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As Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee on Appropriations, it’s my duty to provide appropriate levels of funding to ensure the transportation programs across the nation that ensure the safety of our skies, roads, and railroads.
I held my first hearing of the year to conduct oversight of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy was the witness, appearing for the first time before Congress since the mid-air collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in January. The hearing took place on the one-year anniversary of the catastrophic collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. Both tragic accidents, amongst many others, were topics of discussion.
It's also our duty on the subcommittee to support the operations of the NTSB. This critical, independent safety watchdog helps ensure our world-class transportation system is as safe as possible, identifying the “how” and “why” of some of our most tragic accidents and puzzling events in civil transportation.
You can watch my opening remarks and questions for Chair Homendy on my YouTube channel here. Read more from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette here.
Protecting Tipped Workers
This week, I introduced the Tipped Employee Protection Act of 2025, legislation to clarify the definition of tipped employee and relieve reporting burdens that harm the restaurant industry.
Hardworking restaurant owners and employees have a lot on their plate running a business and serving people. This bill makes their lives easier by preserving the hard-earned tipped wage for workers and creating a stable compliance environment for operators. I’m proud to support restaurants in Arkansas’ Third and across America—their work drives our economy, creates jobs, and serves our communities!
House-passed Legislation
The House passed three bills this week, each with my support:
- Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act: Protects our institutions of higher education from foreign interference by strengthening disclosure requirements for foreign gifts and contracts, and in some cases, banning contracts between these schools and certain foreign entities of concern.
- H.J. Res. 24: Overturns the Biden Administration’s rule imposing new or amended energy efficiency standards that are not technologically feasible and economically justified for walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers.
- H.J. Res. 75: Overturns the Biden Administration’s rule imposing new or amended energy efficiency standards that are not technologically feasible and economically justified for commercial refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers.
Picture highlights from the week:
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A group of students from the University of Arkansas’s Associated Student Government came in to talk to me about issues facing college students nationwide. I gave them a rundown on the current political landscape and the escalating national debt so that they know how it will affect them. Congress must make tough choices on how to spend taxpayer dollars. I keep young people top of mind when making these decisions because I don’t want to saddle our next generation with crushing debt.
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The Hacala family of Rogers tragically lost their son, Stephen, because lethal substances found their way into our food supply through contaminated poppy seeds. In Stephen’s memory, working with the Hacalas, my colleagues and I have crafted a solution to close an FDA loophole and ensure that only safe products are available for consumption. The Hacalas visited me this week to discuss reintroducing the Stephen Hacala Poppy Seed Safety Act, which my colleagues and I in the Arkansas delegation will reintroduce soon. This bill can save lives and prevent another family from experiencing an unimaginable loss like the Hacalas.
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On Thursday, I spoke to the American Association of Airport Executives, which is a group of airport leaders from across the country. I gave them the honest truth—Congress’ failure to pass full-year appropriations and instead relying on a continuing resolution, is harmful to their industry. As Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee on Appropriations, I made sure to tell them I’m going to do all I can to robustly and smartly fund the Federal Aviation Administration on time to ensure the safety and efficiency of travel in our nation.
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