url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/in-support-of-border-funding,In Support of Border Funding,2018-12-31,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"As a member of the Senate Border Security and Enforcement First Immigration Caucus I am actively fighting for funding to protect our borders. National security is the federal government's number one responsibility and we must allocate resources in support of border protection that accurately reflect this priority. I supported the president's budget request for border security funding in the Senate Committee on Appropriations Fiscal Year 2019 Homeland Security bill and I will continue to advocate for increased resources for manpower and infrastructure in order to reduce illegal border crossings. There is no doubt we have a border crisis that is escalating. Department of Homeland Security data shows that apprehensions along our southern border have nearly doubled in the past year. It is in our national interest to take necessary steps to provide the tools our Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on the frontlines need to control our porous border and protect our communities and themselves as they carry out this important mission. I've seen firsthand the challenges our interdiction agents face. In September, I visited the southwest border in California and Texas to see how we can improve policies to better control illegal immigration, human trafficking and drug smuggling. The need for more infrastructureincluding roads for access, electronic devices for surveillance and fencing for deterrencewas echoed at each stop. We heard how border security upgrades improved community safety. Increased federal investment is necessary to achieve this on a larger scale. Constructing a strong border security system coupled with enforcement of our immigration laws is a deterrent to those who seek to illegally enter our country. This is the first step to reforming our immigration system. We are a nation of immigrants and we can be proud of our history of welcoming and naturalizing those who follow the proper, legal process. We naturalize more new citizens annually than the rest of the world combined. We can maintain this guiding principle and continue its success by ensuring that individuals and families who wish to immigrate to the United States do so by obeying our laws. Every day CBP, ICE and Coast Guard personnel put their lives on the line to enforce our laws, protect our borders and prevent drug smugglers from entering our country. Increasing funding in order to improve border security is a reasonable request. I agree with the president's call for increased resources to defend our borders a request that the House of Representatives recently supported. I am hopeful we can find a solution that expands investments in border security and funds the government.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/tb-p-sen-boozman-says-work-being-done-to-protect-election-integrity,TB&P: Provision in new Farm Bill could help Arkansas farmers sell crops in Cuba,2018-12-28,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"In the News The newly minted Farm Bill contains a provision that will allow U.S. agricultural producers to use federal market promotion dollars for exports to Cuba. Full story:https://talkbusiness.net/2018/12/provision-in-new-farm-bill-could-help-arkansas-farmers-sell-crops-in-cuba/",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2454,"Hills Bill to Enhance Arkansass Flatside Wilderness Passes Senate, Heads to Presidents Desk",2018-12-24,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman French Hill (AR-02) released the following statement after his legislation to enhance Arkansas's wilderness area, the Flatside Wilderness Enhancement Act, passed the Senate and heads to the president's desk for his signature: Congressman Hill said: I'm pleased that my bill to enhance one of Arkansas's most unspoiled landscapes, Flatside Wilderness, has been sent to the president's desk. Arkansans and visitors, young and old, should enjoy more of Flatside Wilderness and all of its natural and wild qualities. Perry County in particular offers a very special and rare opportunity for people to support our wildlife and natural resources, while also boosting the state's economy. This addition is named for a tireless conservationist and advocate for Arkansas wilderness and my good friend, former Arkansas Congressman Ed Bethune. I appreciate Representative Bruce Westerman and Senator John Boozman for their efforts in helping me get my legislation to the finish line. Senator John Boozman said: This is welcome news for Arkansas outdoor enthusiasts. Protecting this land will support the beauty of the Natural State for future generations. Nobody has been a more fierce advocate for our state's natural resources than Ed Bethune so this is also a fitting tribute to his work in Congress. I appreciate my Senate colleagues for recognizing the importance of safeguarding this landscape. Background The Flatside Wilderness Enhancement Act, H.R. 5636, adds to the wilderness area approximately 640 acres of existing National Forest lands next to Forked Mountain which has been depicted as Recommended Wilderness Additions since 2005. These areas have been managed as wilderness land since that time. It will also name the 640-acre wilderness addition, Bethune Woods, in honor of former member of Congress from Arkansas, Ed Bethune, author of the House version of the 1984 Arkansas Wilderness Act. Additionally, Congressman Hill has proposed a U.S. Forest Service study of additional existing U.S. forest lands located in Perry County and adjacent to the Flatside Wilderness to determine their suitability for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Clickhereto view the map of Flatside Wilderness.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/adg-u-s-sen-john-boozman-seeks-answers-in-saudi-case,ADG: Bill expanding Arkansas wilderness on way to president,2018-12-24,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"In the News Legislation expanding Arkansas' Flatside Wilderness is headed to the White House, thanks to successful last-minute lobbying by U.S. Sen. John Boozman. Full story (subscription required):https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2018/dec/24/wilderness-bill-on-way-to-president-201-1/",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2438,Hill Awards Golden Fleece to VA for Failing to Properly Administer Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits,2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman French Hill (R-AR) named the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as the latest winner of the Golden Fleece award for its inability to oversee State Approving Agencies' (SAAs) review of education and training programs at schools that enroll Post-9/11 GI Bill students and allow ineligible enrollees to participate, taking vital benefits away from veterans in need. Hardworking Americans fund our federal agencies and they expect the government to be responsible stewards with their tax dollars and judicious in the way they operate, said Hill. Allowing ineligible school programs that enroll Post-9/11 GI Bill students to participate in VA's education and training programs is not only a waste of taxpayer dollars, but also takes away resources from those veterans who actually need them. Without a fix, VA's mismanagement could cost Arkansans and Americans $2.3 billion in improper payments over the next five years. This is unacceptable, and I call on the VA to address these concerns immediately. Letter December 21, 2018 The Honorable Robert Wilkie Secretary U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Ave NW Washington, DC 20420-0001 Dear Secretary Wilkie: I write today to inform you that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is this month's recipient of my Golden Fleece Award. According to arecentreport by the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG)1, without correction, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) could issue an estimated $2.3 billion in improper payments to ineligible programs over the next five years. The OIG conducted this audit to determine if VA and State Approving Agencies (SAAs) were effectively reviewing education and training programs that enrolled Post-9/11 GI bill students to ensure only eligible programs participated. Based on its review, the OIG estimated that 86 percent of SAAs did not adequately oversee the education and training programs to make certain only eligible programs participated. This is unacceptable, and VA must do better. The OIGreportincludes recommendations to address this issue, and I urge you, in your role as VA Secretary, to review this report and work to adhere to the VAOIG's recommendations to ensure that critical funds for our Nation's veterans are not wasted on these improper payments. Should you require any additional authority from Congress to address these concerns, I urge you to notify us as soon as possible. I thank you for your consideration and look forward to working with you to address this important issue.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2440,Hill Thanks Secretary Mattis for His Service,2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"Hill Thanks Secretary Mattis for His Service f t # e Washington, December 21, 2018 WASHINGTON Congressman French Hill (AR-02) issued the following statement regarding Secretary of Defense James Mattis' decision to resign: I am disappointed to see Secretary Mattis go. He has served our country with utmost distinction, and America is safer and stronger because of his leadership. His voice in our national security councils was wise, steady, and respected. We, as a nation, are indebted to Secretary Mattis for his lifetime of service to our country, and I'm thankful for his patriotism, courage, and integrity, which has set a high bar for all future leaders in his position. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2444,Hill: I Oppose the Presidents Decision to Withdraw Troops from Afghanistan,2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"Hill: I Oppose the President's Decision to Withdraw Troops from Afghanistan' f t # e Washington, December 21, 2018 WASHINGTON Congressman French Hill (AR-02) issued the following statement opposing the president's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan: The Taliban has been increasing its gains in Afghanistan, and I believe that withdrawing U.S. troops now will allow the Taliban to gather strength and expand even further. A withdrawal at this time undermines our accomplishments against terrorism and does not honor the 2,500 American men and women who have lost their lives fighting to make the world safer for Americans and all people. Further, in my view, only America's strong military engagement with our NATO allies can press for a negotiated peace in this war-torn nation. I visited Afghanistan in 2015, and I am especially concerned for civilians like Naheed Esar, a native of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, with whom I was able to take tea with while in Kabul. The indomitable spirit of her and her family has resulted in Naheed's successful graduation from the University of Arkansas as a Fulbright Scholar with a master's degree in cultural anthropology. Today, she is in her home country pursuing a career as an independent researcher and writer. Her story should remind all of us that there can be a future with a free Afghanistan and that now is not the time to abandon these civilians to the Taliban. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2447,Hill: This bill offers incarcerated Arkansans and Americans aid in living better lives,2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman French Hill (AR-02) made the following statement after supporting the bipartisan criminal justice reform bill, the First Step Act, which the president signed into law today: Since I came to Congress in 2015, I have actively worked with groups like Arkansas Baptist College, Restore Hope, Goodwill, Shorter College, the Exodus Project, and many more on ways we can better tackle crime, help lower recidivism rates, assist incarcerated Arkansans successfully shift back to society, while promoting individual opportunity. Through my Community Empowerment Initiative (CEI), I have brought together over 100 community members and have conducted more than 25 site visits throughout central Arkansas and around the country. I am pleased that the president signed this bill into law today, marking this a crucial step for criminal justice reform. This issue transcends partisan boundaries, and I believe that all Arkansans and Americans in good standing with the law, regardless of their environment or background, deserve the opportunity to improve their lives. By implementing more opportunities for education and skill development, this bill offers incarcerated Americans and Arkansans aid in living better lives. Background The First Step Act, S. 756, reduces recidivism and promotes rehabilitation by encouraging inmates to participate in educational and vocational training, and by improving conditions in federal prisons. Specifically, the bill does the following: Providing every inmate with an individualized plan of evidence-based programming geared specifically toward recidivism reduction; Allowing low-risk inmates to serve time toward the end of their sentences in either a halfway house in home confinement, easing their transitions back into their families and communities; Codifying a prohibition on shackling female prisoner who are pregnant, giving birth, or in postpartum recovery; Requiring inmates to be placed in facilities closer to their families to encourage visitation and assist in maintaining familial and community ties. Retroactively extending the reductions in sentencing disparity between crack-cocaine and powder-cocaine, as codified in the 2010 Fair Sentencing Act. Lowering the mandatory minimum for three strikes penalties from life to twenty-five years. Expanding the scope of so-called safety valves, giving federal judges discretion in imposing mandatory minimums for low-level nonviolent drug offenders. The policies in this bill build upon state reforms in Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and others.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399880,"Womack Statement on Democrats Refusing to Fund the Wall, Impending Government Shutdown",2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Steve Womack,W000809,womack.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC December 21, 2018 Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) released the following statement after Congress failed to pass either continued funding or fiscal year 2019 appropriations for the seven remaining annual bills, which will result in a partial government shutdown starting at midnight. Democrats have shown their handthey prefer open borders over an open government. As Members of Congress, we took an oath of allegiance to the United States, not those trying to enter it illegally. It is unacceptable to hold the government hostage to play political games. We can't avoid a partial shutdown at this point, so the question is no longer if it will happen but how long it will last. I call on my Democratic colleagues in both chambers to come to the table and do what is right for our nation. The reality is the Democrats' platform previously supported a border barrier, border security funding, and an increase of border patrol agents. Now, they've done a complete about face on these critical priorities and placed political expediency in front of delivering results for the American people. Our constituents did not send us to Washington to shut down the government. Congress needs to end this chaos and do our job. Border security is national security. It's time for Democrats to stop blocking efforts to secure our Southern Border and protect our communities. Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas's Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense, military construction-veterans affairs, and labor-health and human services subcommittees. Additionally, he co-chairs the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. womack.house.gov ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399881,Womack Votes for Significant Reform to the Criminal Justice System,2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Steve Womack,W000809,womack.house.gov,,,legacy,"Womack Votes for Significant Reform to the Criminal Justice System f t # e Washington, December 21, 2018 Washington, DC December 20, 2018.Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) released the following statement after the House today passed the Senate Amendment to S.756, the First Step Act, by a vote of 358-36. The legislation, which will now head to the President's desk to be signed into law, helps reduce the risk that prisoners will recidivate upon release from prison, along with making other reforms. America is the land of promise and opportunity. The First Step Act gives nonviolent, low-risk offenders that very opportunitythe opportunity for a fresh start and the chance to become productive members of society. This bipartisan legislation does so while also ensuring that dangerous and violent prisoners stay behind bars and making our communities safer. I was proud to vote in support of these historic criminal justice reforms. Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas's Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense, military construction-veterans affairs, and labor-health and human services subcommittees. Additionally, he co-chairs the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. womack.house.gov ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/2018-year-in-review,2018 Year in Review,2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We are getting ready to close the book on the 115thCongress. The past two years have been busy in Washington as we passed historic tax reform, rolled back needless regulation and implemented improvements to help Main Street lenders and job creators. I'm proud to be a voice for Arkansas in the nation's capital, representing our shared values as Congress crafts polices that will make a difference in the lives of Arkansans and all Americans. We made great progress this year that will help our state. The Arkansas Rural Water Association applauded a policy update, based on legislation I introduced, that was included in the water infrastructure bill passed by Congress in October. My proposal, which is now law, willmodernize critical water infrastructurefunding and increase access to financing, particularly forrural areas often unable to afford upgrades to aging water systems. Throughout this Congress, one of my top priorities has been to strengthen the ability of Arkansas farmers and ranchers to continue to be leaders in feeding and clothing the world. The farm bill that President Donald Trump recently signed into law improves essential programs for Arkansans, and I was proud to play a role in writing this law. As is typical at the end of a Congress, there is a flurry of activity on the Senate floor as members work to pass their legislative priorities. My staff and I were driven to get significant legislation across the finish line that includes passage of theForeverGIBill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act.This billwill ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses veterans for missed or underpaid ForeverGIBill housing benefits. The department's failure to fully comply with reimbursement rates set by theForeverGIBill resulted from IT systems that had not been properly updated and a lack of internal processes to get the VA the necessary information about payment rates. This bill will correct this problem so our veterans can receive the full benefits they were promised. In recent days Congress also passed theWomen's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment (WEEE) Act. This legislation seeks to break down the gender-related barriers to economic growth for women in developing countries.Women make up the majority of the world's poor. This is due in part to lack of access to financial services and credit. I was proud to bring this bill to the Senate floor and pleased my colleagues supported recognizing the importance of leveling the playing field for women around the world. In Arkansas, parishioners ofWalnutGrove Church in Garland County are celebrating approval of a land swap with the U.S. Forest Service. Working with Congressman Bruce Westerman and my Senate colleagues, we were able to facilitate a land exchange that provides the church ownership of the land it worships on, something the congregation has vigorously pursued for more than two decades. I was proud to guide this change through the Senate. These are just a few of the achievements from this past year that are worth celebrating. There are countless others, including more targeted efforts to respond to and combat the opioid crisis, comprehensive legislation to reform benefits and services for our veterans and much more. I'm pleased with what we have accomplished in the 115thCongress and I look forward to working to make our country better in 2019. I wish you and your family all the best in New Year.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-led-legislation-to-eliminate-unintentional-financial-burdens-for-student-veterans-headed-to-president-s-desk,Boozman-Led Legislation to Eliminate Unintentional Financial Burdens For Student Veterans Headed to President's Desk,2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONThe Senate unanimously passed a package of veterans' legislation that includes provisions authored and championed byU.