June 5, 2026

In this week’s edition of Comment from the Capitol (CFTC), I break down the major developments in both chambers—from the Senate’s passage of a budget reconciliation package to fund ICE and CBP to the House’s approval of its second Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations bill—and all the twists and turns in between. Listen HERE or click below.

At the stroke of midnight on Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee advanced my FY 2027 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. As Chair of the THUD Subcommittee, I am not only proud of the contents of this bill, but also of the work our committee has done to move it forward on a truncated timeline.

The FY 2027 THUD bill touches every facet of our national transportation sector from the roads to our seas and skies. Building on robust funding we provided the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to create safer skies in FY 2026, my bill provides resources to hire another 2,300 air traffic controllers and to further modernize the technology these workers rely on to manage air travel.

For our nation’s highways, my legislation allocates $64.5 billion in programmatic funding, including $200 million to increase access to safe and available truck parking. Since state and local officials know their communities best, these resources will be directly allocated to state governments to collaborate on high priority road projects.

The housing title of this bill addresses affordability concerns and ensures a responsible safety net for our most vulnerable citizens. For example, my bill provides funding for federal programs that leverage private dollars to increase affordable housing accessibility, such as the Community Development Block Grant Program and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program.

Those are only a few highlights of the bill. I break down more in my opening statements, which you can watch HERE.

Perhaps of most interest to the readers of this newsletter are the direct investments this bill makes in Arkansas’s Third District. From water systems to bridges and highways, my THUD bill brings home $99 million in Community Project Funding to strengthen infrastructure as our region continues to grow. Here’s the full list of local projects that I secured funding for in this bill:

• $9 million to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority for its western concourse expansion.
• $5 million for Arkansas Highway 10 improvements.
• $7.736 million for Arkansas Highway 72 improvements.
• $10 million for Arkansas Highway 59 improvements.
• $675,000 to the city of Lincoln for water system improvements.
• $1 million to the city of Lowell for a food bank initiative.
• $2.1 million to Benton County for the construction of a new fire and EMS station in Avoca.
• $2.5 million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Northwest Regional Campus for improvements to their workforce training center. 
• $4.5 million to the NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) for campus infrastructure improvements.
• $5 million to the city of Dyer for water system improvements.
• $5 million to the city of Van Buren for bridge improvements.
• $6 million to Madison County for water system improvements.
• $6.838 million to the city of Green Forest for water system improvements.
• $9 million to the city of Cave Springs for water system improvements.
• $12 million to the city of Gentry for water system improvements.
• $12.75 million to the city of Bentonville for road improvements.

The next steps for getting this funding—and the rest of the bill—signed into law is House and Senate passage. There’s a lot of work to do before the end of the fiscal year, but I am hopeful we will carry forward this momentum and get the job done.

Read more HERE. 

Along with my THUD bill, the House Appropriations Committee also advanced the FY 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Bill. Its provisions largely focus on unlocking American energy resources from oil and gas to critical minerals.

The legislation also provides certainty to hunters and fishers by preventing unnecessary regulations on ammunition and fishing tackle.

For the Third District, the bill includes $1.28 million for water system improvements in Winslow and $4 million to expand water infrastructure in Springdale. This Community Project Funding will support safe and reliable water delivery for current and future residents in these two cities.

The House Appropriations Committee has now advanced nine out of twelve government funding bills, all before the end of June—a notable feat that I credit to the strong leadership of Committee Chairman Tom Cole.

Adding to the appropriations wins of this week, the House passed the FY 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

Included are provisions I advocated for that would provide targeted relief for our poultry industry and other businesses in Arkansas’s Third District who work tirelessly to keep food on our shelves and on our kitchen tables. In particular, the bill:

• Allows broiler chicken farmers to sell their surplus eggs into the breaker market for pasteurization and mixture into everyday grocery products.
• Reins in Biden-era regulations aimed at dictating how poultry and livestock producers raise and market their animals.
• Streamlines the pet food labeling regulatory environment by eliminating a burdensome patchwork of requirements.
• Supports the FDA's work related to contaminated poppy seeds, directing the agency to carry out enforcement measures to ensure only safe poppy seeds are available for consumption.

Read more about the bill HERE.

