Week in Review
Congress Avoids a Costly Government Shutdown
Congress worked swiftly in a bipartisan fashion to pass a continuing resolution, or CR, that extends fiscal year 2024 funding through December 20. This is because Democrats and Republicans in both the House and Senate couldn’t find agreement on full-year appropriations ahead of the start of fiscal year 2025 on October 1. Passing this CR is both bad and good news.
To be clear, CRs are never ideal, yet they’ve become typical of Congress. They’re the sad reality of our broken budget process, something I’ve worked tirelessly to reform throughout my time in Congress. All CRs do is kick the can down the road, failing to meet the growing needs of our country. It’s a haphazard way to govern. Successful companies don’t run their businesses this way—they meet deadlines. So why is it acceptable for the government of the greatest nation in the world to operate this way? Americans deserve better.
However, the good news is that we avoided an even worse alternative—a government shutdown. Our national security is at grave risk when the government ceases operations. Hardworking taxpayers would pay the steep price, and programs that Americans desperately rely on would come to a screeching halt. Further perpetuating dysfunction in the legislative process is the very last thing the American people need. Although I fundamentally disagree with CRs, it was the responsible decision to make. The reality is government shutdowns are a more harmful outcome for our country. I voted in support of the CR for this reason.
Following both the House and Senate voting to avoid a government shutdown, legislative business is paused until after the election. This means I’ll be back home in Arkansas’ Third District, meeting with the great people and businesses I proudly advocate for in Washington. But the government spending fight is far from over. When Congress returns in November, we must get our act together. I will be laser-focused on fulfilling our most fundamental duty of passing fiscally responsible full-year appropriations.
Honoring the “Man in Black”
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Arkansan music legend Johnny Cash now has a statue standing inside the most iconic symbol of freedom in the world! It was an honor to not only attend the unveiling ceremony in the Capitol but speak at the event along with Rosanne Cash (Johnny Cash’s daughter), Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Speaker Mike Johnson, and other members of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation in a room full of proud Arkansans.
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Here I am with Rosanne Cash! It was an honor to meet her and other members of the Cash family.
The Capitol features statues honoring many remarkable individuals who have made significant contributions to society. But this statue marks a first! Johnny Cash represents the first such statue of a professional musician. While many statues are of people some of us have never heard of, rare will it be that someone will see this masterpiece and not know of the legendary singer-songwriter represented here.
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Kevin Kresse, the sculptor, portrayed Johnny Cash as he truly was, down to the finite detail.
Now, Arkansas has a statue of civil rights icon Daisy Bates surveying the historic Statuary Hall and the “Man in Black,” larger than life, in the Capitol Visitor Center. No one walking by these impressive memorials will fail to know who they were, what they did, and where they were from. That makes me Arkansas proud!
In case you missed it, you can find my remarks here and the full ceremony here.
Picture highlights from the week:
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Bentonville High School senior Peyton Bolling has a bright future ahead. Not only was she recently crowned Miss Arkansas’ Teen, but she’s committed to shaping Arkansas youth to be inspired and engaged citizens in their communities. As a part of this initiative, I was proud to join her social media series “Glimpses in Government” to share my experience in public service and the importance of civics education. I’m always impressed by the bright young minds hailing from Arkansas’ Third District!
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I welcomed folks from the Springdale Chamber of Commerce, Springdale Schools, and the City of Springdale to Washington! We discussed our work together at the local and federal levels to improve the lives of Springdale residents and foster economic growth in the region. As always, I look forward to visiting with Third District Arkansans while they’re in our nation’s capital.
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I’ve been a longtime supporter of career and technical education programs, as these skills are in high demand and are vital to our economy. Arkansans with the Associated General Contractors of America shared with me trends in the construction industry and their legislative priorities, which include workforce development programs.
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Fighting against the Biden-Harris administration’s hyper-regulatory agenda is a primary focus of mine on the House Appropriations Committee. I spoke to folks with the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA) who experience the harmful effects of the administration’s agenda daily in their industry. Specifically, I mentioned FTC Chair Lina Khan’s burdensome reporting requirements that will cost auto dealers billions in compliance if implemented.
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Aaron Thompson, the CEO of Ferra Aerospace, came by to discuss future defense applications and give a status update on the production of wing kits in Rogers. Ferra Aerospace produces Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) wing kits, which triple the effective range of the standard munition. The U.S. has been providing JDAM-ERs to Ukraine, where they have proven their effectiveness on the battlefield. I'm proud Arkansas' Third District continues to lead in bolstering U.S. defense capabilities and producing weapons that are vital to our national security.
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I was honored to receive the "Friend of the Family Award" from the Faith and Freedom Coalition for my voting record, which reflects conservative values and principles. Defending the family, protecting religious liberty, and standing strong with our ally, Israel, remain some of my top priorities.
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.
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