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs (VA) Committee. This legislation will improve the lives of our veterans and their families. Passage of these measures represents the broad support our veterans enjoy. I'm proud to be a voice for our veterans and will continue to ensure they receive the services and benefits they have earned, Boozman said Boozman and Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-MA)Servicemembers Improved Transition through Reforms for Ensuring Progress (SIT-REP)Act, legislation that would ensure student veterans are not forced to endure additional financial burdens and are not denied access to school facilities due to delayed processing of G.I. Bill benefit payments, was included in the legislative package. TheSIT REP Actwill: Prohibit a college, university, or training program from adopting a policy in which it imposes a late fee on eligible student veterans, denies them access to school facilities (such as classrooms and libraries); or requires them to take out additional loans due to a delayed G.I. Bill benefit payment from the VA to the school; In the event of a delay by the VA in issuing a G.I. Bill benefit payment directly to a school, prohibit the school from imposing late fees on student veterans and denying them access to school facilities for up to 90 days after the school certifies tuition and fees. This provision would apply only to benefits that are paid directly to the school; Allow the VA Secretary to waive these two aforementioned prohibitions when appropriate; Require the VA to distribute G.I. Bill payments to the school within 60 days from when the school certifies tuition and fees for the student; Mandate a report from the VA to Congress twice a year with a summary of any cases in which delayed G.I. Bill disbursements occurred and an explanation for the delays. Boozman-led provisions in theVeterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018also include: Improving the VA's processing of veterans' benefits by requiring the department to update its IT systems so that claimants are able to electronically review and revise information about dependents; Clarification and expansion of the definition of homeless veterans who are eligible for assistance under the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program. The House passed this legislation on December 10. It now heads to President Trump's desk to be signed into law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/congress-sends-bill-to-strengthen-women-s-economic-empowerment-to-president-s-desk,Congress Sends Boozman Bill to Strengthen Women's Economic Empowerment to President's Desk,2018-12-21,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONCongress approved theWomen's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment (WEEE) Act, legislation that seeks to eliminate global gender-related barriers and empower female entrepreneurs around the world. The bill heads to the president's desk to be signed into law. The bill was introduced in the Senate by SenatorsJohn Boozman (R-AR) and Ben Cardin (D-MD). Providing women access to tools for economic success supports global prosperity. TheWEEE Actwill empower women to gain control of their financial future while simultaneously facilitating improvements in their homes and communities. I'm proud to lead Senate efforts recognizing the importance of leveling the playing field for women around the world. I appreciate the leadership of Chairman Corker and Chairman Royce to move this bill one step closer to becoming law,Boozman said. Investing in women creates a positive cycle of change that can lift women, families, communities and entire countries out of poverty, said Cardin, ranking member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I am proud we have been able to work on a bipartisan basis to move forward this much-needed legislation. Specifically, theWEEE Actwill: Establish a development cooperation policy of the United States to reduce gender disparities related to economic participation and opportunity, strive to eliminate gender-based violence, support women's property rights and increase the capability of women and girls to determine life outcomes. Directthe United States Agency for International Development (USAID) toinclude efforts that promote equality and female empowerment throughout its programs. Expand USAID's microenterprise development assistance authority to include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with an emphasis on supporting SMEs owned, managed and controlled by women; and Modernize USAID's development assistance toolkit to include innovative credit scoring models, financial technology, financial literacy, insurance and actions to improve property and inheritance rights. The Senate bill is cosponsored by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chris Coons (D-DE), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). The bill was led by Representatives Ed Royce (R-CA) and Lois Frankel (D-FL) in the House of Representatives.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2436,Hill: The safety of Arkansans and Americans comes first and foremost,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"Hill: The safety of Arkansans and Americans comes first and foremost' f t # e Washington, December 20, 2018 WASHINGTON Congressman French Hill (AR-02) issued the following statement after supporting the year-end continuing resolution that includes disaster funding and $5 billion to fund U.S. border security measures: The safety of Arkansans and Americans comes first and foremost. I've visited the southwest border four times, and I can personally attest to the need for adequate border security funding, including more miles of physical border barrier, enhanced technology, and personnel. We owe it to the American people to secure our borders as we strive to keep our families safe. Keeping our borders secure is vital for deterring terrorists and drug cartels from entering our country illegally, and that's why I support this proposal. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/senate-passes-walnut-grove-land-exchange-act-goes-potus-signature,"Senate Passes Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act, Goes to POTUS for Signature",2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Bruce Westerman,W000821,westerman.house.gov,westerman,https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – The Senate passed the Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act on Wednesday (December 19), officially sending the bill to President Donald J. Trump for his signature. Congressman Bruce Westerman introduced H.R. 5923 on May 23 of this year. The bill facilitates an exchange of land between Walnut Grove Church in Jessieville and the U.S. Forest Service. The church and an adjacent cemetery currently sit on 4 acres of Forest Service land. This bill transfers the ownership of that land to the church, and in return, gives the Forest Service 6.3 acres of land adjacent to the Ouachita National Forest owned by the congregation. ""This is a good day for the people of Walnut Grove Church and the community of Jessieville,"" Westerman said. ""The church has been a longtime tenant of the Forest Service and has sought a resolution to this issue for more than 20 years. The fact that it takes an act of Congress to exchange such small parcels of land simply illustrates how broken the federal government is. I thank Senator Cotton for his co-sponsorship and I thank Senator Boozman for his tireless efforts to see this passed in the Senate before the end of 2018."" ""This is a great day for the Walnut Grove Church,"" Sen. John Boozman (R-Arkansas) said. ""The church has vigorously pursued an equitable land exchange between itself and the U.S. Forest Service that makes perfect sense given the location of the facility it worships in. With the passage of this bill, the president's signature is all that is left to achieve this fair, reasonable outcome. I'm pleased to have led the effort in the Senate in support of Jessieville and this congregation."" ""Walnut Grove Church's congregation shouldn't have to deal with the federal government in order to simply worship and bury their loved ones,"" Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) said. ""I'm pleased that the Senate has approved this land exchange, ending a decades-old problem for the church and Jessieville community.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-on-hand-as-farm-bill-signed-into-law-applauds-president-s-support-of-agriculture-industry,"Boozman On Hand as Farm Bill Signed into Law, Applauds Presidents Support of Agriculture Industry",2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"(Senator Boozman, along with Arkansas Farm Bureau representatives President Randy Veach, Board Member Terry Dabbs and Director of Government Affairs Matt King, attended the 2018 Farm Bill signing ceremony at the White House) WASHINGTON U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR),a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and a member of the conference committee that authored the final 2018 Farm Bill, applauded President Donald Trump for supporting farmers and ranchers by signing the bill into law. Boozman was at the White House as the president signed theAgriculture Improvement Act of 2018into law, the culmination of efforts to reauthorize farm policies that are critical for the agriculture industry and rural communities in Arkansas and across the country. The Arkansas Farm Bureau was also represented at the signing ceremony by President Randy Veach,Board Member Terry Dabbs and Director of Government Affairs Matt King. Signing this bill into law provides five years of certainty and predictability for America's agriculture producers, everyday consumers and rural communities. Throughout this Congress, my priority has been to strengthen the ability of Arkansas farmers and ranchers to continue to be leaders in feeding and clothing the world. This farm bill improves essential programs for Arkansans, and I was proud to play a role in writing this law. I appreciate President Trump's support of the bipartisan effort and hard work that went into getting this across the finish line, Boozman said. Highlights ofBoozman prioritiesin the 2018 Farm Bill include: Providing a workable safety net for farmers and ranchers Eliminating waste and abuse within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Trade promotion funding for agriculture products in Cuba Promoting jobs for veterans in agriculture Regulatory reform Research and development in crop insurance Honoring multi-generational family farms",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/congress-sends-boozman-bill-ensuring-veterans-receive-full-housing-benefits-to-president,Congress Sends Boozman Bill Ensuring Veterans Receive Full Housing Benefits to President,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONCongress is sending President Donald Trump legislation to sign into law that would to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses veterans for missed or underpaid Forever GI Bill housing benefits. The Senate and House passed theForever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act,legislation introduced byU.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, to hold VA accountable for itsfailure to fully comply with reimbursement rates set by the Forever GI Bill. This legislative step is important to fulfilling the commitment we made to veterans. There's simply no excuse for failing to fully deliver the housing benefits that student veterans are owed, which is why it was necessary to directly confront the VA's errors and use our oversight to make certain they do not go uncorrected. I'm pleased this bill moved through Congress swiftly and look forward to the president signing it into law, Boozman said. I encourage any Arkansan who has been affected by this problem to reach out to my office so that we can ensure they get this fixed. For many student veterans, every dime counts. That's why the VA needs to get this right and pay student veterans the full amount of money they were promised, said Schatz. I'm glad this bill will soon become law, so we can make this right for our veterans. The VA should have used the Department of Defense's 2018 Basic Allowance for Housing rates which should have been calculated based on the zip code where the student takes the majority of classes, rather than on the zip code in which the school's main campus is located. Instead, some GI Bill recipients have been receiving housing stipends at the 2017 rate and based on the school's zip code. In all cases, the 2018 rate is higher than the 2017 rate. The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mark Warner (D-VA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH). TheForever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Actwould require the VA to: End improper payments as soon as possible; Establish a team of specialists who will be responsible to report to Congress a detailed plan to correct this egregious error; Provide a report to Congress by July 2020 that identifies how many beneficiaries were impacted and to what extent, aggregated by state; and Certify the department is fully compliant with the law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/farm-bill-s-expansion-of-trade-opportunities-between-the-us-and-cuba-historic-and-mutually-beneficial,Farm bill's expansion of trade opportunities between the US and Cuba historic and mutually beneficial,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The 2018 farm bill is a huge victory for U.S. farmers. The bipartisan legislation improves food security, strengthens crop insurance and reinvests in America's rural economy. It is especially critical for Arkansas, where agriculture accounts for about one in every six jobs and adds nearly $16 billion to the state's economy. Expanding markets has long been a priority for our agricultural producers. A historic provision in this legislation gives them a much-needed win in their desire to trade with Cuba. With strong bipartisan support, this year's farm bill takes an important step in providing our farmers with more opportunities for trade and helping to alleviate food shortages for everyday Cubans. The farm bill's Cuba trade provision allows U.S. commodity exporters to use Department of Agriculture market promotion funding in Cuba, meaning our farmers will now be able to advertise their products on the ground where we know there is demand for American goods. These federal programs, which offset the high cost of market promotion, will no longer treat Cuba differently from other foreign markets. Despite an otherwise healthy economy, America's agriculture industry is suffering. Commodity prices have fallen consistently and there is little relief in sight. Given this troubling forecast, the importance of opening new international markets cannot be overstated. Cuba, a country of 11 million people and nearly 5 million annual tourists, imports almost $2 billion in agricultural products from around the world up to 80 percent of its entire food supply. Counted among Cuba's leading imports are some of Arkansas's top crops: soybeans, poultry and rice. But under the decades-long U.S. embargo our producers have faced a tough hurdle. Though agricultural exports to Cuba are legal, U.S. law requires Cuba to pay up front in cash. This effectively prevents our farmers from competing in a nearby, ripe foreign market while competitors in Europe and South America offer Cuba financing terms for their exports. A natural next step for Congress is to remove financing restrictions on U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba, and we have introduced legislation in the House and Senate to do just that. Although Arkansas rice, poultry and soybeans are only a few hundred miles away, Cuba has little choice but to purchase more expensive and lower quality goods from countries like Vietnam and New Zealand. Estimates show the U.S. could capture at least half of Cuba's total agriculture market if the cash-in-advance requirement were removed. Our farmers deserve access to nearby markets, just as the Cuban people deserve the ability to stock their shelves with high-quality U.S. food. Critics of any further opening of the Cuban market to U.S. farmers worry that it would only reward and benefit the Castro regime, thereby undermining our commitment to human rights and democratic values. We are equally committed to these rights and values. We also believe that expanding agricultural trade not only serves to benefit American producers, but will help feed the Cuban people and infuse our nation's norms and values more deeply into Cuba's culture and civic life. When we trade with other countries, we trade not only goods and services but also ideas. It's time to consider the adverse effects outdated sanctions are having on rural America and pass legislation that supports, not hurts, our agricultural industry. We are proud to have helped Congress make progress toward normalizing agricultural trade with Cuba and will continue to fight for our farmers and the Cuban people. This was printed in theDecember 20, 2018 edition of The Hill.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/nbc-news-congress-passes-bills-to-help-address-veterans-gi-bill-benefit-woes,NBC NEWS: Congress passes bills to help address veterans' GI Bill benefit woes,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Congress passed two bills in the final days of the 2018 legislative session that help address the ongoing issues faced by student veterans after the Department of Veterans Affairs struggled to pay GI Bill benefits. Full story:https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/congress-passes-bills-help-address-veterans-gi-bill-benefit-woes-n950596",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/stars-stripes-senate-passes-measure-to-extend-commissary-exchange-privileges-to-more-veterans,STARS & STRIPES: Congress approves measure to hold VA accountable for GI Bill payments,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"In the News WASHINGTON Congress approved legislation Thursday to ensure student veterans who didn't receive monthly housing payments during the fall semester or received the wrong amounts get the money they're due. Full story:https://www.stripes.com/news/congress-approves-measure-to-hold-va-accountable-for-gi-bill-payments-1.561506",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/tb-p-provision-in-new-farm-bill-could-help-arkansas-farmers-sell-crops-in-cuba,TB&P: President Trump signs Farm Bill into law,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"An $867 billion federal Farm Bill was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Thursday (Dec. 20) as several Arkansas agricultural supporters were on-hand for the bill signing, including U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark. Full story:https://talkbusiness.net/2018/12/president-trump-signs-farm-bill-into-law/",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1040,Senate Passes Cotton's Full Military Honors Act,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 20, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:Caroline TablerorJames Arnold(202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.Last night, the Senate passed the Full Military Honors Act of 2018, a bill introduced by Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) that would allow all Medal of Honor recipients and former prisoners of war to receive a full military honors burial ceremony with an escort, regardless of rank. Currently, full military honors with an escort are reserved for senior officers, non-commissioned officers, and servicemembers killed in combat. Rank is not the sole or final measure of service to this country,Senator Cottonsaid. The dignity of a fallen servicemember's internment should be measured by their courage, not simply the insignia on their sleeves or shoulders. Now that the Senate has approved the bill, the next Congress should move quickly to show the families of the deceased and members of our military that the United States will always honor its veterans appropriately for their service. Background: Most veterans who are eligible for burial in Arlington are entitled to a bugler, a firing party, and a casket team (all part of the full military honors ceremony). However, the additional funeral escort honors are currently reserved for certain retired officers and those who were killed in action. Escort honors include a caisson and a marching element made up of a band and a color guard. TheFull Military Honors Act of 2018would provide full military honors with an escort to both Medal of Honor recipients and POWs, regardless of their rank. Representative Mike Bishop (MI-08) has introduced companion legislation, H.R. 6734, in the U.S. House of Representatives. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1041,Cotton Statement on Asylum Agreement with Mexico,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 20, 2018 Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) today released the following statement after the Trump administration announced that asylum seekers at the Southern border will return to Mexico while their cases are decided: ""Today's agreement is a positive step towards fixing our nation's broken asylum system. I applaud the Mexican government for their cooperation in addressing issues posed by mass Central American migration. Now it's imperative that Congress pass legislation to close asylum loopholes, secure our borders, and restore integrity to our immigration laws.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-asylum-agreement-with-mexico,Cotton Statement on Asylum Agreement with Mexico,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) today released the following statement after the Trump administration announced that asylum seekers at the Southern border will return to Mexico while their cases are decided: ""Today's agreement is a positive step towards fixing our nation's broken asylum system. I applaud the Mexican government for their cooperation in addressing issues posed by mass Central American migration. Now it's imperative that Congress pass legislation to close asylum loopholes, secure our borders, and restore integrity to our immigration laws.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-passes-cotton-and-039s-full-military-honors-act,Senate Passes Cotton's Full Military Honors Act,2018-12-20,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C. — Last night, the Senate passed the Full Military Honors Act of 2018, a bill introduced by Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) that would allow all Medal of Honor recipients and former prisoners of war to receive a full military honors burial ceremony with an escort, regardless of rank. Currently, full military honors with an escort are reserved for senior officers, non-commissioned officers, and servicemembers killed in combat. “Rank is not the sole or final measure of service to this country,” Senator Cotton said. “The dignity of a fallen servicemember’s interment should be measured by their courage, not simply the insignia on their sleeves or shoulders. Now that the Senate has approved the bill, the next Congress should move quickly to show the families of the deceased and members of our military that the United States will always honor its veterans appropriately for their service.” Background: Most veterans who are eligible for burial in Arlington are entitled to a bugler, a firing party, and a casket team (all part of the full military honors ceremony). However, the additional funeral escort honors are currently reserved for certain retired officers and those who were killed in action. Escort honors include a caisson and a marching element made up of a band and a color guard. The Full Military Honors Act of 2018 would provide full military honors with an escort to both Medal of Honor recipients and POWs, regardless of their rank. Representative Mike Bishop (MI-08) has introduced companion legislation, H.R. 6734, in the U.S. House of Representatives.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-presses-va-secretary-for-cooperation-as-major-reforms-are-implemented,Boozman Presses VA Secretary for Cooperation as Major Reforms are Implemented,2018-12-19,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs (VA) Committee, is calling on Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to alleviate potential problems with implementation of the VA MISSION Act by cooperating with Congress.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/senate-approves-boozman-bill-to-ensure-veterans-receive-full-housing-benefits,Senate Approves Boozman Bill to Ensure Veterans Receive Full Housing Benefits,2018-12-19,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONThe U.S. Senate unanimously approved theForever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act, legislation introduced byU.