Washington Update
Comment from the Capitol – Week in Review
A lot of good happened in the U.S. House of Representatives this week, from passing the FAA Reauthorization Act and bills supporting law enforcement, to the statue unveiling of America’s pastor, Rev. Billy Graham. But it isn’t a week in the House without a bit of chaos.
Listen to my firsthand reporting on what happened this week by clicking HERE for this week’s edition of Comment from the Capitol!
Backing the Blue
In honor of National Police Week, my House Republican colleagues and I passed a slate of bills to support our men and women in blue across America. I proudly supported each of these measures:
- H.R. 7343, the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act, requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and detain any illegal immigrant who assaults a law enforcement officer.
- H.Res. 1213 condemns calls to defund the police, which have increased violence towards law enforcement officers.
- H.R. 8146, the Police Our Border Act, requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on how the border crisis affects law enforcement at various levels.
- H.Res. 1210 condemns the border crisis and the tremendous burdens law enforcement officers face as a result.
- H.R. 7581, the Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act, ensures adequate data collection to address the rise in anti-police attacks.
- H.R. 354, the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA) Reform Act, expands the LEOSA exemption to allow qualified active and retired law enforcement officers to carry firearms on state, local, and private property otherwise open to the public.
- H.R. 7530, the DC CRIMES Act of 2024, reasserts Congressional control over the District of Columbia by prohibiting the D.C. Council from pursuing soft-on-crime sentencing policy.
I’m eternally grateful to all the heroes who wear the badge. While some of my colleagues call to defund the police, I will always defend the men and women in blue and ensure they have every resource possible to effectively do their job in keeping us safe. The legislation that I supported this week does just that.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to our brave police officers in Arkansas’ Third and across the country for your service and sacrifice!
Supporting Israel
You may have heard the news that the Biden Administration paused the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Israel, which would be used by the Israel Defense Forces in their response to the Hamas terrorist attacks and Israel’s ongoing efforts to retrieve hostages, including Americans.
Let me be clear—withholding these weapons from Israel abandons our greatest ally in the Middle East in its greatest time of need. It emboldens murderous terrorists and postures America as weak and unreliable. This poor decision shows the American people that our Commander-in-Chief chooses political ploys to appease the far left instead of acting to preserve global and national security.
In response, the House, with bipartisan support, passed the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, a bill I proudly cosponsored, which forces the delivery of defense articles to Israel by withholding funding from the Department of Defense, Department of State, and National Security Council until the articles are delivered, and reaffirms the will of the American people. The weapons referenced in this bill have already been cleared by Congress.
I also want to clear something up. Before this bill passed the House, President Biden notified Congress of a $1 billion package of arms and ammunition to Israel. This notification is another example of a political ploy, as it only initiates a process for a separate package which will take months to complete. He is still withholding the arms referenced in the bill we passed this week.
I strongly support this legislation, and I remain committed to our friend and ally, Israel. I demand President Biden immediately release the Congressionally approved weapons to help Israel in its fight to exist free of terror.
Ensuring Aviation Safety and Innovation
The FAA Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes the programs of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the nation’s aviation safety and infrastructure programs for the next five years, received the House’s stamp of approval this week.
The aviation industry is critical to America’s economy, as it supports 11 million jobs and carries over 850 million passengers annually. Ensuring the safety of travelers is paramount. I’m proud to see the FAA Reauthorization Act pass with bicameral, bipartisan support. With increased competition worldwide, this legislation reauthorizes the necessary safety, innovation, and economic investments to ensure America remains the world’s gold standard in aviation!
Picture highlights from the week:
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Last Friday, we celebrated Miss America’s homecoming in Fort Smith! Second Lieutenant Madison Marsh was back in her hometown to visit with students, join a parade, and speak about her priorities as Miss America. At the meet and greet, I spoke about how Fort Smith is a trailblazing city in Arkansas’ Third District, and how Madison is a true trailblazer herself. I’ve had the honor of seeing Madison grow up over the years, starting when I nominated her to the Air Force Academy when she was a senior at Southside High School. I’m very proud of her, and it was great to have her back where it all started!
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Reverend Billy Graham was America’s pastor—a man who dedicated his life to proclaiming the Gospel across the globe. His statue to honor his life and legacy was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol this week. I was honored to witness the unveiling firsthand. Pictured with me here is Franklin Graham, Rev. Billy Graham’s son.
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At the unveiling ceremony, I ran into Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. We discussed his decision, after pressure from my colleagues and me, to pause USPS consolidations across the United States. This is a WIN for Arkansas, as the decision includes the Northwest Arkansas Processing and Distribution Center in Fayetteville. Residents and businesses across the region that depend on USPS can continue to count on reliable mail service.
Read more about this from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette HERE.
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I had the honor of meeting with senior military officers and defense industry officials from Guatemala. We discussed the Arkansas National Guard’s State Partnership Program ties to Guatemala and cooperation between U.S. armed forces and Guatemala. I was also presented with an award for my efforts in Congress to strengthen relations between our countries!
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Tanner Pittman of Rogers and his colleague of Promotional Products Association International came in to talk about issues that are impacting the promotional products industry, specifically labor policies, international trade, and the important role the industry plays in the national economy. It accounts for over 38,000 businesses, 98% of which are small companies generating more than $26 billion in annual revenues and employing nearly half a million Americans!
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This week, the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee on Appropriations held two hearings: One on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) FY25 budget request and one on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) FY25 budget request. My focus as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee is to rein in the Biden Administration’s hyper-regulatory agenda. Bloated bureaucracy bankrupts taxpayers and stifles economic growth in America. I made this clear in both hearings, particularly in my questioning of FTC Chair Lina Khan, which you can watch HERE.
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Millions of Americans suffer in silence due to mental health issues. I appreciate members of the American Counseling Association for coming by my office to discuss the need to strengthen the mental health workforce and access to mental health services for people of all areas across the country. Particularly in rural parts of states like Arkansas, access to healthcare through telehealth is becoming increasingly important.
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The Biden Administration’s hyper-regulatory agenda impacts Arkansans and Americans across the country. Aaron Littlefield of Fort Smith with his colleague of the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association visited me to discuss the need to cut bureaucratic red tape that’s keeping qualified commercial drivers from joining the workforce, adding to our supply chain woes. In Congress, I will work to rein in these federal overreaches, including from agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
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Jayden Tran of Fort Smith is a participant in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth Students. He visited me and brought another participant, Nathan Renard, to share their experience in the program. Jayden was immersed in Seoul, South Korea, and spread American democracy abroad!
Looking ahead
Next week, Congress will get started on marking up Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bills, which will deliver direct results to folks in Arkansas—from funding infrastructure projects and innovative programs to supporting our troops. I will be sure to keep you updated as we move forward with this process.
I will be back in Washington, DC, next week for legislative business. Have a great weekend, and I hope to see you around! Be sure to check out my website, Twitter, and Instagram pages in the meantime.
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