June 7, 2024

Week in Review

Storm Recovery Update

My prayers remain with you and your family as we all navigate the recovery process from the recent severe storms and tornados. Tragedies like these, while having a devasting impact on the region, have a way of revealing the true character of communities.

Federal assistance is now available to homeowners, renters, and businesses. Please visit my website’s resource page here for links to apply and additional information. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact my Rogers office at 479-464-0446. We are here to serve you!

In this week’s Comment from the Capitol, I expressed my gratitude for the countless organizations, volunteers, and leaders who stepped up in a remarkable way during our time of need. Give it a listen by clicking here.

I joined Yuna Lee with 40/29 News to share an update on the federal assistance process. You can listen to the interview here.

Before I headed back to DC, I volunteered with Samaritan’s Purse alongside Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and University of Arkansas Basketball Coach John Calipari to help our fellow Arkansans clear debris. We’re grateful to Samaritan’s Purse volunteers for coming to Arkansas to help and do the Lord's work. I remain inspired by the resilience of our community. We are Arkansas strong!

Update from Congress

Robustly Funding Veterans’ Care and Military Construction

The House passed the first of the 12 appropriations bills—the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill. This legislation:

Fully funds veterans’ care
Provides robust funding for the Indo-Pacific region
Supports current servicemembers and their families
Bolsters defense capabilities, including $70 million for Ebbing Air National Guard Base Academic Training Center construction, further supporting the Foreign Military Sales mission that will soon bring the Sound of Freedom to Fort Smith!

We are moving full steam ahead on the FY25 appropriations process. Next week, the House Appropriations Committee will markup, meaning we will debate and vote on the amendments to and passage of, five additional bills. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on the process as we fulfill our duty of funding the government while taking care of hard-earned taxpayer dollars.

As Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Subcommittee on Appropriations, getting a firsthand look at the vital needs and associated projects throughout our country is critical as we prepare the FY25 THUD bill. Our work impacts the safety, economic opportunity, and quality of life of every American, from Miami to Arkansas and across the nation. I appreciate my dear friend Congressman Diaz-Balart for showing us how impactful federal investment is for communities across his district in South Florida.

Sanctioning ICC Officials

In May, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced arrest warrant applications for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, in conjunction with warrants for Hamas terrorists.

The ICC's actions are baseless and outrageous. Hamas is a terrorist organization that murdered the most Jews since the Holocaust and is still holding dozens of innocent people hostage, including Americans. Israel is a nation protecting its people and fighting back for their existence. Israel has every right to rid the world of this evil force—and America should support them.

Despite President Biden’s weakness, House Republicans showed strength by passing a measure that requires President Biden to impose sanctions against ICC officials who investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute a U.S. person or our allies, including Israel.

There must be real consequences for the ICC’s illegitimate attempts to bypass our ally’s judicial processes and sovereignty.

Condemning Biden’s Border Executive Order

Since he took office, President Biden has taken 64 actions that led to the disastrous crisis at our southern border. He's always had the authority to reverse course and end the border crisis by reinstating Trump-era policies, such as building a wall, ending catch-and-release, stopping parole abuses, and bringing back Remain in Mexico.

Instead, this week, over three years into his presidency and five months away from the presidential election, he signed an executive order that would allow 2,500 encounters per day before any so-called shutdown. This further incentivizes illegal immigration and fails to address the real crisis at hand.

This effort is too little, too late—and it begs the question of political motivation. America needs effective policies to adequately secure the border and protect the homeland, and I remain committed to aiding in this process.

Visit the People’s House!

As you plan your summer travels, keep in mind that my team can assist with getting you tours of the Capitol and many other sites around the nation’s capital. Remember, my office belongs to the great people of Arkansas’ Third! Get in touch to schedule your tours by calling 202-225-4301—hope to see you soon!

It was a pleasure to welcome the Greenlee family from Arkansas’ Third to my office this week!

Have a great weekend ahead, and I hope to see you around! Be sure to check out my website, Twitter, and Instagram pages in the meantime.

From the front...

Congressman Steve Womack
Arkansas Third District

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