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses veterans for missed or underpaid Forever GI Bill housing benefits. The swift passage of this legislation shows the Senate's commitment to ensuring our veterans receive the full benefits they earned. We must hold VA accountable for addressing its failure to properly implement housing benefits of the Forever GI Bill,Boozman said.I encourage speedy approval of this bill by the House of Representatives to help assure veterans that this error will be completely corrected. For many student veterans, every dime counts. That's why the VA needs to get this right and pay student veterans the full amount of money they were promised,said Schatz. I'm glad that my colleagues in the Senate saw how important this issue is, and I hope this bill stays on the fast track to becoming law, so we can make this right for our veterans. Senators introduced the legislation to address the VA's failure to fully comply with reimbursement rates set by the Forever GI Bill. The improper payments resulted from IT systems that had not been properly updated and lack of internal processes to get the VA the necessary information about payment rates. The VA should have used the Department of Defense's 2018 Basic Allowance for Housing rates which should have been calculated based on the zip code where the student takes the majority of classes, rather than on the zip code in which the school's main campus is located. Instead, some GI Bill recipients have been receiving housing stipends at the 2017 rate and based on the school's zip code. In all cases, the 2018 rate is higher than the 2017 rate. The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mark Warner (D-VA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH). TheForever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Actwould require the VA to: End improper payments as soon as possible; Establish a team of specialists who will be responsible to report to Congress a detailed plan to correct this egregious error; Provide a report to Congress by July 2020 that identifies how many beneficiaries were impacted and to what extent, aggregated by state; and Certify the department is fully compliant with the law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-responds-to-implementation-of-2nd-round-of-market-facilitation-payments,Rep. Crawford Responds to Implementation of 2nd Round of Market Facilitation Payments,2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,"Eric A. ""Rick"" Crawford",C001087,crawford.house.gov,crawford,https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, DC – Late last night President Trump announced that he would keep his promise to our nation's farmers and ranchers by authorizing the implementation of the 2ndround of Market Facilitation Payments. Last Friday, Rep. Crawford lead his colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to deliver these payments before the year's end. ""I am pleased to see the President not only deliver such a quick response to the concerns I voiced last week, but to see him continue to stand with rural America. Like any other industry, farmers are harmed by unfair foreign trade practices, but are also challenged by risks inherent to agriculture and a struggling farm economy.""said Crawford",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://crawford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398808,Rep. Crawford Responds to Implementation of 2nd Round of Market Facilitation Payments,2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Rick Crawford,C001087,crawford.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Crawford Responds to Implementation of 2nd Round of Market Facilitation Payments f t # e Washington, December 18, 2018 Washington, DC Late last nightPresident Trump announcedthat he would keep his promise to our nation's farmers and ranchers by authorizing the implementation of the 2ndround of Market Facilitation Payments. Last Friday, Rep. Crawford lead his colleagues in sending aletter to President Trumpurging him to deliver these payments before the year's end. I am pleased to see the President not only deliver such a quick response to the concerns I voiced last week,but to see him continue to stand with rural America. Like any other industry, farmers are harmed by unfair foreign trade practices, but are also challenged by risks inherent to agriculture and a struggling farm economy.said Crawford",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-recognizes-hot-springs-retired-army-journalist,Boozman Recognizes Hot Springs Retired Army Journalist,2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON-U.S.Senator John Boozman (R-AR) recognized Lt. Col. (retired) Karen King-Johnson, a Vietnam War-era Army journalist, in Salute to Veterans,' a series commemorating the military service of Arkansans. Karen King-Johnson calls Hot Springs home today. She grew up in a patriotic family. Her father bravely served during WWII and was killed in action at the Battle of the Bulge when she was just one-year-old. Her mother and stepfather worked at Tinker Air Force Base. After graduating from Oklahoma State University and a brief stint as a reporter for a local paper, King-Johnson joined the Army. It just seemed like it was something I should always do, she said. One of her first assignments was in Germany where she served as commander of the Women's Army Corp (WAC) detachment and fulfilled many responsibilities. We were short-handed in 1966. We had taken all the veteran troops out of Germany and rushed them to Vietnam to try to fill in over there. The German command was just decimated. Everybody who was over there had at least a whole year's worth of experience and numerous job titles, King-Johnson said. Following her service in Germany, King-Johnson was assigned to the Defense Information School at Fort Benjamin Harrison. I had been begging to be assigned to a journalist-type role, she said. Her assignments included covering celebrities in basic training at Fort Dix, including football star Joe Namath. She eventually received orders for Vietnam and underwent intense survival training in advance of her tour. She left from Travis Air Force Base bound for Vietnam as the sole female aboard a plane of 225 soldiers. As a captain, King-Johnson was also the ranking officer on the flight. In Vietnam, she served as Command Information Officer and her duties included leading a team of reporters, writing stories, photographing troops, printing internal publications to keep the troops informed, overseeing distribution ofStars and Stripesand publishing twice-daily news bulletins and writing weekly periodicals. She was also in charge of publishingUptight Magazine, which won the Thomas Jefferson Award for outstanding military publication in its field. King-Johnson flew to Washington, D.C. and accepted the award before notable diplomats and leaders. After 15 years, King-Johnson retired from active duty, but she continued her service in the reserves and became an advocate for veterans. In 1982, she joined an Arkansas delegation in Washington, D.C. for a parade celebrating the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In conversations with other female Vietnam veterans they concluded a monument was needed on the National Mall to honor the significant role of women in the war. It took us another 11 years, King-Johnson said. She lobbied senators to encourage support for the Vietnam Women's Memorial and testified before the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, National Parks and Forests which was chaired by then-Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas. There can't be a more rewarding career than being in the military. At least there wasn't for me. I got to do things and see things, that as a little kid from Oklahoma, I never would have gotten to do, King-Johnson said. Lt. Col. Karen King-Johnson's career is a unique example of the diverse leadership within our military. Her service, sacrifice and support for her fellow veterans is something we can all be proud of. Preserving her memories for the Veterans History Project is a great way to show our appreciation for the exemplary work she did serving our country, Boozman said. Boozman will submitKing-Johnson's entire interview to the Veterans History Project, an initiative of the Library of Congress's American Folklife Center to collect and retain the oral histories of our nation's veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/senate-passes-boozman-supported-resolution-calling-for-diplomatic-solution-in-yemen-condemning-murder-of-jamal-khashoggi,"Senate Passes Boozman-Supported Resolution Calling for Diplomatic Solution in Yemen, Condemning Murder of Jamal Khashoggi",2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution that calls for a diplomatic solution to the civil war in Yemen, declares there is no statutory authority for U.S. involvement in the conflict and explicitly holds Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a former Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, authored the resolution and introduced it with the help of U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) and eight other original cosponsors. The text of the resolution can be found here. Boozman made the following statement after Senate-passage of the resolution: Americans are understandably concerned that the ongoing civil war in Yemen is having a tragic, devastating impact on innocent civilians. They recognize the extent that Saudi involvement has exasperated the conflict and are rightfully upset over the Saudi government's role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. I share each of these concerns and believe there is a need to responsibly express them to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. My colleagues and I understand that the U.S. needs to use our longstanding relationship with the Kingdom to call on the Saudis to de-escalate the conflict in Yemen and to hold those responsible for the gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi accountable. That is why unanimous passage of this resolution is important. It condemns the horrific murder of Jamal Khashoggi and demands accountability for those involved in his death. It declares there is no statutory authorization for U.S. involvement in the conflict in Yemen, reaffirms our support for the peace negotiations currently underway and supports the decision to cease air-to-air refueling of the Saudi-led coalition aircraft operating in Yemen. This resolution delivers a strong message to the administration that the Senate is clearly unified in these demands.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1037,"Senators Cotton, Cruz Introduce Resolution Encouraging the United States to Recognize Israel's Sovereignty Over Golan Heights",2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 18, 2018 Washington, D.C. -Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and introduced a Senate resolution encouraging the United States to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The full text of the resolution may be read here. ""Israel's northern border is threatened by Iranian forces and their proxies in Lebanon and Syria, including Hezbollah's 150,000 rockets, armed drones, newly discovered terror tunnels, and more. Meanwhile, with the Ayatollahs' help, Bashar al Assad's regime is on the verge of securing victory in Syria's civil war. He may soon turn his attention back to threatening the Jewish state."" Cotton and Cruz said. ""Israel gained possession over the Golan Heights in a defensive war over 50 years ago, and has responsibly controlled the area ever since. It's past time for the United States to recognize reality by affirming Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights."" The following is the full text of the resolution: Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Whereas, until 1967, Syria controlled the Golan Heights and used the topographical advantage it provided to attack Israeli troops and civilians; Whereas, in June 1967, Syria intensified its attacks against Israel from the Golan Heights, and Israel captured the Golan Heights in a defensive war; Whereas, in October 1973, the Golan Heights provided Israel with critical strategic depth to repel a surprise attack by Syrian forces; Whereas, on September 1, 1975, President Gerald Ford provided a diplomatic assurance to Israel that ""the U.S. will support the position that an overall settlement with Syria in the framework of a peace agreement must assure Israel's security from attack from the Golan Heights"" and that ""the U.S. has not developed a final position on the borders. Should it do so it will give great weight to Israel's position that any peace agreement with Syria must be predicated on Israel remaining on the Golan Heights""; Whereas, in October 1991, Secretary of State James Baker provided a diplomatic assurance to Israel that ""the United States continues to stand behind the assurance given by President Ford to Prime Minister Rabin on September 1, 1975""; Whereas, in 1981, Israel applied its ""law, jurisdiction, and administration"" over the Golan Heights and has controlled the Golan Heights for 51 years; Whereas, since 2011, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has killed hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians, including with weapons of mass destruction, and has pursued an ethnic cleansing campaign against Syrian Sunnis; Whereas Iran has used the war in Syria to establish a military presence in the Levant, including thousands of Iranian troops and proxies, and now seeks to create territorial corridors that solidify its control, expand its activities, establish a permanent military presence, and provide arms to its terrorist proxies; Whereas Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and the leaders of Iran regularly threaten to wipe out Israel; Whereas Iran and its proxies have repeatedly attacked Israel from inside Syria, including in February 2018 when Iranian forces infiltrated Israel with a drone and in May 2018 when Iranian forces shelled the Golan Heights; Whereas, in December 2014, Congress unanimously resolved that the United States supported the sovereign right of the Government of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens from attacks against Israel by Hamas, a terrorist group supported by Iran; and Whereas Israel's control over the Golan Heights provides a defensible border, deters attacks from hostile forces, facilitates intelligence gathering, and allows Israel to detect threats to its national security: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that- (1) the United States supports the sovereign right of the Government of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens from attacks against Israel, including by Iran or its proxies; (2) Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights is critical to Israel's national security; (3) Israel's security from attack from Syria and Lebanon cannot be assured without Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights; (4) it is in the United States' national security interest to ensure Israel's security; (5) it is in the United States' national security interest to ensure that the Assad regime faces diplomatic and geopolitical consequences for the killing of civilians, the ethnic cleansing of Syrian Sunnis, and the use of weapons of mass destruction, including by ensuring that Israel retains control of the Golan Heights; and (6) the United States should recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1038,"Cotton, Kennedy Announce Support for Cruz and Lankford Amendments",2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 18, 2018 Washington, D.C. - Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) today announced that they will support and sponsor Senator Ted Cruz's amendment to the First Step Act to exclude additional violent felons from early release and Senator James Lankford's amendment to remove the discriminatory language in the bill that prohibits faith-based groups from receiving funding: ""We believe these are commonsense improvements to a bad bill and urge all of our colleagues to allow these amendments to come to the floor for a vote."" Background: The First Step Act states that ""A group, company, charity, person, or entity may not engage in faith-based activities using direct financial assistance..."", Senator Lankford's amendment fixes this discriminatory language. Senator Cruz's amendment excludes additional categories of violent felons including carjackers who intend to cause serious bodily injury.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1039,Cotton Statement on the First Step Act,2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 18, 2018 Washington, D.C. - Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the First Step Act: ""While the bill has marginally improved from earlier versions, I'm disappointed my amendments to exclude child molesters from early release and to protect victims' rights were not adopted. I also remain concerned that reducing sentences for drug traffickers and violent felons is a threat to public safety.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-kennedy-announce-support-for-cruz-and-lankford-amendments,"Cotton, Kennedy Announce Support for Cruz and Lankford Amendments",2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) today announced that they will support and sponsor Senator Ted Cruz's amendment to the First Step Act to exclude additional violent felons from early release and Senator James Lankford's amendment to remove the discriminatory language in the bill that prohibits faith-based groups from receiving funding: ""We believe these are commonsense improvements to a bad bill and urge all of our colleagues to allow these amendments to come to the floor for a vote."" Background: The First Step Act states that ""A group, company, charity, person, or entity may not engage in faith-based activities using direct financial assistance..."", Senator Lankford's amendment fixes this discriminatory language. Senator Cruz's amendment excludes additional categories of violent felons including carjackers who intend to cause serious bodily injury.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-the-first-step-act,Cotton Statement on the First Step Act,2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the First Step Act: ""While the bill has marginally improved from earlier versions, I'm disappointed my amendments to exclude child molesters from early release and to protect victims' rights were not adopted. I also remain concerned that reducing sentences for drug traffickers and violent felons is a threat to public safety.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-cotton-cruz-introduce-resolution-encouraging-the-united-states-to-recognize-israel-and-146s-sovereignty-over-golan-heights,"Senators Cotton, Cruz Introduce Resolution Encouraging the United States to Recognize Israel’s Sovereignty Over Golan Heights",2018-12-18,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. -Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and introduced a Senate resolution encouraging the United States to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The full text of the resolution may be read here. ""Israel's northern border is threatened by Iranian forces and their proxies in Lebanon and Syria, including Hezbollah's 150,000 rockets, armed drones, newly discovered terror tunnels, and more. Meanwhile, with the Ayatollahs' help, Bashar al Assad's regime is on the verge of securing victory in Syria's civil war. He may soon turn his attention back to threatening the Jewish state."" Cotton and Cruz said. ""Israel gained possession over the Golan Heights in a defensive war over 50 years ago, and has responsibly controlled the area ever since. It's past time for the United States to recognize reality by affirming Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights."" The following is the full text of the resolution: Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Whereas, until 1967, Syria controlled the Golan Heights and used the topographical advantage it provided to attack Israeli troops and civilians; Whereas, in June 1967, Syria intensified its attacks against Israel from the Golan Heights, and Israel captured the Golan Heights in a defensive war; Whereas, in October 1973, the Golan Heights provided Israel with critical strategic depth to repel a surprise attack by Syrian forces; Whereas, on September 1, 1975, President Gerald Ford provided a diplomatic assurance to Israel that ""the U.S. will support the position that an overall settlement with Syria in the framework of a peace agreement must assure Israel's security from attack from the Golan Heights"" and that ""the U.S. has not developed a final position on the borders. Should it do so it will give great weight to Israel's position that any peace agreement with Syria must be predicated on Israel remaining on the Golan Heights""; Whereas, in October 1991, Secretary of State James Baker provided a diplomatic assurance to Israel that ""the United States continues to stand behind the assurance given by President Ford to Prime Minister Rabin on September 1, 1975""; Whereas, in 1981, Israel applied its ""law, jurisdiction, and administration"" over the Golan Heights and has controlled the Golan Heights for 51 years; Whereas, since 2011, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has killed hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians, including with weapons of mass destruction, and has pursued an ethnic cleansing campaign against Syrian Sunnis; Whereas Iran has used the war in Syria to establish a military presence in the Levant, including thousands of Iranian troops and proxies, and now seeks to create territorial corridors that solidify its control, expand its activities, establish a permanent military presence, and provide arms to its terrorist proxies; Whereas Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and the leaders of Iran regularly threaten to wipe out Israel; Whereas Iran and its proxies have repeatedly attacked Israel from inside Syria, including in February 2018 when Iranian forces infiltrated Israel with a drone and in May 2018 when Iranian forces shelled the Golan Heights; Whereas, in December 2014, Congress unanimously resolved that the United States supported the sovereign right of the Government of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens from attacks against Israel by Hamas, a terrorist group supported by Iran; and Whereas Israel's control over the Golan Heights provides a defensible border, deters attacks from hostile forces, facilitates intelligence gathering, and allows Israel to detect threats to its national security: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that- (1) the United States supports the sovereign right of the Government of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens from attacks against Israel, including by Iran or its proxies; (2) Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights is critical to Israel's national security; (3) Israel's security from attack from Syria and Lebanon cannot be assured without Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights; (4) it is in the United States' national security interest to ensure Israel's security; (5) it is in the United States' national security interest to ensure that the Assad regime faces diplomatic and geopolitical consequences for the killing of civilians, the ethnic cleansing of Syrian Sunnis, and the use of weapons of mass destruction, including by ensuring that Israel retains control of the Golan Heights; and (6) the United States should recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-applauds-passage-of-farm-bill,Boozman Applauds Passage of Farm Bill,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a farm bill conferee applauded passage of the bill that will provide famers and ranchers with certainty and predictability.,1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-praises-ag-committee-leadership-highlights-priorities-in-farm-bill-as-legislation-set-to-become-law,"Boozman Praises Ag Committee Leadership, Highlights Priorities in Farm Bill as Legislation Set to Become Law",2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONWith the 2018 Farm Bill set to become law, U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR)a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and a member of the conference committee that authored the final billdelivered remarks on the Senate floor applauding passage of the legislation and thanking the conference committee leadership for including important provisions he authored. While highlighting how important the farm bill is to Arkansas, Boozman praised the bipartisan leadership of the conference committee for its efforts to finalize a bill that will bring certainty and predictability for farmers, ranchers and all rural Americans. Boozman also thanked his colleagues for including provisions he authored, addressing a number of his priorities, in the final text. Sending this