusting Fort Smith to be home of their F-35 fighter planes and Singapore’s F-16 squadron. This week, I welcomed our Singaporean friends, including Singapore Air Chief Major General Kelvin Khong, to our nation’s capital, and gave them a tour of the People’s House.
It was great having them here in Washington, and I look forward to welcoming Singaporean Air Force personnel to AR-3!
Some picture highlights from the week:
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It’s important for Arkansans and people across the nation to get an honest and realistic inside look into policy decisions that impact us all. I joined NBC’s Meet the Press on Tuesday to give my take on debt ceiling negotiations.
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Always a pleasure to hop on local radio! This week I talked all things debt limit and the challenges of navigating America’s relationship with China.
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As always, showing Arkansans the People’s House is a highlight of my week! Thank you to the Reeves family for visiting.
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My friends Betty, Roland, and Bryan, who are all independent insurance business owners in AR-3, shared with me how important it is to them that insurance regulation stays at the state level.
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It was a pleasure having the AR Cattlemen join me this week! We talked about how burdensome President Biden’s WOTUS rule would be for our farmers and ranchers, and my efforts to provide them with much-needed relief.
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Transparency is critical in ensuring the American people get proper care, especially in the pharmaceutical market. Glad to have the Arkansas Pharmacists Association come by my office to share how they’re tirelessly working to serve the people of AR-3.
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I’m steadfast in finding ways to support our veterans here in Congress. Thank you to Bob Crawford, the president of MOAA NW Arkansas Chapter, for coming by to discuss supporting Arkansas' veterans and my bill, the BNA Fairness Act, which eliminates the tax burden on Basic Needs Allowance payments and ensures service members keep the full benefits they have earned as they serve our nation.
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Wishing you a great weekend ahead, and I hope to see you around Arkansas next week! Be sure to check out my website, Twitter, and Instagram pages to stay up-to-date with the latest news from my office.
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