December 23, 2025

I hope you had a safe and joyous Christmas holiday spent with family and loved ones. As we enter the final week of the year, I want to look back and highlight some of the biggest wins I delivered for Arkansas’s Third District from January to now. It’s been a full year, so let’s get started.

APPROPRIATIONS

Before I get into what we accomplished this year, I want to briefly refresh you on what appropriations are and how the process should function. Appropriations are how we fund the discretionary side of the federal government—our departments, agencies, and related programs. In total, there are twelve bills, each covering different parts of the federal government, and Congress is supposed to pass all twelve bills on an annual basis.

This year, I was reappointed by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (OK-4) to serve as Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Subcommittee. In this role, I oversee the bill that funds the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation, including the Federal Aviation Administration.

Despite many hurdles, the House Appropriations Committee did its job and reported all twelve appropriations bills out of committee. The House passed three of those bills, putting us on the path to fund the government in regular order.

But we ran out of time to pass the remaining bills through the House and conference with the Senate before September 30, the end of the fiscal year. Knowing this, the House put forth a clean, straightforward funding extension called a continuing resolution (CR). Unfortunately, this CR was blocked by a majority of Senate Democrats, resulting in the longest government shutdown in history.

While that was certainly a low point, the final package that reopened the government included three full-year appropriations bills. Thanks to the passage of that package in November, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Veterans Affairs are now fully funded for the fiscal year with updated funding levels.

While our work is far from finished, we have gone further than in recent years to restore regular order and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING

One element of the annual appropriations process is allocating Community Project Funding (CPF). This funding is not additional money, but rather existing federal resources directed toward worthy initiatives by Representatives deeply familiar with local needs.

As THUD Subcommittee Chair, I have a strong voice in determining where our taxpayer dollars are spent. I’m proud to have secured $108.476 million in Community Project Funding for 15 projects in the Third District.

Some of this funding has already been signed into law. The package that reopened the government included funding for two projects in the Third District. It provided $2.75 million for the city of Pea Ridge to build a new fire station and $1.376 million to establish a new MRI unit at Mercy Hospital Berryville—the first MRI unit in Carroll County.

The remaining projects are included in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill and the bill I oversee, the THUD appropriations bill.

As we approach the next government funding deadline on January 30, you can bet I’m working around the clock to get these two bills signed into law. Take a look at all the projects below:

Read what other stakeholders are saying HERE.

Read more about CPFs HERE. 

WORKING FAMILIES TAX CUT

This year, I was proud to vote for and deliver the largest tax cut for working- and middle-class Americans in history. This was made possible through the Republican-led budget reconciliation package, known as the Big Beautiful Bill or the Working Families Tax Cut.

It makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent—protecting the average taxpayer in AR-3 from a 24 percent tax hike. The bill also expands the Child Tax Credit, provides tax cuts for seniors, and offers additional relief by eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest.

In addition, the bill delivered historic investments in our national security from securing the border and addressing the illegal immigration crisis to strengthening our military. It boosts military readiness, restores American deterrence, and revitalizes the defense industrial base.

This legislation also includes commonsense reforms to ensure social safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP are reserved for those who truly need them such as mothers, children, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly.

Click HERE to learn more about how the Working Families Tax Cut supports Arkansas families.

VETERANS

One of my top priorities in Congress is supporting those who have served our nation through military service, and I am glad to report several wins this year.

PROTECTING VETERAN ACCESS TO TELEMEDICINE SERVICES ACT

In September, the House passed my bill, the Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act.

Veterans in rural areas don’t enjoy the same proximity to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics as those in more urban or suburban areas, which can lead to poorer long-term health outcomes. Millions of veterans, particularly those in rural communities, have benefited from temporary telehealth flexibility implemented during the pandemic.

My bill would permanently authorize a temporary exemption that allows healthcare professionals employed by the VA to prescribe medically necessary controlled substances to veterans via telemedicine under certain conditions regardless of whether that healthcare professional has conducted an in-person medical examination.

I am proud that the House passed this legislation and encourage my Senate colleagues to consider it.