bill to the President is about as important as it gets for my state, Boozman said. I commend Chairmen Roberts and Conaway, as well as Ranking Members Stabenow and Peterson, for their commitment to making this bill fair and equitable to the diverse needs of producers across all regions of the country. It was a heavy lift. They worked hard to ensure we would get this done before adjourning this Congress. I would also like to thank them for their willingness to include provisions that I advocated for in the conference report. Boozman priorities included in final version of 2018 Farm Bill Providing a workable safety net for farmers and ranchers:The farm bill strengthens and reauthorizes many programs important for producers, including Price Loss Coverage (PLC), Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and crop insurance. The improvements made to these programs ensure that producers across the country have a meaningful safety net with reduced regulatory and paperwork burdens. Eliminating waste and abuse within Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP):The federal government partners with states to administer SNAP and currently pays bonuses to states that administer the program satisfactorily. Unfortunately, states have exaggerated performances to receive bonuses. The conference report includes language championed by Boozman to eliminate all state performance bonuses in SNAP. This will save taxpayers $48 million per year. Trade promotion funding for agriculture products in Cuba:This provision, championed by Boozman and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), is a big win for Arkansas farmers and ranchers, who have consistently been working to open up more access to the Cuban market. Cuba imports 80 percent of its food, and our farmers and ranchers produce the highest quality, lowest cost and safest food in the world. U.S. commodity exporters will now be able to use U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) market promotion funding in Cuba. These federal programs, which offset the high cost of market promotion, will no longer treat Cuba differently from other markets. Promoting jobs for veterans in agriculture:TheVeterans and Beginning Farmers Technical Assistance Act(S.2573), introduced by Boozman and Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT), was included in the farm bill. It reauthorizes the Appropriate Technical Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program, which has a regional headquarters in Fayetteville, Arkansas and helps veterans who want to get started in agriculture by providing specialized training through its Armed to Farm program. Boozman also secured language to ensure that USDA's Military Veterans Agriculture Liaison better serves veterans who want to be involved in agriculture. Regulatory reform:The farm bill includes two provisions that will provide much needed clarity to regulations. One, included at the behest of Boozman and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), adds live fish, crawfish, llamas and alpacas to the definition of livestock used by the Department of Transportation to bring more clarity for livestock producers and haulers. A second provision authored by Boozman protects USDA's BioPreferred regulations, which aim to assist in the development and expansion of markets for biobased products, from unnecessary overreach by other agencies. Research and development in crop insurance:Boozman secured a provision in the farm bill that directs USDA to conduct research and development to include innovative irrigation practices for rice, like alternate wetting and drying and furrow irrigation, under the current rice crop insurance policy. Honoring multi-generational family farms:The Century Farms Act, introduced by Boozman and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) to recognize farms that have been in continuous operation for 100 or more years, was included as a provision in the farm bill. This provision directs USDA to establish a program to recognize farms that have been in continuous operation by the same family for one hundred or more years.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-tester-intensify-call-for-better-va-care-for-women-veterans,"Boozman, Tester Intensify Call for Better VA Care for Women Veterans",2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONU.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Jon Tester (D-MT) are pushing the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) to immediately take steps to improve the quality of VA care for women veterans. Following VA Secretary Robert Wilkie's September presentation of the State of the VA to the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee that showed that strides must still be made to improve services for women veterans, Tester and Boozman are urging Wilkie to implement low-cost and common sense reforms from their bipartisanDeborah Sampson Act. As you note, the number of women veterans using VA health care services has tripled since 2000, yet 52 percent of women veterans surveyed believe they are not entitled to, or eligible for, VA care,the Senators wrote to Wilkie.This disconnect clearly necessitates a more aggressive outreach campaign, targeted at women veterans, with the goal of better connecting them with access to what can often be life-saving services. Tester and Boozman are urging Wilkie to implement reforms from theirDeborah Sampson Actsuch as expanding the Women Veterans Call Center to include text message access to counselors and VA staff, partnering with community organizations on a pro-bono basis to help women veterans with legal issues that are contributing to their homelessness, and expanding women veteran mini-residency programs while the VA works to hire more dedicated women veteran clinical providers. They are also urging the department to begin to track women veterans' utilization of VA services and experiences at VA facilities to learn from current shortcomings and to fully staff and put in place strong leadership at the Center for Women Veterans. Boozman and Tester's letter to Wilkie can be read onlinehere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/new-farm-bill-will-bring-certainty-and-predictability,New Farm Bill Will Bring Certainty and Predictability,2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This summer, I embarked on the #ARisAG tour, traveling the Natural State to highlight the importance of agriculture to Arkansas and to hear firsthand the concerns and ideas of our farmers and ranchers. During that tour, I heard one message over and over againpass a meaningful farm bill. It took some heavy lifting, but we have delivered for our farmers and ranchers. Congress has approved a final five-year reauthorization of the farm bill law. This is very good news for production agriculture and rural communities across our nation. First and foremost, the farm bill will bring much-needed certainty and predictability to farmers and ranchers over the next five years. This is especially important given the intense pressure our agriculture producers are under. If you look at the numbers across the nation, net farm income is approximately half of what it was when we passed the last farm bill. Farm bankruptcies are up by 39 percent since 2014, financing has become more expensive, commodity prices have plummeted, input costs are rising and the trade outlook is volatile and uncertain. Farmers across the countryregardless of where they call home or which crops they groware hurting. The farm bill that Congress approved delivers meaningful and real relief for our farmers and ranchers in these difficult times. Along with strengthening key risk management tools for our farmers, this legislation also helps our rural communities by authorizing crucial economic development and job creation programs along with provisions that range from combating the opioid crisis to home financing to high-speed internet access. The farm bill is vital to our continued economic growth in Arkansas. Agriculture is a driving force of the Natural State's economy, adding around $16 billion to our economy every year and accounting for approximately one in every six jobs. That's why agriculture advocacy groups in Arkansas were very excited when we passed the final version. The Arkansas Farm Bureau said it was pleased that Congress has recognized how important a new farm bill is to the hard-working farmers and ranchers of this country and expressed gratitude that we came together to pass this critical legislation before the new year. The Agricultural Council of Arkansas said it cannot stress enough the importance of the farm bill and the need for it among Arkansas farmers. The Council went on to add, a farm bill with meaningful support is critical in preventing significant harm to Arkansas farms. And the Arkansas Rice Federation said the farm bill will provide certainty in such a variable agricultural climate. The farm bill would not have been as beneficial to Arkansas farmers and ranchers without the diligent efforts of the conference committee leadership who worked to ensure that harmful, arbitrary policy changes were excluded from the final conference report. As a result of these efforts, family farms are protected from additional regulations and unnecessary paperwork. This would not have been possible without the steadfast leadership of the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. Their commitment to making this bill fair and equitable to the diverse needs of producers across all regions of the country. They worked hard to make certain we would get this done before adjourning the 115th Congress. I look forward to ensuring its successful implementation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=1036,Cotton Op-Ed in National Review 'Fix the First Step Act and Keep Violent Criminals behind Bars',2018-12-17,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 17, 2018 Fix the First Step Act and Keep Violent Criminals behind Bars National Review By: Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) Republicans can and should pass some common-sense amendments. This week, the Senate will vote on the latest version of the First Step Act, a criminal-justice bill that would release thousands of dangerous criminals from federal prison earlier than under current law. This effort is misguided and dangerous, as I havewrittenbefore. Thankfully, there is still time to limit the damage. Along with Senator John Kennedy, I have introduced an amendment to categorically exclude violent felons and sex offenders from the bill's time-credit program, which can be used for early release. We also have amendments to notify victims before a prisoner is released early, and to monitor whether prisoners who are released early commit more crimes. If advocates of First Step want to protect public safety, they will support all three amendments. Advocates of this bill already have taken a first step to improve the bill, thanks to criticism frommajor law-enforcement groups, victims of crime, and conservatives such as myself. After calling my concerns ""100 percent fake news"" and trying to force their bill through the lame-duck Congress without vetting, these advocates have finally acknowledged some of the problems I have identified and taken steps to fix them. For example, the ""warden loophole"" has been tightened (though not entirely closed), several crimes have been added to the ineligible-prisoners list, and fentanyl traffickers are no longer eligible to earn time credits (though unfortunately, these traffickers would still benefit from reduced sentences on the front end). The bill's ""safety valve"" provision was curtailed, so that judges will have less discretion to allow traffickers with serious criminal records to avoid mandatory minimum sentences required by law. These modest changes have satisfied some of my conservative colleagues, who have signed on in support of the bill. Even this publication has offereda tentative, lukewarm endorsement. Both have said the bill should pass if it excludes violent offenders from early release. With respect to my conservative friends and colleagues, they have jumped on the bandwagon too soon. A number of serious felonies, including violent crimes, are still eligible for early release in the version of the bill the Senate will vote on in a matter of days. In short, the First Step Act flunks their basic test to protect public safety. Among those crimes are certain kinds of child molestation and sex trafficking, assaults on law-enforcement officers, violent bank robberies, carjackings, and hate crimes. Fittingly, the First Step Act would even allow early release for theaccomplices in jailbreaks. Another crime still eligible for early release under the bill is 18 U.S.C. 2422. This is a commonly used statute to prosecute sex offenders who attempt to coerce children into illicit activity, often through the Internet. There are 1,446 sex offenders in federal prison convicted under this statute, and not one of them deserves to be released a day early. Our amendment would specifically exclude these crimes - and categorically exclude all other violent and sexual felonies - from eligibility for early release. This would not ""gut the bill,"" as some left-wing groups have claimed: According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, 62 percent of inmates would remain eligible for the time credits if our amendment is adopted. In short, this amendment would guarantee the basic level of protection that First Step's supporters have assured us the bill contained all along. They should have no problem supporting it, based on their own marketing. If they do have concerns with this common-sense amendment, I would be happy to debate which violent and sexual offenders they believe should be eligible for reduced sentences. Our other two amendments would make further repairs to the bill. One would require that the prison notify victims before their victimizers are released back onto the streets. The victims (or next of kin) would be given the opportunity to provide a statement to the warden that could be used during early-release proceedings. Besides giving valuable information to individuals who are at risk of re-victimization, this amendment would give them an element of control in a process that often leaves people feeling helpless and afraid. Our final amendment would require the Bureau of Prisons to track the recidivism of federal inmates who are granted early release. This would allow the public to see exactly what First Step's supporters mean when they claim released prisoners will pose ""minimal or low"" risk of returning to crime. In reality, early release isalwaysa risky proposition, because one of the best predictors of committing a crime in the future is having committed a crime in the past. And even the best risk-assessment tools predict recidivism with just70 percent accuracy- meaning in many cases, inmates deemed ""low risk"" by the government are not low-risk in reality. This amendment would ensure that the public learns the outcome of each roll of the dice. Surely, there can be no argument against actually measuring the effectiveness of the ""evidence-based recidivism-reduction"" programs in First Step. These three amendments are modest, conservative, and grounded in common sense. They have been endorsed by law-enforcement groups such as the National Association of Police Organizations. And thankfully, the Senate can pass them with just 51 votes. This threshold gives Republicans no place to hide. We have enough members to improve this bill right now. The only question is whether we have the good sense to do it. So far the debate over First Step has been clouded by euphemism and abstraction, which has prevented the public from understanding what the bill actually does. A concrete example will help clarify the stakes. Richard Crawford is a former NASCAR driver who was convicted in August of trying to force a twelve-year-old girl to have sex with him. Crawford was sentenced to nearly 11 years in federal prison, but the statute he was convicted under does not appear in First Step's ""ineligible prisoners"" list. If the bill passes, he will therefore be eligible for time credits that would reduce his time in prison by up to one-third, or nearly four years. At the end of his prison sentence he would be moved into pre-release custody or supervised release. He would essentially be a free man. Crawford's sex crime was not obscure, low-level, or ""victimless."" Quite the opposite. His crime had the potential to shatter a child's life. It was punished accordingly by a judge and a jury of his peers. That is how criminal justice ought to work in America. Now a group of politicians and activists are in a position to overturn that public judgment with the First Step Act. Conservatives should resist this revolution.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bill-introduced-protect-communities-catastrophic-wildfires,Bill Introduced to Protect Communities from Catastrophic Wildfires,2018-12-14,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Bruce Westerman,W000821,westerman.house.gov,westerman,https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Bruce Westerman introduced H.R. 7315, the Protecting American Communities from Wildfire Act, on Thursday (December 13). ""As more and more Americans move closer to our nation's forests, it is imperative that Congress protect our communities from the devastation of wildfire,"" Westerman said. ""The lack of large-scale forest management -- combined with a patchwork of State, local, Tribal, and Federal landowners -- has resulted in dangerous, unhealthy forests, which in turn has led to the catastrophic, deadly fires we see today. ""Congress must act to protect American lives, property, and watersheds. The Forest Service must be provided the management tools to quickly shield these at-risk communities, and further, Congress must provide landowners the incentives and the resources to implement sound management."" H.R. 7315 accomplishes both goals. This act provides the Forest Service with the management tools they need to rapidly treat the Federal Forests in the Wildland-Urban Interface and simultaneously provides additional grant funding to at-risk communities, supporting programs ranging from the purchase of new firefighting equipment, to the FIREWISE Program. Expedited Forest Management in The Wildland- Urban Interface Provides USFS the authority to prescribe forest treatment plans within the Wildland-Urban interface, creating a halo of managed timber around an at-risk community. The Wildland-Urban Interface is a term defined on the local level: at-risk communities can tailor the amount of protective treatment needed for their town. Provides USFS the authority to prescribe forest treatment plans around the watersheds which supply at-risk communities, ensuring the steady supply of clean drinking water Categorically excludes the prescribed action from lengthy NEPA review, ensuring that this critical protection is rapidly implemented. Additional State Fire Assistance Funding",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-congratulates-tim-griffin-on-promotion-to-colonel,Boozman Congratulates Tim Griffin on Promotion to Colonel,2018-12-14,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Lt. Governor Tim Griffin's promotion to Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves: Tim has always been motivated by a sense of duty which has led him to a life of service both in elected office and in the Army Reserves. His exceptional performance and strong leadership have earned him a promotion to the rank of Colonel and I am confident he will continue to excel in that role. I congratulate him and appreciate his continued service to our nation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1035,Law Enforcement and Victims' Rights Group Support Cotton-Kennedy Amendments,2018-12-14,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 14, 2018 Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) today announced support from law enforcement and victims' rights groups for the Cotton-Kennedy amendments to the First Step Act. Click here to read a letter from the National Association of Police Organizations. ""I'm pleased that major law enforcement groups support our amendments to exclude violent felons and sex offenders from early release, notify victims before criminals are released, and to measure whether the First Step Act works. Next week, the Senate will vote on these amendments. I urge my colleagues to support these changes to ensure that no violent sex offenders can be eligible for any type of early release,"" said Senator Cotton. ""The early release of criminals is not an issue that should be fast-tracked through Congress,"" said Senator Kennedy. ""As written, the First Step Act could release many violent criminals and sex offenders. Our amendment addresses these threats to public safety, and it has been endorsed by law enforcement officers and victims' rights groups. I hope that the rest of our Senate colleagues realize the shortfalls of the First Step Act and vote to support this amendment."" The Cotton-Kennedy amendments will: Exclude nine more classes of criminals from using time credits to transfer out of prison early, including sex offenders who attempt to coerce minors under 18 U.S.C. 2422(b) Require the Bureau of Prisons to attempt to notify victims before criminals are transferred out of prison Track the rearrests of criminals in prerelease custody or supervised release to ensure the program is working Senator Cotton and Senator Kennedy's amendments are supported by organizations representing hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers, including the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, the National Association of Police Organizations, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and by organizations dedicated to victims' rights. The text of the amendment is available here and one-pager on the bill is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/law-enforcement-and-victims-and-146-rights-group-support-cotton-kennedy-amendments,Law Enforcement and Victims’ Rights Group Support Cotton-Kennedy Amendments,2018-12-14,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) today announced support from law enforcement and victims' rights groups for the Cotton-Kennedy amendments to the First Step Act. Click here to read a letter from the National Association of Police Organizations. ""I'm pleased that major law enforcement groups support our amendments to exclude violent felons and sex offenders from early release, notify victims before criminals are released, and to measure whether the First Step Act works. Next week, the Senate will vote on these amendments. I urge my colleagues to support these changes to ensure that no violent sex offenders can be eligible for any type of early release,"" said Senator Cotton. ""The early release of criminals is not an issue that should be fast-tracked through Congress,"" said Senator Kennedy. ""As written, the First Step Act could release many violent criminals and sex offenders. Our amendment addresses these threats to public safety, and it has been endorsed by law enforcement officers and victims' rights groups. I hope that the rest of our Senate colleagues realize the shortfalls of the First Step Act and vote to support this amendment."" The Cotton-Kennedy amendments will: Exclude nine more classes of criminals from using time credits to transfer out of prison early, including sex offenders who attempt to coerce minors under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) Require the Bureau of Prisons to attempt to notify victims before criminals are transferred out of prison Track the rearrests of criminals in prerelease custody or supervised release to ensure the program is working",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://crawford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398805,Rep. Crawford Reacts to Passage of the Farm Bill Conference Report,2018-12-12,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Rick Crawford,C001087,crawford.