Welcome to my weekly newsletter
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December 5, 2025 |
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Welcome to my weekly newsletter, From the Front, where I provide a quick update on what I've been working on in Washington, D.C, and back home in Arkansas's Third Congressional District. |
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In this week’s edition of Comment from the Capitol, I discuss Congress’s efforts to create a national standard for student-athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL). In addition, I outline what’s next for appropriations, including my Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bill. Listen HERE or click below.
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This week, I hosted a Telephone Townhall to provide an update on what’s happening in Washington, and most importantly, to answer questions from Third District residents.
From the outset, I want to say how much I enjoyed Tuesday’s Telephone Townhall. Everyone I heard from asked thoughtful questions, and our discussion was both enlightening and beneficial for me—and I hope for you as well.
I began with a quick overview of the past few months, including the longest government shutdown in American history, how we resolved it, and what remains to be done before the next funding deadline. Spoiler alert: there’s still a lot of work ahead and very little room for error.
Third District Arkansans asked about a wide range of issues, including boat strikes on narco-terrorists, enhanced subsidies under Obamacare, tariffs, affordability, the challenges of funding the government through continuing resolutions, political polarization, and more.
If you missed it, don’t worry. You can listen to the full event HERE.
Be sure to follow my social media pages and keep an eye on this newsletter for updates on when the next Telephone Townhall will take place.
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The House began the week by passing a bill that I proudly cosponsored: the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act. This legislation accelerates research and development for life-saving medical treatments for pediatric cancer and rare diseases. Our nation is a hub for cutting-edge medical research, and our children deserve to benefit from it too.
Next, we passed several bills aimed at cutting red tape for small businesses, including:
Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act of 2025, which requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure that new SBA rules impose zero costs on small businesses.
Destroying Unnecessary, Misaligned, and Prohibitive (DUMP) Red Tape Act, which creates a Red Tape Hotline, giving small businesses a hotline to the SBA Office of Advocacy to report burdensome regulations.
We also advanced legislation to prevent the Chinese Communist Party, or any foreign entity, from influencing or spying on our children’s education. These measures include:
Promoting Responsible Oversight to Eliminate Communist Teachings for (PROTECT) Our Kids Act, which combats foreign interference by prohibiting federal education funds from being given to any school that receives CCP funding.
Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act, which ensures transparency by requiring schools to disclose the source of any foreign funding above a nominal threshold as a condition of receiving federal education funds.
Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act, which empowers parents by giving them the right to know about foreign influences in their child's public school. |
| HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT |
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While the 2025 Arkansas high school football playoffs are being held in the center of the state, there are four Third District teams making the trip to compete.
Tonight, the Bentonville Tigers will take on the Bryant Hornets for the Class 7A state championship. On Saturday, the Greenwood Bulldogs will face the Shiloh Christian Saints for the Class 6A state championship—a Third District showdown and rematch of last season’s championship.
The Elkins Elks will also play tonight as they take on the Stuttgart Ricebirds in their 4A state semifinals football game.
It promises to be an exciting weekend of football, and I wish all the players success and a safe game. |
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CONSTITUENT SPOTLIGHT
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably noticed our new format. As part of this revamp, I’m introducing a new section where I’ll spotlight outstanding members of Arkansas’s Third District.
This week’s Constituent Spotlight goes to Kennedy Holland of Greenwood.
Kennedy is a student at the University of Central Arkansas and the daughter of Katie and Sean Holland. But many of you may know her as Miss Arkansas.
This fall, she proudly represented our state at the Miss America competition, where she was named a Top 11 Finalist and received the Talent Preliminary Award. Beyond the stage, Kennedy is committed to improving the lives of children in Arkansas. She founded her own nonprofit, Compassion Legacy, which focuses on installing adaptive playground equipment.
When she visited Washington, D.C., this fall, I had the privilege of meeting with her and the American Heart Association of Arkansas to discuss the importance of AED and CPR training in schools.
Kennedy is proud of where she comes from, and we are proud to see her represent Arkansas so well.
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HOW I'M HELPING
One of the most important things I do as a U.S. Representative is help people resolve an issue with a federal agency. Although I cannot override the decisions made by a federal agency, I can often intervene on a person's behalf to answer questions, find solutions, or just cut through the red tape. Learn more HERE, and take a look at how we've assisted constituents so far this year.
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I met with my good friend, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, to discuss the Francis Scott Key Bridge. He gave me an update on the progress his team has made since the initial crash, and how Congress will be needed to support the rebuilding of this integral piece of infrastructure. As Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I have the privilege of overseeing the funding that will go to this project and I look forward to working with the Governor to responsibly rebuild the bridge to support the hundreds of millions of dollars in American commerce flowing through the Port of Baltimore.
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My fellow colleague from Arkansas, Representative Bruce Westerman (AR-4), and I met with a group of students involved with the Arkansas chapter of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG). I explained to them how unique and important it is that every member of the Arkansas congressional delegation serves as a chairman, ultimately benefiting our state. I also encouraged the students to excel in whatever they choose to pursue in the future and to lead with integrity, even if it’s not the most popular decision. These are standout individuals, and I appreciated the opportunity to meet them—especially Mitsuka, a senior at Springdale High School, and April, a teacher at the school.
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This week, I had the opportunity to meet the Blankers and Roberts before they took a Capitol tour. They are longtime residents of Northwest Arkansas, and we reminisced about the incredible growth the area has seen over the past several years. I’m grateful they stopped by our office during their time in D.C.
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Today marks the final day that my Defense Fellow, Sean, will serve in our office. For those who don’t know, my office participates in the Department of Defense Legislative Fellowship Program which allows a service member to act as a legislative aide in Congress for one year. Over the past year, Sean has been a valuable asset, working to advance and provide key insights on foreign affairs policy, veteran services, and defense appropriations. Hailing from San Diego, Sean is a Captain in the U.S. Army serving as a 13A – Field Artillery Officer. Notably, his favorite MRE is chicken chunks with barbeque sauce. Back stateside, Sean is a husband and father to three wonderful children. Next, he’ll work in the Army Congressional Budget Liaison Office. While my team and I will truly miss having Sean in our office, we are grateful for his service both to Arkansas’s Third District and to our nation.
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If you joined my Telephone Town Hall, I already know your thoughts on this topic. But I’d also like to hear from all my From the Front readers.
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Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Arkansas’ 142nd Field Artillery Brigade leaves for Washington, D.C.
Arkansas Business: $500M Highway 112 Expansion Begins in Northwest Arkansas
Sen. Boozman in The Hill: A roadmap for surging the circular economy
Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Arkansas lawmakers back Trump administration on legality of recent military strikes in Caribbean Sea |
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The Service Academy Nomination process is in full swing, but if you’re a high school junior interested in attending the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), you can experience life on campus firsthand during the Summer Seminar. For five days, you’ll live like a cadet and learn what it means to attend USAFA.
Applications for Summer Seminar 2026 are open now and will close on January 15, 2026. You can apply today through their admissions website: www.academyadmissions.com. |
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Have a great weekend ahead, and I hope to see you around! Be sure to check out my website, X, and Instagram pages in the meantime.
From The Front...
Congressman Steve Womack
Arkansas Third District
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