Read more HERE.

VA OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL TRAINING ACT

At the start of the year, my legislation, the VA Office of Inspector General Training Act, was signed into law.

This requires VA employees to complete trainings from the VA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) so that staff are fully informed on how to report waste, fraud, and abuse, and participate in whistleblower processes and investigations.

By increasing accountability and oversight at the VA, we can better ensure that veterans receive the quality care they deserve.

Read more HERE.

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of meeting with constituents from all walks of life—students, teachers, superintendents, small business owners, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, manufacturing workers, doctors, nurses, emergency responders, law enforcement officers, veterans, growers, ranchers, mayors, judges, public officials, and so many more.

Each conversation has been a source of motivation. Meeting with you is an honor, and to everyone I’ve had the chance to speak with, thank you for your authenticity and for sharing your hopes, concerns, frustrations, and successes with me.

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.

CASEWORK CLOSED

Here are two cases in which my team and I were able to help Third District Arkansans.

While traveling on a fishing trip in Brazil, David lost his passport. Without a nearby embassy, our office stepped in to help coordinate logistics and arrange for a replacement passport.

A nonprofit organization in the Third District requested our assistance after struggling to reach IRS agents to resolve a tax filing issue. We contacted the Taxpayer Advocate, ensuring the organization’s amended 1099s were reviewed, penalties were waived, and the balance due was reduced to $0.

Learn more HERE, and see how else we’ve assisted constituents this year below—including a ‘Top 5’ summary of closed cases by federal agency.

ROUNDTABLES

While I participated in multiple roundtables across the Third District this year, I want to highlight two important discussions I held with local agriculture and health care leaders during the federal government shutdown.

During my roundtable with agricultural stakeholders, I heard firsthand how the shutdown was disrupting farmers’ access to critical U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs, with the processing of new loans completely frozen. At the health care roundtable, leaders from regional medical centers, hospitals, and clinics emphasized how the shutdown was creating uncertainty for both providers and patients.

These roundtables were an invaluable opportunity to hear from stakeholders in real time about the wide-ranging impacts of the government shutdown. Let’s hope we can prevent this from happening in 2026.

Read more HERE.

TELEPHONE TOWNHALLS

Throughout the year, I hosted several Telephone Town Halls where I had the chance to connect directly with constituents. In total, 14,498 people joined these conversations.

I hold these Town Halls because I want to hear from you and share updates about what’s happening in Washington. While we can only answer a limited number of questions live, my office makes sure to follow up with every constituent who stays on the line until the end and leaves a voicemail.

Listen to my most recent Telephone Town Hall HERE.

BRINGING WASHINGTON TO AR-3

This year, I was honored to welcome both U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner and the U.S. Department of Transportation Acting Maritime Administrator (MARAD) Sang H. Yi to Arkansas’s Third Congressional District.

During Secretary Turner’s visit, I had the opportunity to show him how Northwest Arkansas is leading the way in housing affordability initiatives and economic development opportunities. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders also joined to discuss several of these efforts, offering insights from a state-level perspective.

Together, we were able to have valuable conversations with elected officials, business owners, and community leaders who are committed to ensuring access to affordable housing for individuals and providing businesses with the resources they need to invest in, develop, and strengthen our communities.

Read more HERE.

When Acting Administrator Yi came to visit, I showcased how Arkansas is committed to improving maritime and multimodal transportation in the state, across the nation, and around the world

We traveled throughout the district where we engaged with business owners, community leaders, and other stakeholders who are leading the charge to confront logistical bottlenecks, accelerate American manufacturing, and develop a highly skilled workforce to take on the challenges of tomorrow.

Read more HERE.

Thank you for a wonderful year and for your continued support. Serving Arkansas’s Third District is the greatest honor of my life, and I remain committed to working tirelessly to deliver meaningful results for you. You deserve nothing less.

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The year ahead offers us new opportunities to pursue our goals, so let’s take time to reflect on the past and prepare for what lies ahead. Wishing you a wonderful final week of 2025 and may your New Year’s celebrations be safe, festive, and memorable.

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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