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC- Today, the House of Representatives passed the Conference report to H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 by a record high vote of 369-47. Following passage of the legislation Crawford released the following statement: Given the importance of agriculture to Arkansas' economy, I'm pleased to see the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. This farm bill provides important updates to our food security system, delivers a robust crop insurance system, removes burdensome SAM/DUNs requirements for farm programs, invests in the vitality of our rural communities, and makes progress in our efforts to allow agriculture commodities to be exported to Cuba. Food security is a matter of national security, and a nation that cannot feed itself is a nation in trouble. This Farm bill ensures American farmers and ranchers will continue to produce a safe, affordable food and fiber supply for all Americans. Rep. Rick Crawford is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture as well as the Chairman of Subcommittee General Farm Commodities and Risk Management. He also served as a Conferee for the 2018 Farm Bill.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2413,Hill Stands with Arkansass Farm Families,2018-12-12,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"Hill Stands with Arkansas's Farm Families f t # e Washington, December 12, 2018 WASHINGTON Congressman French Hill (AR-02) made the following statement regarding the comprehensive farm bill agreed to by the House and Senate: Agriculture is Arkansas's number one economic industry, and I am proud to support the passage of this year's comprehensive farm bill that brings much needed security and support to hardworking Arkansas farm families. Farmers benefit from programs funded through this bill including commodity, conservation, and research programs. We take pride in what we produce in our state, and I will continue supporting our farmers and ranchers who produce agricultural products that are second to none. With that said, while the bill makes significant improvements to the nutrition title and the SNAP program, I was disappointed that a statutory framework for enhancing opportunities for work was not included. I look forward to the United States Department of Agriculture's approach to help able-bodied recipients find work, get the education they need, or volunteer. Background This farm bill does the following: Reauthorizes and strengthens the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL) options for the next five years. Provides a strengthened safety net for farmers and ranchers, authorizing and restoring funding for vital tools for trade promotion and market development, and maintains long-standing legal authority for the secretary to aid farmers and ranchers affected by unfair foreign trading practices. Prioritizes working-land conservation by retaining and folding the best features of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) into the nation's flagship incentive-based program for voluntary conservation -- the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Protects crop insurance as well as streamlining and reducing regulatory burdens. Authorizes substantial annual appropriations for rural broadband. Requires the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish broadband standards. It would also strengthen the suite of rural development initiatives to promote jobs and economic activity in rural America. Establishes a new National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program designed to protect the health of the nation's livestock sector. Reduces catastrophic wildfire risk and will provides more timber management tools at the state and county levels. Preserves the Administration's regulatory flexibility on SNAP, including USDA's ability to reign in states who abuse the waiver process. Establishes a National Accuracy Clearinghouse to prevent SNAP recipients from receiving SNAP benefits from multiple states. Authorizes the USDA to audit and inspect state records related to SNAP. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/farm-bill-passes-its-way-potus,Farm Bill Passes; On Its Way to POTUS,2018-12-12,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Bruce Westerman,W000821,westerman.house.gov,westerman,https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – On Tuesday afternoon (December 12), the House of Representatives passed the Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2, the Agriculture Improvement Act. The legislation, better known as the Farm Bill, will now go to President Donald J. Trump for his signature after passing in the Senate earlier this week. Prior to final passage, Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) spoke in favor of the legislation. His remarks, as delivered: ""I thank the gentleman for yielding. ""Mr. Speaker, I was blessed to be a walk-on football player for the University of Arkansas and participate on two 10-win conference championship teams. Coach Ken Hatfield's triple option offense averaged over 300 yards per game but it came in small chunks that resulted in first downs, that resulted in touchdowns, and eventually led to victories. ""Mr. Speaker, farm incomes are down across the board, the West is consumed by wildfires, China and other nations are taking advantage of unfair trade laws. What rural America needs is a first down. Our farmers and ranchers need to see Congress move the ball forward and provide their families the protection and relief they need during these hard times. This Conference Report is not a hail Mary. It does not contain everything I would like to see in a Farm Bill but it does move the ball forward. It is progress that our farmers need right now. ""I'm disappointed that Senate Democrats blocked many needed forest management provisions as we continue to sift through the ashes of catastrophic wildfires. However, this Conference Report strengthens the farm safety net and provides certainty to our farmers. It does address some forest management issues. It provides millions of dollars in new funding to combat a range of issues facing rural America – from funding to eradicate feral hogs to (funds to) address the opioid crisis and to expand rural broadband. This conference report moves farm policy in the right direction. I urge the adoption of the rule for this Farm Bill and I yield back.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399878,"Womack, House Pass Farm Bill to Support Arkansas Agriculture",2018-12-12,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Steve Womack,W000809,womack.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC December 12, 2018.Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) and the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the 2018 Farm Bill. The final version authorizes and reforms essential food and farm programs, including initiatives related to commodity and crop assistance, agricultural trade, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and rural development, for five years. The legislation, which passed by a margin of 369-47, makes critical investments to support Arkansas farmers, ranchers, producers, and rural communities. Congressman Womack said, Farmers and ranchers from Arkansas's Third Congressional District feed and fuel our economy and families across the globe. Our agriculture policies must create certainty for hardworking producers and advance a vibrant farm economy this Farm Bill delivers on those priorities. From enhancing insurance and risk management programs for dairy and livestock farmers, to investing in rural development and preventing SNAP fraud, this legislation makes sound reforms that support the strength of our food supply, producers, and American families. Amongst other provisions, the bill supports Arkansas's Third Congressional District by: Bolstering dairy and livestock protection, disaster, risk management, and safety net initiatives. Enhancing farm ownership and operating loan programs to better enable producers to maintain, buy, and expand investment into new or existing farms or ranches. Increasing funding for rural health and opioid addiction services. Investing in rural broadband access to support underserved areas. Establishing a National Animal Health Vaccine Bank to better protect livestock and prevent animal disease. Strengthening locally-led conservation programs that empower livestock producers, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). Implementing reforms to prevent fraud under federal nutrition benefit programs. Womack has been an advocate of implementing strong and reliable agriculture policies during his time in Congress. He voted to pass a previous version of the Farm Bill in June, which was then amended into this final legislation following recommendations from the House and Senate Conference Committee. Local AR-3 producers are a vital part of Arkansas's economy and support the great agriculture output of the state. The 2018 Farm Bill is supported by a range of local and national organizations, including the Arkansas Farm Bureau, Agricultural Council of Arkansas, Arkansas Cattlemen's Association, Arkansas Rice Federation, National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Producers Council, National Cattleman's Beef Association, National Cotton Council, and the National Farm Bureau. The bill will now head to the President's desk for signature. Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas's Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense, military construction-veterans affairs, and labor-health and human services subcommittees. Additionally, he co-chairs the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. womack.house.gov ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2410,Hill Supports Care for Americas Sickest Children,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"Hill Supports Care for America's Sickest Children f t # e Washington, December 11, 2018 WASHINGTON Congressman French Hill (AR-02) released the following statement after supporting a bill, the IMPROVE Act, which helps children with complex medical conditions receive better access to the health care they need: Our nation's sickest children deserve a fighting chance to live, and this bill helps America's children with complex medical conditions receive the care they need. It cuts through red tape by allowing families and children to cross state lines and receive medical attention and access to medical professionals for specialized care. As a father and former board member of Arkansas Children's Hospital, I'm pleased to support this piece of legislation that gives our most vulnerable children the attention and care they deserve. Background The IMPROVE Act, H.R. 7217, does the following: Provides additional Medicaid expansion for coordinated care for certain groups of children with complex medical conditions. Provides for an extension of the Money Follows the Person program. Delays the application of competitive bid pricing with Complex Rehab Technology accessories and includes provisions to offset spending increases. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-arkansas-ag-groups-applaud-senate-passage-of-final-farm-bill,"Boozman, Arkansas Ag Groups Applaud Senate Passage of Final Farm Bill",2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined with leading agriculture associations in Arkansas to applaud Senate passage of the final version of the 2018 Farm Bill. The 2018 Farm Bill reauthorizes nearly every program housed under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including commodity programs; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); rural development loans and grants, including rural broadband; forestry; trade promotion; international food aid; research; livestock; and horticulture, among others. Agriculture is Arkansas's largest industry, adding around $16 billion to the state's economy every year and accounting for approximately one in every six jobs. Rice, soybeans, cotton, poultry and beef cattle are particular staples of Arkansas's agriculture economy. U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a farm bill conferee: Considering how vital agriculture is to Arkansas's economy, ensuring that we pass a final reauthorization of the farm bill before adjournment has been a top priority of mine. Our farmers and ranchers have been dealing with low commodity prices, high input costs, volatile weather events and an uncertain trade environment. The last thing they need is continued uncertainty that would only intensify if we failed to see this through the finish line. That is why we worked hard, in a bipartisan manner, to reach consensus on a final version that will deliver for Arkansans and all those who earn their livelihood in the agricultural economy, protect key risk management tools and maintain strong farm policy for producers of all stripes. Andrew Grobmyer, Executive Vice President of the Agricultural Council of Arkansas: We thank Senator Boozman and Congressmen Rick Crawford and Bruce Westerman for their efforts as farm bill conferees, and we are very pleased to see this measure nearing completion. We cannot stress enough the importance of the farm bill and the need for it among Arkansas farmers. Right now, there is nothing in place as the previous law has expired, and the agriculture economy, especially the row crop segment, is struggling mightily. A farm bill with meaningful support is critical in preventing significant harm to Arkansas farms. In addition to the farms, there are many other Arkansas businesses with direct and indirect connections to agriculture that are suffering in this rough ag economy. Simply put, the downturn in prices we've seen in recent years and recent months with trade dispute impacts has cut deeply into the cash flow of many farms and businesses in Arkansas. Randy Veach, President of the Arkansas Farm Bureau: We are pleased that Congress has recognized how important a new Farm Bill is to the hard-working farmers and ranchers of this country and we are grateful they have come together to pass this critical legislation before the new year. While this bill may not have everything we were hoping for, it will provide much-needed financial protections and allow access to funds for livestock producers. It also has a solid conservation program and will allow us to continue to promote our agricultural products to other countries. Jeff Rutledge, Rice Farmer, Newport Arkansas, Chairman, Arkansas Rice Federation: We are extremely pleased to see progress in the final stages of a farm bill that provides some certainty in such a variable agricultural climate. Senator Boozman's advocacy on behalf of Arkansas producers cannot be overstated and our family farms will continue to benefit from his leadership for years to come. Joe Mencer, Rice Farmer, Lake Village Arkansas, Chairman, USA Rice Farmers: We greatly appreciate Senator Boozman going to bat for rice farmers and the entire agriculture industry. Revisions to the definition of actively engaged to help preserve family farms as well as timing of the sequester deduction are certainly beneficial and largely due to his leadership. Cody Burkham, Executive Vice President of the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association: The Arkansas Cattlemen's Association is thrilled at the recent progression of the 2018 Farm Bill. We are particularly pleased to see authorization for a new Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine (FMD) bank included in the conference report. This FMD bank will provide a critical safety net for cattle producers and rural economies in Arkansas and across the nation should an outbreak occur. We are grateful for Senator Boozman's leadership on the Senate Agriculture Committee and his support for Arkansas cattle producers.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-statement-on-farm-bill-conference-report,Boozman Statement on Farm Bill Conference Report,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONU.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a farm bill conferee, released the following statement on the final version of the 2018 Farm Bill: This is welcome news for farmers, ranchers, rural Americans and consumers. Farmers and ranchers across the country have been dealing with low commodity prices, high input costs, volatile weather events and an uncertain trade environment. This farm bill will bring much-needed certainty and predictability to farm policy for the next five years. We worked hard, in a bipartisan manner, to reach consensus on a final version that will deliver for those who earn their livelihood in the agricultural economy, protect key risk management tools and maintain strong farm policy for producers of all stripes. I commend Chairmen Roberts and Conaway, as well as Ranking Members Stabenow and Peterson, for their commitment to finishing this bill, and their diligence to ensure that harmful policy changes were excluded from the final conference report. As a result of their leadership, we are well on our way to sending a farm bill to the president's desk that meets the diverse needs of producers across all regions of the country.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/forever-gi-bill-housing-payment-fulfillment-act-introduced-in-the-senate,Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act Introduced in the Senate,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONU.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, introduced a bipartisan bill to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses veterans for missed or underpaid Forever GI Bill housing benefits. The legislation was introduced to address the VA's failure to fully comply with reimbursement rates set by the Forever GI Bill. The improper payments resulted from IT systems that had not been properly updated and lack of internal processes to get the VA the necessary information about payment rates. The VA should have used the Department of Defense's 2018 Basic Allowance for Housing rates which should have been calculated based on the zip code where the student takes the majority of classes, rather than on the zip code in which the school's main campus is located. Instead, some GI Bill recipients have been receiving housing stipends at the 2017 rate and based on the school's zip code. In all cases, the 2018 rate is higher than the 2017 rate. Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) joined Boozman and Schatz to introduce theForever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act, which would require the VA to: End improper payments as soon as possible; Establish a team of specialists who will be responsible to report to Congress a detailed plan to correct this egregious error; Provide a report to Congress by July 2020 that identifies how many beneficiaries were impacted and to what extent, aggregated by state; and Certify the department is fully compliant with the law. Secretary Wilkie has acknowledged the VA's error and promised that all affected recipients would be compensated, but the department's plans to remedy the situation fall short. This bill aims to hold the department accountable to its promise and ensure that veterans are fully repaid for errors they did not cause,Boozman said. Secretary Wilkie may be saying the right things, but until the VA has a plan and invests money to address the ongoing staffing and IT challenges facing the claims backlog, our veterans will remain robbed of the benefits they were promised,said Schatz.Our bill will hold the VA accountable and make sure every veteran that was short-changed is made whole. When folks volunteer to serve, our nation makes them a set of promises,Tester said.This bipartisan bill ensures that we live up to those promises. It holds the VA accountable for taking the necessary steps to ensure that every student veteran receives every penny they are entitled in a timely manner, and that efforts on behalf of these veterans will not impact the Department's ability to deliver timely benefits for other veterans. VA's contemptible incompetence and inability to provide Post-9/11 GI Bill beneficiaries with timely housing payments is inexcusable. Students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill still don't have a clear understanding of when and if they will receive the benefits they have earned. Our legislation will ensure VA takes immediate corrective action to address this crisis while enabling proper oversight to prevent this from ever happening again,Blumenthal said. Reports of veteran students receiving delayed or inadequate GI Bill payments are concerning, and this misstep should be corrected as soon as possible,said Tillis.While the VA has already started taking important steps to address this ongoing issue, it is important for Congress to continue exercising rigorous oversight to ensure that all GI Bill beneficiaries are made whole. The VA must make every effort to restore confidence with veterans by delivering the care and benefits they have earned,said Moran.The significant problems with the implementation of the Forever GI Bill must be resolved immediately any further delay is unacceptable and will burden those veterans impacted. This legislation will make certain the VA is working to earn back GI Bill beneficiaries' trust. I'm proud to be a part of efforts to make the VA worthy of the service and sacrifice of our nations heroes.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1033,Cotton Statement on Criminal Justice Reform Floor Debate,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 11, 2018 Washington, D.C. -Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the plan to bring the First Step Act to the Senate floor: ""For months I've said the First Step Act allows violent felons and sex offenders to be released early. I'm pleased the drafters have finally acknowledged that reality and made changes to address some of the specific issues I pointed out. Unfortunately, the bill still has major problems and allows early release for many categories of serious, violent criminals. This includes felons who commit violent bank robberies with dangerous weapons, who assault children, and who commit carjacking with the intent to cause death. I look forward to debating this bill on the Senate floor and introducing amendments to address its many remaining threats to public safety."" Crimes still eligible for early release in the latest version of the bill: 1. Bank robbery with a dangerous weapon (18 U.S.C. 2113(d)) 2. Assault against a child (18 U.S.C. 113(a)(5)) 3. Carjacking with intent to cause death (18 U.S.C. 2119(1))",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1034,Cotton Supports New WOTUS Rule,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 11, 2018 Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement today after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army proposed a new definition of the waters of the U.S. rule that clarifies federal authority under the Clean Water Act. ""Everyone wants clean water, but the 2015 waters of the U.S.' rule was a vast and vague expansion of federal regulation, especially in Arkansas. The new definition announced today still protects our waterways while giving producers and landowners the clarity they need to farm and build. Many of the proposed changes closely mirror my own legislative solution to this regulatory problem, and I'm pleased that the Trump administration has followed through on its promise to rural America.