The City of Greenwood just broke ground on a brand-new inclusive playground. This playground will be enjoyed by children of all abilities and is expected to be completed later this year. Our very own Miss Arkansas, Kennedy Holland of Greenwood, was present for the groundbreaking. Kennedy visited my D.C. office in October to discuss the importance of heart health, and I’m glad to see her hand in other important projects in the district.

The Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) is once again surpassing expectations. From February to May this year, enplanements at XNA exceeded the previous year’s totals. Also, the airport authority board just gave the go-ahead for XNA staff to proceed with its western concourse expansion. As I mentioned above, I'm proud to have secured $9 million in funding for this project in my FY 2027 THUD bill that passed through the House Appropriations Committee earlier this week.

And this weekend, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is opening their highly anticipated expansion to the public. The expansion includes several new features, including educational learning spaces, additional art galleries, studios, and gathering areas. Crystal Bridges is truly a state-of-the-art institution, and I’m grateful the Third District gets to have it in our backyard.

CONSTITUENT SPOTLIGHT

This week’s constituent spotlight goes to Kerri Vollmer and Carie Brooks of the Rogers School District. They each just received state-level awards recognizing their excellence in social work and counseling, respectively.

Kerri Vollmer was chosen as the 2025-2026 Arkansas School Social Worker of the Year. She is one of 10 social workers in the Rogers School District system and works at the elementary and middle school levels. Kerri is known to always reach out to help others and strives to get the necessary resources for her students and families in need.

Carie Brooks was named the 2025-2026 Arkansas High School Counselor of the Year. She’s been with Rogers Public Schools for 19 years and has been a school counselor for 15 of those. Carie currently works at Rogers Heritage High School and is known among her colleagues as always going above and beyond for her students and team.

I was able to ask Carie more about the work she does. Check it out below.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

For me, some of the most rewarding moments being a school counselor are when I am trusted with a student's heart as they share their personal story. Initial connections with students are often made through smaller interactions like advising on classes or talking with them about their plans after high school. It takes time to build rapport and develop relationships, especially with adolescents. I try hard to be someone with whom students feel safe, seen, encouraged, and supported. Sharing can be difficult for someone who has experienced trauma or who is in crisis, but it is so important for their healing. It is a privilege to be a small part of that journey with them.

What is something you wish more people knew about your job?

School counselors see and hear a lot every single day. I think people would be shocked to know just how much our students are coping with. Of course, we all hear stories about situations of poverty, abuse, and neglect, but the breadth and depth of it is so much bigger than most imagine—even in a thriving area like Northwest Arkansas.

For obvious confidentiality reasons, these are not things about which we as counselors can talk openly. And, if we are being honest, they are not things most people want to hear. However, it is important to be reminded. A student's basic needs for food, shelter, and safety must first be met before learning can take place. Schools work hard to fill the gaps, but they alone cannot solve these larger issues. It takes an entire community, and we live in one of the best! As our area continues to grow, I hope that all demographics reap the benefits.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with Arkansas’s Third District?

One of the things I am passionate about is helping students manage screen time. I am so grateful for the state’s “Bell-to-Bell No Cell” initiative. I have advocated for limiting screen usage (in all forms) for nearly 10 years. Technology has developed so rapidly, and we have all been learning as we go, but there now exists valid, reliable research on its effects. We know young minds are being adversely affected by increased screen time coupled with decreased in-person socialization and physical activity. There are whole books, like Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation, written about it. As adults, leaders, and educators, we must continue to do better now that we know better. Check the research. You will find that the mental health of our children depends on us helping them reset boundaries, find better balance, and reconnect away from screens.

Congratulations to these incredible women for your well-deserved recognition and thank you for all you do for students in Northwest Arkansas!

The Senate voted this week to pass a DHS funding bill without resources for security features related to President Trump’s White House ballroom. I want to hear from you.

Do you think taxpayer dollars should be used to fund security elements of the White House ballroom, such as a safe room?

YES NO Other (please specify)

Submit

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Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Lake Wedington springs back to life for a day; nearly 1,000 turn out for fun on the water

American Trucking Association: The House’s FY27 Transportation Appropriations bill includes $200 million for truck parking and other industry priorities

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: J.B. Hunt reshaped the U.S. transportation industry

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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