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/2018/12/11/cotton-statement-on-criminal-justice-reform-floor-debate,Cotton Statement on Criminal Justice Reform Floor Debate,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. -Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the plan to bring the First Step Act to the Senate floor: ""For months I've said the First Step Act allows violent felons and sex offenders to be released early. I'm pleased the drafters have finally acknowledged that reality and made changes to address some of the specific issues I pointed out. Unfortunately, the bill still has major problems and allows early release for many categories of serious, violent criminals. This includes felons who commit violent bank robberies with dangerous weapons, who assault children, and who commit carjacking with the intent to cause death. I look forward to debating this bill on the Senate floor and introducing amendments to address its many remaining threats to public safety."" Crimes still eligible for early release in the latest version of the bill: 1. Bank robbery with a dangerous weapon (18 U.S.C. § 2113(d)) 2. Assault against a child (18 U.S.C. § 113(a)(5)) 3. Carjacking with intent to cause death (18 U.S.C. 2119(1))",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-supports-new-wotus-rule,Cotton Supports New WOTUS Rule,2018-12-11,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement today after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army proposed a new definition of the waters of the U.S. rule that clarifies federal authority under the Clean Water Act. ""Everyone wants clean water, but the 2015 ‘waters of the U.S.' rule was a vast and vague expansion of federal regulation, especially in Arkansas. The new definition announced today still protects our waterways while giving producers and landowners the clarity they need to farm and build. Many of the proposed changes closely mirror my own legislative solution to this regulatory problem, and I'm pleased that the Trump administration has followed through on its promise to rural America.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/serving-others-is-a-noble-calling,Serving Others is a Noble Calling,2018-12-10,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Former President George H.W. Bush lived a life dedicated to faith, family and his country. As we mourn his passing and share memories of his life and his remarkable leadership, we are reminded of his example of service and encouraged to open our hearts and give back to our own communities. The 41stPresident, fond of writing letters, once wroteI believe I was right when I said, as president, there can be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others. He found fulfillment and gratification in service and knew that, with a little concerted effort, his fellow Americans could experience that same joy. This doesn't mean that we must accept the same roles and responsibilities of the former president, but rather that we all have a part to play in making our neighborhood, community, state, country and world a better place. America is shaped by individuals who take initiative to serve others.Average citizens of all ages and backgrounds recognizing a need in their communities and contributing their talents and skills to make a difference happens every day in various capacities across our country. We don't have to look far to find examples of Arkansans who are serving causes greater than themselves. As a seventh grader, Alexis Roberson of Caraway was honored for her volunteerism. She experienced hardships growing up which fueled her passion to help others in difficult circumstances. This included launchingBooks for Bailey,' in memory of her friend who dreamed of collecting coloring books and crayons for sick children. Those called to serve also wear our nation's uniform and selflessly bear the burden of defending our interests, no matter the cost. Army Sergeant First Class Eric Emond, amember of 1stBattalion, 3rdSpecial Forces Group, called Springdale, Arkansas home when he enlisted in the Marine Corps 21 years ago. He dedicated his career to the military, serving in the Marines and later joining the Army. In 2009, he was severely wounded while serving in Afghanistan. Even during his recovery, he continued to help others, co-founding the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes, an organization that honors the fallen and supports Gold Star families. In November, while on his seventh overseas deployment, Sgt. Emond was killed after his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Now his family will become a beneficiary of the organization he helped launch. In perhaps no better form of tribute, his friends remember Sgt. Emond as a person who was always doing the right thing for someone else. I too have found that a life of public service is extremely rewarding because there is nothing more fulfilling and worthwhile than helping others. From my time as an eyecare provider to sitting on the fair board and the local school board and eventually serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, some of the most memorable moments of my career have centered around opportunities to give back or play a part in supporting, aiding or advocating on behalf of someone else. We all have the capability within us. The opportunities are there and we shouldn't overlook them or let them pass us by. Americans will continue to embrace George H.W. Bush's vision of service and its noble calling. His legacy will continue toinspire future generations to servethe samegreat cause.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1031,Senators Support Arkansas Marshallese Community,2018-12-10,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 10, 2018 Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and John Boozman (R-Arkansas) supported Senate passage of H.R. 3398, the REAL ID Act Modification for Freely Associated States Act. The legislation amends the REAL ID Act of 2005 to allow citizens of the Marshall Islands and other Pacific Freely Associated States who legally live in the U.S. to obtain a driver's license or personal identification card. Due to the omission of the Freely Associated States in the 2005 REAL ID Act, Marshallese living in the U.S. have been denied anything more than a temporary ID or driver's license valid only for one year, complicating their ability to maintain employment and open bank accounts. The Senate passed the bill yesterday by unanimous consent. ""Arkansas is home to thousands of Marshallese. Removing the unintended barrier to obtaining a driver's license or personal ID card will help residents become even more productive members of the community. This legislation addresses this hurdle for the Marshallese community and other citizens of Freely Associated States living in the U.S. We strongly urge the president to sign this bill quickly into law,"" the senators said. ""I offer my heartfelt gratitude to Senators Cotton and Boozman for their effectiveness in shepherding the REAL ID Modification for Freely Associated States Act (H.R.3398) through the United States Senate. Their strong leadership will enable our Marshallese citizens living in Arkansas and throughout the country to contribute fully to the communities that have embraced them. The Republic of the Marshall Islands is proud of our extraordinarily close relationship with the United States of America, and those of us who call Arkansas our second home deeply appreciate the opportunities made possible today by Senators Cotton and Boozman,"" said Marshall Islands Ambassador Gerald Zackios. In 1986, the U.S. and Marshall Islands entered into the Compact of Free Association, which allows Marshallese to live and work in the U.S. as non-immigrants. Northwest Arkansas has the largest Marshallese population in the continental U.S. The 2010 census estimated 4,324 out of the 22,400 Marshallese individuals living in the U.S. resided in Arkansas. The Marshallese community in Arkansas has since grown to an estimated 8,000 to 14,000 individuals. In addition to its embassy in Washington, D.C., the Republic of the Marshall Islands also has a consulate in Springdale.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1032,"Senators Cotton, Jones, Merkley Lead Bipartisan Effort to Stop Predatory Unsolicited Loans",2018-12-10,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 10, 2018 Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today introduced legislation that would halt the predatory practice of mailing high-interest loans to consumers in the form of ""live"" checks. When consumers receive these loan checks, many unknowingly believe they have received money from their bank or financial institution, not realizing that the check is often a high-interest loan. The Unsolicited Loan Act of 2018 would prohibit this practice and ensure that consumers access loans only when they proactively apply for them. This legislation mirrors the decades old prohibition on the mailing of live credit cards. ""People should understand clearly when they are taking on debt. But because live' checks mailed directly to consumers don't require an application or any previous relationship with the consumer, many individuals don't realize that these checks are actually high-interest loans until it's too late. Just like Congress ended the practice of mailing live' credit cards nearly 50 years ago, Congress should pass our bill now to stop this underhanded practice,"" said Senator Cotton. ""As working Americans look to make ends meet, lenders will often target cash-strapped families with these mailings. It is unconscionable that someone would take advantage of another person's dire financial situation to make a quick buck for themselves. We need to end this predatory lending tactic and pass this legislation to protect consumers and their pocketbooks,"" said Senator Jones. ""When you receive a check in the mail, it's natural to assume that depositing it will help-not hurt-your bottom line. But these checks don't pad consumers' pocketbooks; instead, they send them into a vortex of debt. The practice of mailing high-interest loans disguised as checks is unconscionable and clearly predatory. Today, we're sending a bipartisan message that this unacceptable practice must end,"" said Senator Merkley. Background on the Unsolicited Loan Act of 2018 It has been long recognized by Congress that consumer loans should require an application by a customer. In fact, Congress banned the mailing of unsolicited live credit cards nearly 50 years ago. In modern lending, a formal loan application can often take just minutes, and the bill does not prohibit the direct marketing or mailing of a loan application. This legislation would provide common-sense consumer protections without limiting access to credit for consumers who willingly apply and seek lending products. The bill would also ensure that companies cannot shift from the mailing of live checks to other forms of transfer, such as a gift card or an ""e-check."" In addition, it would ensure that customers are not liable for debt incurred from an illegal, unsolicited live check loan. The National Consumer Law Center has endorsed this legislation on behalf of its low-income clients.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-cotton-jones-merkley-lead-bipartisan-effort-to-stop-predatory-unsolicited-loans,"Senators Cotton, Jones, Merkley Lead Bipartisan Effort to Stop Predatory Unsolicited Loans",2018-12-10,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today introduced legislation that would halt the predatory practice of mailing high-interest loans to consumers in the form of ""live"" checks. When consumers receive these loan checks, many unknowingly believe they have received money from their bank or financial institution, not realizing that the check is often a high-interest loan. The Unsolicited Loan Act of 2018 would prohibit this practice and ensure that consumers access loans only when they proactively apply for them. This legislation mirrors the decades old prohibition on the mailing of live credit cards. ""People should understand clearly when they are taking on debt. But because ‘live' checks mailed directly to consumers don't require an application or any previous relationship with the consumer, many individuals don't realize that these checks are actually high-interest loans until it's too late. Just like Congress ended the practice of mailing ‘live' credit cards nearly 50 years ago, Congress should pass our bill now to stop this underhanded practice,"" said Senator Cotton. ""As working Americans look to make ends meet, lenders will often target cash-strapped families with these mailings. It is unconscionable that someone would take advantage of another person's dire financial situation to make a quick buck for themselves. We need to end this predatory lending tactic and pass this legislation to protect consumers and their pocketbooks,"" said Senator Jones. ""When you receive a check in the mail, it's natural to assume that depositing it will help-not hurt-your bottom line. But these checks don't pad consumers' pocketbooks; instead, they send them into a vortex of debt. The practice of mailing high-interest loans disguised as checks is unconscionable and clearly predatory. Today, we're sending a bipartisan message that this unacceptable practice must end,"" said Senator Merkley. Background on the Unsolicited Loan Act of 2018 It has been long recognized by Congress that consumer loans should require an application by a customer. In fact, Congress banned the mailing of unsolicited live credit cards nearly 50 years ago. In modern lending, a formal loan application can often take just minutes, and the bill does not prohibit the direct marketing or mailing of a loan application. This legislation would provide common-sense consumer protections without limiting access to credit for consumers who willingly apply and seek lending products. The bill would also ensure that companies cannot shift from the mailing of live checks to other forms of transfer, such as a gift card or an ""e-check."" In addition, it would ensure that customers are not liable for debt incurred from an illegal, unsolicited live check loan. The National Consumer Law Center has endorsed this legislation on behalf of its low-income clients.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-support-arkansas-marshallese-community,Senators Support Arkansas Marshallese Community,2018-12-10,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and John Boozman (R-Arkansas) supported Senate passage of H.R. 3398, the REAL ID Act Modification for Freely Associated States Act. The legislation amends the REAL ID Act of 2005 to allow citizens of the Marshall Islands and other Pacific Freely Associated States who legally live in the U.S. to obtain a driver's license or personal identification card. Due to the omission of the Freely Associated States in the 2005 REAL ID Act, Marshallese living in the U.S. have been denied anything more than a temporary ID or driver's license valid only for one year, complicating their ability to maintain employment and open bank accounts. The Senate passed the bill yesterday by unanimous consent. ""Arkansas is home to thousands of Marshallese. Removing the unintended barrier to obtaining a driver's license or personal ID card will help residents become even more productive members of the community. This legislation addresses this hurdle for the Marshallese community and other citizens of Freely Associated States living in the U.S. We strongly urge the president to sign this bill quickly into law,"" the senators said. ""I offer my heartfelt gratitude to Senators Cotton and Boozman for their effectiveness in shepherding the REAL ID Modification for Freely Associated States Act (H.R.3398) through the United States Senate. Their strong leadership will enable our Marshallese citizens living in Arkansas and throughout the country to contribute fully to the communities that have embraced them. The Republic of the Marshall Islands is proud of our extraordinarily close relationship with the United States of America, and those of us who call Arkansas our second home deeply appreciate the opportunities made possible today by Senators Cotton and Boozman,"" said Marshall Islands Ambassador Gerald Zackios. In 1986, the U.S. and Marshall Islands entered into the Compact of Free Association, which allows Marshallese to live and work in the U.S. as non-immigrants. Northwest Arkansas has the largest Marshallese population in the continental U.S. The 2010 census estimated 4,324 out of the 22,400 Marshallese individuals living in the U.S. resided in Arkansas. The Marshallese community in Arkansas has since grown to an estimated 8,000 to 14,000 individuals. In addition to its embassy in Washington, D.C., the Republic of the Marshall Islands also has a consulate in Springdale.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2409,Press Release: Hills Bill Directs Creation of New Rules that Allow Main Street Investors to Grow Businesses,2018-12-07,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON The Securities and Exchange Commission recently released regulatory rules as mandated by Congressman French Hill's (AR-02) Fair Access to Investment Research Act, which was signed into law on October 6, 2017. Congressman Hill made the following statement regarding the final rule: I'm pleased that my legislation opened up research of the rapidly growing exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to be publicly available, which allows Main Street investors to enhance their knowledge about investment options. The FAIR Act Rules provide a common-sense fix to current law barriers by removing unnecessary burdens that have prevented investors from accessing helpful market information. I've personally seen the research produced by financial services firms, and am pleased that retail investors both in Arkansas and across the country now have access to it. Background: The Securities and Exchange Commission adopted rules and amendments designed to promote researchon mutual funds, exchangetraded funds, registered closed-end funds, business development companies, and similar covered investment funds. These changes reduce obstacles to providing research on investment funds by harmonizing the treatment of such research with research on other public companies. The Commission took this action in furtherance of the mandate in theFair Access to Investment Research Act of 2017 (FAIR Act).",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/senators-support-arkansas-marshallese-community,Senators Support Arkansas Marshallese Community,2018-12-07,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.U.S. SenatorsJohn Boozman (R-AR) andTom Cotton (R-AR) supported Senatepassage of H.R. 3398, the REAL ID ActModificationfor Freely Associated States Act. The legislation amends the REAL ID Act of 2005 to allow citizens of the Marshall Islands and other Pacific Freely Associated States who legally live in the U.S. to obtain a driver's license or personal identification card. Due totheomissionof the Freely Associated Statesin the 2005 REAL ID Act,Marshalleseliving in the U.S. have been denied anything more than a temporary ID or driver's license valid only for one year, complicating their ability tomaintain employment and open bank accounts. The Senate passed the bill yesterday by unanimous consent. Arkansas is home to thousands ofMarshallese. Removing theunintendedbarrier to obtaining a driver's license or personal ID card willhelp residents become evenmoreproductive members of the community. This legislation addresses this hurdle for theMarshallesecommunity and other citizens of Freely Associated States living in the U.S. We strongly urge the president to sign this bill quicklyinto law, thesenatorssaid. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to Senators Cotton and Boozman for their effectiveness in shepherding the REAL ID Modification for Freely Associated States Act (H.R.3398) through the United States Senate. Their strong leadership will enable our Marshallese citizens living in Arkansas and throughout the country to contribute fully to the communities that have embraced them. The Republic of the Marshall Islands is proud of our extraordinarily close relationship with the United States of America, and those of us who call Arkansas our second home deeply appreciate the opportunities made possible today by Senators Cotton and Boozman, saidMarshall Islands Ambassador Gerald Zackios. In 1986, the U.S. andMarshall Islandsentered into the Compact of Free Association, which allowsMarshalleseto live and work in the U.S. as non-immigrants. Northwest Arkansas has the largestMarshallesepopulation in the continental U.S.The 2010 census estimated 4,324 out of the 22,400Marshalleseindividuals living in the U.S. resided in Arkansas.The Marshallese community in Arkansas has since grown to an estimated 8,000 to 14,000 individuals. In addition to its embassy in Washington, D.C., the Republic of the Marshall Islands also has a consulate in Springdale.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399876,Members of Arkansas and Missouri Congressional Delegations Announce $25 Million Grant for Critical Segment of I-49,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Steve Womack,W000809,womack.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC December 6, 2018. U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), along with U.S. Representatives Billy Long (MO-07) and Steve Womack (AR-03), announced that $25 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has been awarded to complete work on a critical segment of Interstate 49 that will connect Arkansas and Missouri. The Arkansas/Missouri connector, often referred to as the Bella Vista Bypass, is the only portion of the more than 290-mile route between Kansas City, Missouri and Fort Smith, Arkansas that is not interstate quality. Traffic signals in Bella Vista and just across the state line in Missouri cause major traffic congestion and dramatically slow travel time. The states have worked to complete this 18.9-mile section of I-49 at the Missouri-Arkansas line for more than 25 years. Funding for the project is being awarded from the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program which is allocated for nationally and regionally significant projects. Completion of the critical stretch of the I-49 Arkansas-Missouri Connector is 25 years in the making and I'm thrilled we're one step closer to getting it done, said Blunt. Completing this project will increase safety, improve the quality of life, and strengthen local economies in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. Missouri's transportation networks are our greatest competitive advantage, and I appreciate the partnership of our Arkansas colleagues in moving this project forward. This is exciting news for Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. Securing these funds for this shovel-ready project has taken years of vigorous and persistent advocating from my team. Our hard work has finally resulted in funding for a project that will yield dividends when it comes to economic growth and quality of life in the region, Boozman said. I appreciate Secretary Chao's leadership in recognizing the importance of a project that I have championed throughout my time in Congress. Interstate access heralds the continued economic growth of any area, which is why completing the Bella Vista bypass is vital for Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. Many businesses and future infrastructure projects depend on its finalization, and this funding will allow that project's construction finally to move forward. I am grateful to Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for their dedication to improving Arkansas infrastructure, said Cotton. The completion of the I-49 corridor is long overdue, Long said. Today's announcement is great news for individuals and businesses in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas who have been waiting for this for more than 25 years. I am incredibly thankful for my colleagues in both Missouri and Arkansas who have long been strong advocates of I-49's completion, and their understanding of the numerous benefits it will bring to local economies in both states. Today's funding announcement is a game changer that will do more than just upgrade the I-49 corridor it will transform and modernize our local transportation system to support Arkansas families and the growth of our state. This investment, which I have tirelessly advocated for, will increase travel safety, decrease congestion, create jobs, and enhance the economic vitality of our region. I am grateful to Secretary Chao for listening to the concerns I brought to USDOT, and for moving this important and long overdue project forward, said Womack. Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas's Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense, military construction-veterans affairs, and labor-health and human services subcommittees. Additionally, he co-chairs the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. womack.house.gov ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399877,Senate Passes Womack Cosponsored Bill to Support Marshallese in Arkansas,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Steve Womack,W000809,womack.house.gov,,,legacy,"Senate Passes Womack Cosponsored Bill to Support Marshallese in Arkansas f t # e Washington, December 6, 2018 Washington, DC December 6, 2018.Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) released the following statement after the Senate passed theREAL ID Act Modification for Freely Associated States, legislation he cosponsored and helped pass in the House. The legislation reforms current law to allow the Marshallese and other citizens of Freely Associated States to obtain a permanent driver's license or personal identification card. The bill will now head to President's desk for final signature. More information about the bill can be found here. I am thrilled to see the Senate take action to support the Marshallese community in Springdale and across the U.S. Today's passage means that Marshallese residents of Arkansas's Third Congressional District are one step closer to having the tools needed to further empower themselves and pursue opportunity in our region. The Marshallese people are part of the fabric of our state, and this common sense solution will support the great relationship we have built as a community. I look forward to seeing it swiftly signed into law by President Trump. Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas's Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense, military construction-veterans affairs, and labor-health and human services subcommittees. Additionally, he co-chairs the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. womack.house.gov ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/hot-springs-to-receive-20-million-for-bypass-extension,Hot Springs to Receive $20 Million for Bypass Extension,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.Senators John Boozman(R-AR) and Tom Cotton(R-AR), along with Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04), announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award the Arkansas Department of Transportation a $20 million BUILD grant to construct the Hot Springsbypassextension. The extension would run from the interchange withHighway 70 east of thecity of Hot Springs and extend north to the intersection of Highways5 and 7. This project is vital to improving regional connectivity and economic viability in the greater Hot Springs area and these funds will help make it a reality. The bypass extension will provide an alternative route to access Hot Springs which should reduce traffic and enhance the historic, revitalized downtown in addition to the jobs and economic activity it will create during and after construction. I appreciate Secretary Chao and the Department of Transportation's recognition of how worthwhile and significant this project will be for Garland County,Senator Boozmansaid. This announcement is great news for the greater Hot Springs community and Arkansas as a whole. This extension will help Hot Springs continue to grow, and I'm grateful to Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for their dedication to improving Arkansas infrastructure,Senator Cottonsaid. The bypass in Hot Springs plays an outsized role in our region's economy and movement of goods. This grant will further support and expand the bypass, creating opportunity for additional economic development in the Ouachitas. It will also improve response time for emergency services, which will save lives. I thank Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for awarding this grant important to our region's expanding infrastructure,Congressman Westermansaid. The Administration's continued investment in infrastructure promises to stimulate economic investment, improve quality of life, and create safe, reliable transportation in our communities,saidU.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/members-of-arkansas-missouri-congressional-delegations-announce-25-million-grant-for-critical-segment-of-i-49,Members of Arkansas & Missouri Congressional Delegations Announce $25 Million Grant for Critical Segment of I-49,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), along with U.S. Representatives Billy Long (MO-07) and Steve Womack (AR-03), announced that $25 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has been awarded to complete work on a critical segment of Interstate 49 that will connect Arkansas and Missouri. The Arkansas/Missouri connector, often referred to as the Bella Vista Bypass, is the only portion of the more than 290-mile route between Kansas City, Missouri and Fort Smith, Arkansas that is not interstate quality. Traffic signals in Bella Vista and just across the state line in Missouri cause major traffic congestion and dramatically slow travel time. The states have worked to complete this 18.9-mile section of I-49 at the Missouri-Arkansas line for more than 25 years. Funding for the project is being awarded from the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program which is allocated for nationally and regionally significant projects. Completion of the critical stretch of the I-49 Arkansas-Missouri Connector is 25 years in the making and I'm thrilled we're one step closer to getting it done, said Blunt. Completing this project will increase safety, improve the quality of life, and strengthen local economies in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. Missouri's transportation networks are our greatest competitive advantage, and I appreciate the partnership of our Arkansas colleagues in moving this project forward. This is exciting news for Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. Securing these funds for this shovel-ready project has taken years of vigorous and persistent advocating from my team. Our hard work has finally resulted in funding for a project that will yield dividends when it comes to economic growth and quality of life in the region, Boozman said. I appreciate Secretary Chao's leadership in recognizing the importance of a project that I have championed throughout my time in Congress. Interstate access heralds the continued economic growth of any area, which is why completing the Bella Vista bypass is vital for Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. Many businesses and future infrastructure projects depend on its finalization, and this funding will allow that project's construction finally to move forward. I am grateful to Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for their dedication to improving Arkansas infrastructure, said Cotton. The completion of the I-49 corridor is long overdue, said Long. Today's announcement is great news for individuals and businesses in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas who have been waiting for this for more than 25 years. I am incredibly thankful for my colleagues in both Missouri and Arkansas who have long been strong advocates of I-49's completion, and their understanding of the numerous benefits it will bring to local economies in both states. Today's funding announcement is a game changer that will do more than just upgrade the I-49 corridor it will transform and modernize our local transportation system to support Arkansas families and the growth of our state. This investment, which I have tirelessly advocated for, will increase travel safety, decrease congestion, create jobs, and enhance the economic vitality of our region. I am grateful to Secretary Chao for listening to the concerns I brought to USDOT, and for moving this important and long overdue project forward, said Womack.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1029,Members of Arkansas & Missouri Congressional Delegations Announce $25 Million Grant for Critical Segment of I-49,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 6, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:Caroline TablerorJames Arnold(202) 224-2353 WASHINGTONU.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Boozman (R-AR), and Roy Blunt (R-MO), along with U.S. Representatives Billy Long (MO-07) and Steve Womack (AR-03), announced that $25 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has been awarded to complete work on a critical segment of Interstate 49 that will connect Arkansas and Missouri. The Arkansas/Missouri connector, often referred to as the Bella Vista Bypass, is the only portion of the more than 290-mile route between Kansas City, Missouri and Fort Smith, Arkansas that is not interstate quality. Traffic signals in Bella Vista and just across the state line in Missouri cause major traffic congestion and dramatically slow travel time. The states have worked to complete this 18.9-mile section of I-49 at the Missouri-Arkansas line for more than 25 years. Funding for the project is being awarded from the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program which is allocated for nationally and regionally significant projects. Interstate access heralds the continued economic growth of any area, which is why completing the Bella Vista bypass is vital for Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. Many businesses and future infrastructure projects depend on its finalization, and this funding will allow that project's construction finally to move forward. I am grateful to Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for their dedication to improving Arkansas infrastructure,said Cotton. This is exciting news for Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. Securing these funds for this shovel-ready project has taken years of vigorous and persistent advocating from my team. Our hard work has finally resulted in funding for a project that will yield dividends when it comes to economic growth and quality of life in the region,Boozman said. I appreciate Secretary Chao's leadership in recognizing the importance of a project that I have championed throughout my time in Congress. Completion of the critical stretch of the I-49 Arkansas-Missouri Connector is 25 years in the making and I'm thrilled we're one step closer to getting it done,said Blunt.Completing this project will increase safety, improve the quality of life, and strengthen local economies in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. Missouri's transportation networks are our greatest competitive advantage, and I appreciate the partnership of our Arkansas colleagues in moving this project forward. The completion of the I-49 corridor is long overdue,Long said.Today's announcement is great news for individuals and businesses in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas who have been waiting for this for more than 25 years. I am incredibly thankful for my colleagues in both Missouri and Arkansas who have long been strong advocates of I-49's completion, and their understanding of the numerous benefits it will bring to local economies in both states. Today's funding announcement is a game changer that will do more than just upgrade the I-49 corridor it will transform and modernize our local transportation system to support Arkansas families and the growth of our state. This investment, which I have tirelessly advocated for, will increase travel safety, decrease congestion, create jobs, and enhance the economic vitality of our region. I am grateful to Secretary Chao for listening to the concerns I brought to USDOT, and for moving this important and long overdue project forward,said Womack.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1030,Hot Springs to Receive $20 Million for Bypass Extension,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 6, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:Caroline TablerorJames Arnold(202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.Senators Tom Cotton(R-AR) and John Boozman(R-AR), along with Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04), announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award the Arkansas Department of Transportation a $20 million BUILD grant to construct the Hot Springsbypassextension. The extension would run from the interchange withHighway 70 east of thecity of Hot Springs and extend north to the intersection of Highways5 and 7. This announcement is great news for the greater Hot Springs community and Arkansas as a whole. This extension will help Hot Springs continue to grow, and I'm grateful to Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for their dedication to improving Arkansas infrastructure,Senator Cottonsaid. This project is vital to improving regional connectivity and economic viability in the greater Hot Springs area and these funds will help make it a reality. The bypass extension will provide an alternative route to access Hot Springs which should reduce traffic and enhance the historic, revitalized downtown in addition to the jobs and economic activity it will create during and after construction. I appreciate Secretary Chao and the Department of Transportation's recognition of how worthwhile and significant this project will be for Garland County,Senator Boozmansaid. The bypass in Hot Springs plays an outsized role in our region's economy and movement of goods. This grant will further support and expand the bypass, creating opportunity for additional economic development in the Ouachitas. It will also improve response time for emergency services, which will save lives. I thank Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for awarding this grant important to our region's expanding infrastructure,Congressman Westermansaid. The Administration's continued investment in infrastructure promises to stimulate economic investment, improve quality of life, and create safe, reliable transportation in our communities,saidU.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hot-springs-to-receive-20-million-for-bypass-extension,Hot Springs to Receive $20 Million for Bypass Extension,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and John Boozman (R-AR), along with Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04), announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award the Arkansas Department of Transportation a $20 million BUILD grant to construct the Hot Springs bypass extension. The extension would run from the interchange with Highway 70 east of the city of Hot Springs and extend north to the intersection of Highways 5 and 7. “This announcement is great news for the greater Hot Springs community and Arkansas as a whole. This extension will help Hot Springs continue to grow, and I’m grateful to Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for their dedication to improving Arkansas infrastructure,” Senator Cotton said. “This project is vital to improving regional connectivity and economic viability in the greater Hot Springs area and these funds will help make it a reality. The bypass extension will provide an alternative route to access Hot Springs which should reduce traffic and enhance the historic, revitalized downtown in addition to the jobs and economic activity it will create during and after construction. I appreciate Secretary Chao and the Department of Transportation’s recognition of how worthwhile and significant this project will be for Garland County,” Senator Boozman said. “The bypass in Hot Springs plays an outsized role in our region’s economy and movement of goods. This grant will further support and expand the bypass, creating opportunity for additional economic development in the Ouachitas. It will also improve response time for emergency services, which will save lives. I thank Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for awarding this grant important to our region’s expanding infrastructure,” Congressman Westerman said. “The Administration’s continued investment in infrastructure promises to stimulate economic investment, improve quality of life, and create safe, reliable transportation in our communities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/members-of-arkansas-and-missouri-congressional-delegations-announce-25-million-grant-for-critical-segment-of-i-49,Members of Arkansas & Missouri Congressional Delegations Announce $25 Million Grant for Critical Segment of I-49,2018-12-06,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Boozman (R-AR), and Roy Blunt (R-MO), along with U.S. Representatives Billy Long (MO-07) and Steve Womack (AR-03), announced that $25 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has been awarded to complete work on a critical segment of Interstate 49 that will connect Arkansas and Missouri. The Arkansas/Missouri connector, often referred to as the Bella Vista Bypass, is the only portion of the more than 290-mile route between Kansas City, Missouri and Fort Smith, Arkansas that is not interstate quality. Traffic signals in Bella Vista and just across the state line in Missouri cause major traffic congestion and dramatically slow travel time. The states have worked to complete this 18.9-mile section of I-49 at the Missouri-Arkansas line for more than 25 years. Funding for the project is being awarded from the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program which is allocated for nationally and regionally significant projects. “Interstate access heralds the continued economic growth of any area, which is why completing the Bella Vista bypass is vital for Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. Many businesses and future infrastructure projects depend on its finalization, and this funding will allow that project’s construction finally to move forward. I am grateful to Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for their dedication to improving Arkansas infrastructure,” said Cotton. “This is exciting news for Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. Securing these funds for this shovel-ready project has taken years of vigorous and persistent advocating from my team. Our hard work has finally resulted in funding for a project that will yield dividends when it comes to economic growth and quality of life in the region,” Boozman said. “I appreciate Secretary Chao’s leadership in recognizing the importance of a project that I have championed throughout my time in Congress.” “Completion of the critical stretch of the I-49 Arkansas-Missouri Connector is 25 years in the making and I’m thrilled we’re one step closer to getting it done,” said Blunt. “Completing this project will increase safety, improve the quality of life, and strengthen local economies in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. Missouri’s transportation networks are our greatest competitive advantage, and I appreciate the partnership of our Arkansas colleagues in moving this project forward.” “The completion of the I-49 corridor is long overdue,” Long said. “Today’s announcement is great news for individuals and businesses in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas who have been waiting for this for more than 25 years. I am incredibly thankful for my colleagues in both Missouri and Arkansas who have long been strong advocates of I-49's completion, and their understanding of the numerous benefits it will bring to local economies in both states.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/why-nato-is-as-important-as-ever,Why NATO is as Important as Ever,2018-12-05,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"When the Second World War came to an end, the uneasy alliance between Western powers and the Soviet Union quickly dissolved into acrimony and tension. While European nations struggled to rebuild from the devastation, they were forced to grapple with an increasingly hostile and aggressive Soviet Union. It was amid this backdrop that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was born. The Soviet Union no longer exists, but the threat of a hostile and aggressive superpower in eastern Europe remains. Russia's seizure of Ukrainian Navy vessels is the latest in a long line of aggressive actions undertaken by Vladimir Putin's regime. Putin has overseen the hostile annexation of Crimea, destabilization in Syria, election meddling in Western democracies and a litany of additional aggressions. The need for a strong NATO is as important as ever. As a former member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), I firmly believe that strong relationships with our NATO allies are vital to confronting the security and economic challenges of the 21st century. The assembly, while institutionally separate from NATO, provides a critical forum for international parliamentary dialogue on an array of security, political and economic matters. Members of parliament from NATO countries are key to ensuring that the alliance's funding obligations are met and the case for NATO actions is conveyed to the public. I recently joined my NATO PA counterparts from other nations in Nova Scotia, Canada to discuss critical issues facing our alliance. Discussions like these, where members of parliament from member countries participate, are vital to influencing NATO decisions. The American delegation demonstrated and reaffirmed the strong Congressional support of NATO. While leaders from the allied nations won't always be on the same the page on every issue, including the amount of defense spending each nation commits, that does not diminish the U.S. commitment to the alliance. We will continue to encourage other member nations to meet the agreed upon defense spending levelswhich not all nations have done as President Trump and his predecessors have notedbut that does not conflict with the fact that the U.S. still views the alliance as immensely valuable to global security. Pushing for all nations to uphold spending obligations is meaningless unless we continue to lead by example. That is why I consistently support funding for NATO programs and included funding for the NATO Security Investment Programwhich provides infrastructure for NATO's response to challenges posed by Russia and threats from the Middle East and North Africain the Senate Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Appropriations bill I authored. NATO PA's principal objective is to foster mutual understanding of key security challenges facing the transatlantic partnership. Our bipartisan, bicameral delegation traveled to Canada with that in mind and brought a strong message of support for democratic values around the world, as well as our continued commitment to NATO and our allies. Our discussions and debates are important to developing consensus and bolstering alliance policies. Maintaining this open global dialogue helps protect and advance our foreign policy goals as we strive to expand democratic ideals and shape policies to protect our interestsand those of our alliesabroad.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1028,Cotton Statement on NATO Confirmation that Russia is in Breach of INF Treaty,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 4, 2018 Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after NATO declared Russia in material breach of the INF Treaty: ""President Reagan deserves high praise for negotiating the INF Treaty more than 30 years ago, but the world is a different place today. Moscow has deployed intermediate-range weapons that can strike at the heart of Europe-in violation of their treaty commitments-while Beijing stockpiles missiles in an attempt to limit American action in the Pacific. We need to change old policies to ward off new threats. America must not allow our authoritarian rivals to build and deploy dangerous, destabilizing weapons while we keep one hand tied behind our back.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-nato-confirmation-that-russia-is-in-breach-of-inf-treaty,Cotton Statement on NATO Confirmation that Russia is in Breach of INF Treaty,2018-12-04,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after NATO declared Russia in material breach of the INF Treaty: ""President Reagan deserves high praise for negotiating the INF Treaty more than 30 years ago, but the world is a different place today. Moscow has deployed intermediate-range weapons that can strike at the heart of Europe-in violation of their treaty commitments-while Beijing stockpiles missiles in an attempt to limit American action in the Pacific. We need to change old policies to ward off new threats. America must not allow our authoritarian rivals to build and deploy dangerous, destabilizing weapons while we keep one hand tied behind our back.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/brinkley-mobile-office,Brinkley Mobile Office,2018-12-03,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Members of my staff host Mobile Office events across the state year-around. These events allow my staff to be available at the walk-in events to help Arkansans who are having problems involving the federal government or who want to share their thoughts about legislative issues. Below is a complete listing of upcoming (denoted by red push pin) and past (denoted by blue push pin) mobile offices:",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1027,"Cotton, Warren Introduce National POW/MIA Flag Act",2018-12-03,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 3, 2018 Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) today introduced The National POW/MIA Flag Act, which would require the POW/MIA Flag to be displayed whenever the American flag is displayed on prominent federal properties, including the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, the buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, the office of the Director of the Selective Service System, each major military installation (as designated by the Secretary of Defense), each Department of Veterans Affairs medical center, and each United States Postal Service post office. The senators introduced this bill to honor the more than 82,000 Americans who are listed as Prisoners of War (POW), Missing in Action (MIA), or otherwise unaccounted for from our nation's past wars and conflicts. Under current law, the POW/MIA Flag is required to be displayed by the federal government on certain prominent federal properties only six days per year: Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, and Veterans Day. The National POW/MIA Flag Act will ensure that the POW/MIA Flag is displayed whenever the U.S. flag is displayed, effectively ensuring that both flags are displayed concurrently and every day at federal locations already designated under existing law. ""Over 82,000 Americans, including hundreds of Arkansans, remain missing from past wars,"" Senator Cotton said. ""They are not forgotten. It is my hope that this small gesture reminds Americans to honor those who left our shores and never returned."" ""All three of my brothers served in the military, and I understand the sacrifices our servicemembers and their families make to keep our country safe every single day,"" Senator Warren said. ""We must honor those who have served our nation courageously, including those who have not made it home. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan bill alongside Senator Cotton to ensure that this important symbol honoring our brave men and women is proudly displayed with the American flag."" ""The POW/MIA flag will be a symbol of our Nation's concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still imprisoned, missing and the 83,000 plus unaccounted for from all wars,"" said Augustus Dante, President of the Rolling Thunder, Inc. National. ""As the POW/MIA Chair of Honor in the US Capitol, the POW/MIA flag flying over the Capitol will be a reminder to the families of our missing and the public that our government has not forgotten those that did not come home."" ""We appreciate the bipartisan support of Senators Warren and Cotton in introducing this bill that seeks to ensure our POW/MIA flag is posted 24/7 at all locations currently required by law,"" said Ann Mills Griffiths, Chairman and CEO of the National League of POW/MIA Families. ""Raising the symbol of America's commitment to account as fully as possible for US Veterans unreturned from past wars and conflicts signals worldwide that America stands with all who serve - past, present and future - and will pursue every reasonable effort to bring them home. "" ""The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is proud to support this proposal to display the POW/MIA flag prominently at all federal locations,"" said Patrick Murray, Deputy Director of Veterans of Foreign Wars. ""We must always ensure that those who sacrificed, especially those who were captured or have yet to come home, are remembered and honored proudly and publicly."" This bill is endorsed by Rolling Thunder, Inc. National, Rolling Thunder Inc. Massachusetts Chapters 1 and 2, the National League of POW/MIA Families, Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, and the National Alliance of Families for the Return of America's Missing Servicemen. Representative Leonard Lance (R - N.J.) introduced the original legislation in the House of Representatives on January 12, 2017.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-warren-introduce-national-pow/mia-flag-act,"Cotton, Warren Introduce National POW/MIA Flag Act",2018-12-03,2018,2018-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) today introduced The National POW/MIA Flag Act, which would require the POW/MIA Flag to be displayed whenever the American flag is displayed on prominent federal properties, including the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, the buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, the office of the Director of the Selective Service System, each major military installation (as designated by the Secretary of Defense), each Department of Veterans Affairs medical center, and each United States Postal Service post office. The senators introduced this bill to honor the more than 82,000 Americans who are listed as Prisoners of War (POW), Missing in Action (MIA), or otherwise unaccounted for from our nation's past wars and conflicts. Under current law, the POW/MIA Flag is required to be displayed by the federal government on certain prominent federal properties only six days per year: Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, and Veterans Day. The National POW/MIA Flag Act will ensure that the POW/MIA Flag is displayed whenever the U.S. flag is displayed, effectively ensuring that both flags are displayed concurrently and every day at federal locations already designated under existing law. ""Over 82,000 Americans, including hundreds of Arkansans, remain missing from past wars,"" Senator Cotton said. ""They are not forgotten. It is my hope that this small gesture reminds Americans to honor those who left our shores and never returned."" ""All three of my brothers served in the military, and I understand the sacrifices our servicemembers and their families make to keep our country safe every single day,"" Senator Warren said. ""We must honor those who have served our nation courageously, including those who have not made it home. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan bill alongside Senator Cotton to ensure that this important symbol honoring our brave men and women is proudly displayed with the American flag."" ""The POW/MIA flag will be a symbol of our Nation's concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still imprisoned, missing and the 83,000 plus unaccounted for from all wars,"" said Augustus Dante, President of the Rolling Thunder, Inc. National. ""As the POW/MIA Chair of Honor in the US Capitol, the POW/MIA flag flying over the Capitol will be a reminder to the families of our missing and the public that our government has not forgotten those that did not come home."" ""We appreciate the bipartisan support of Senators Warren and Cotton in introducing this bill that seeks to ensure our POW/MIA flag is posted 24/7 at all locations currently required by law,"" said Ann Mills Griffiths, Chairman and CEO of the National League of POW/MIA Families. ""Raising the symbol of America's commitment to account as fully as possible for US Veterans unreturned from past wars and conflicts signals worldwide that America stands with all who serve - past, present and future - and will pursue every reasonable effort to bring them home. "" ""The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is proud to support this proposal to display the POW/MIA flag prominently at all federal locations,"" said Patrick Murray, Deputy Director of Veterans of Foreign Wars. ""We must always ensure that those who sacrificed, especially those who were captured or have yet to come home, are remembered and honored proudly and publicly."" This bill is endorsed by Rolling Thunder, Inc. National, Rolling Thunder Inc. Massachusetts Chapters 1 and 2, the National League of POW/MIA Families, Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, and the National Alliance of Families for the Return of America's Missing Servicemen. Representative Leonard Lance (R - N.J.) introduced the original legislation in the House of Representatives on January 12, 2017.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:11:43Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2397,Hills Statement on the Passing of President George H.W. Bush,2018-12-01,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman French Hill (AR-02) released the following statement after the passing of President George H.W. Bush: It's with heavy hearts that Martha and I mourn the passing of a loyal friend, mentor, and faithful servant, President George H.W. Bush. We lift up the Bush family during this time of grieving and honor the remarkable life and legacy of a strong leader and diplomat, a great father, and an American patriot. In our early careers, we treasured working for him on his campaigns and the humbling responsibility of serving on his White House staff. We were grateful for his daily example of goofy humor, courtesy, friendship, and passion for writing handwritten thank-you notes. Truly, President George H.W. Bush and Mrs. Bush were the ideal neighbors, members of the PTA, and the answer to the question on that common form at school or work, in case of emergency, please call...' We loved him very much.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/12/boozman-statement-on-passing-of-george-h-w-bush,Boozman Statement on Passing of George H.W. Bush,2018-12-01,2018,2018-12,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONU.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) released the following statement on the passing of former President George H.W. Bush: George H.W. Bush was adevoted husband, father, grandfather andpublic servant who spenta lifetime answering his nation's call to service.Hislove of countryandexample offaithfulcivicdutyare standardswe should all strive to meet.His legacy will continue toinspire future generations to servethe samegreat cause. My thoughts and prayers are with the Bush family, friends and our country as we remember this great American leader.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/boozman-schatz-call-for-inspector-general-investigation-into-va-s-failure-to-pay-veterans-full-benefits,"Boozman, Schatz Call for Inspector General Investigation into VA's Failure to Pay Veterans Full Benefits",2018-11-30,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONU.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chairman and Ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, led a group of lawmakers in calling for a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Inspector General investigation into allegations that the VA would not reimburse veterans for missed or underpaid benefits. When I brought the issue of GI Bill underpayments up to Secretary Wilkie during a hearing in September, he acknowledged the VA's error and promised that all affected recipients would be compensated. When recent news reports suggested the VA was not acting to help veterans who have been shortchanged, the department outlined its plans to remedy the situation. Those plans fall short. These veterans must be fully repaid for errors they did not cause and that is what I expect the VA to do,Boozman said. Secretary Wilkie may be saying the right things, but until the VA invests money to address the ongoing staffing and IT challenges facing the claims backlog, our veterans will remain robbed of the benefits they were promised,said Schatz.I expect the Secretary to come up with a plan so that the VA can audit and process retroactive payments for underpaid or missed claims. And I look forward to the Inspector General helping us hold him accountable to that plan. In their bipartisan letter to the VA's Inspector General, the lawmakers ask about how the technical errors occurred, how quickly any reimbursements will be made, and how the VA plans to make sure all benefits will continue to be paid out without interruption. The VA's continued ambiguity about whether it will fulfill this legal requirement threatens to erode our veterans' confidence in the VA's ability to deliver promised care and benefits and demands close oversight and accountability,the lawmakers wrote.It is important that VA fix the technical and staffing shortages that contributed to its inability to implement the Forever GI bill so that it can continue to provide housing stipends to veterans. However, we remain resolved that VA make veterans whole for any missed or underpaid benefits based on the housing stipend rates that they were legally entitled to when the changes took effect in August 2018. In addition to Boozman and Shatz, lawmakers signing onto the letter include U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) Susan Collins (R-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), Todd Young (R-IN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Doug Jones (D-AL) and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA). The text of the full letter follows: Dear Mr. Missal: We are writing to request an investigation into allegations that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will withhold retroactive payments for missed or underpaid monthly housing stipends that it failed to pay veterans during delayed implementation of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Education Assistance Act (P.L. 115-48), known as the Forever GI Bill. According to NBC News on November 28, 2018 (Veterans Affairs Dept. tells Capitol Hill it won't repay underpaid GI Bill benefits recipients), VA officials told congressional staff that making retroactive payments to veterans for missed or underpaid housing stipends would not be possible because it would create auditing challenges for the VA and delay future claims processing. That decision would be contrary to law and leave an estimated 360,000 veterans robbed of the benefits owed to them. We understand that Under Secretary for Benefits Paul Lawrence, in testimony before the House Veterans Affairs Committee yesterday, sought to clarify the VA's position by stating that every veteran will be made whole, including with retroactive payments, for their housing benefits. However, it remains unclear if VA intends to provide retroactive payments to veterans for housing stipends based on rates that they were legally entitled to beginning August 1, 2018, or if the VA only intends to make veterans whole based on the rates as they existed before the law took effectand remain in violation of existing law. It is important that VA fix the technical and staffing shortages that contributed to its inability to implement the Forever GI bill so that it can continue to provide housing stipends to veterans. However, we remain resolved that VA make veterans whole for any missed or underpaid benefits based on the housing stipend rates that they were legally entitled to when the changes took effect in August 2018. The VA's continued ambiguity about whether it will fulfill this legal requirement threatens to erode our veterans' confidence in the VA's ability to deliver promised care and benefits and demands close oversight and accountability. In an effort to help us better understand VA's plan to provide complete relief to those veterans impacted by the delayed implementation of the Forever GI Bill, we request your assistance to answer the following: 1.Does the VA intend to apply the August 1, 2018, housing stipend rates, as required by law, for retroactive payments to eligible beneficiaries? 2.If not, under what legal authority would the VA withhold retroactive payments based on the rates required in the Forever GI Bill? 3.Who will be responsible for determining which veterans can receive retroactive payments for missed or underpaid benefits, including adjusted housing stipend rates that took effect on August 1, 2018? 4.How and when will VA process these retroactive repayments to eligible veterans? 5.How, if at all, have IT infrastructure investment decisions at VA's regional processing centers contributed to the current delay in implementing the changes required by the Forever GI Bill, including missed or underpayments owed to veterans? 6.How, if at all, have staffing shortages at VA's regional processing centers contributed to the current delay in implementing the changes required by the Forever GI Bill, including missed or underpayments owed to veterans? 7.How, if at all, is VA leadership organized and prepared to address IT infrastructure investment challenges at its regional processing centers in its fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget request? 8.How, if at all, is VA leadership organized and prepared to address staffing shortages across the VA system, including at the Veterans Benefits Administration that is responsible for processing claims and retroactive payments to veterans, in its FY 2020 budget request? As always, we appreciate your support of our oversight responsibilities. Your prompt attention to this request will help us as we prepare to consider the VA's FY 2020 budget request so that we can evaluate whether the VA has requested the appropriate resources that it needs to make timely beneficiary payments and deliver other promised care to our veterans. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=1026,Cotton in Washington Times 'How the Senate First Step Act is flawed',2018-11-30,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 30, 2018 How the Senate First Step Act is flawed The Senate First Step Act would make sweeping changes to our federal criminal justice system. While the bill's supporters have started this reform process with good intentions, the latest version of the bill would result in the early release of thousands of violent felons. My Senate colleagues should take the time to fix the flaws in this legislation instead of rushing a bill through in the lame-duck session. Proponents of the bill claim that ""nothing in the First Step Act gives inmates early release."" Instead, they say that federal prisoners can earn time credits for participation in recidivism reduction programming and other productive activities. But these new time credits do allow for early release - up to one-third of the offender's sentence - and are in addition to existing ""good time"" credits. One of the major problems with the bill is that thousands of offenders will be released almost immediately because two sections apply retroactively. That means they will not participate in any additional rehabilitation programs. The release of such a large number of prisoners at once will surely endanger public safety and will strain law enforcement's ability to protect their communities. Even for the sections that only apply prospectively, inmates only have to participate in ""productive activities"" to get credits for early release. That includes playing softball, watching movies or doing activities that the prisoners are already doing. Defenders of the bill will say these risks to the public aren't realistic because serious and violent criminals are ineligible for earning new credits. While some inmates are excluded from earning new credits, many perpetrators of violent crimes would be allowed to earn these new credits - crimes including, but not limited to, drug-related robberies, involving assault with a dangerous weapon, using a deadly weapon to assault a law enforcement officer, assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a spouse or child, and violent carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury. In addition to these offenses, sex offenders and drug traffickers would also be eligible for early release. According to the Justice Department, individuals convicted of failing to register as a sex offender, importing aliens for prostitution, and first-time assault with intent to commit rape or sexual abuse will be eligible for the new credits. On top of that, the vast majority of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine traffickers would also be able to accrue credits for early release under the First Step Act. Considering that more than 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year, is this the right time to reduce the penalty for trafficking deadly drugs? Let's take an example. Under current law, a second-time offender with 400 grams of fentanyl, which is enough to kill 50,000 people - about the size of Conway, Arkansas - would be sentenced to a mandatory minimum of 20 years. If the inmate behaves in prison and participates in drug rehabilitation, he could get out in 17 to 18 years. Under this bill, by shortening the mandatory minimums from 20 to 15 years on the front end, and adding new early-release provisions that can shorten the sentence by up to a third on the back end, he could be released in eight to nine years. We must also remember the federal agents and officers who have undertaken great risks in arresting violent criminals and drug dealers. Why would we cheapen their sacrifice by putting criminals back on the street before they are reformed members of society? Perhaps that's one of many reasons why most law enforcement organizations, including the National Sheriffs Association, Major County Sheriffs Association, Major County Chiefs of Police, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and others oppose the First Step Act. I agree with the bill's proponents that we should give prisoners more opportunities to earn a GED, to learn a trade, to participate in the kind of training and education - often faith-based - that will help them get back on their feet. But there is no reason to combine those laudable goals with shortening sentences and granting early release to violent criminals, sex offenders and drug traffickers. The threat to public safety is just too great.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/boozman-statement-on-va-s-plan-to-repay-gi-bill-beneficiaries-for-housing-allowance-errors,Boozman Statement on VA's Plan to Repay GI Bill Beneficiaries for Housing Allowance Errors,2018-11-29,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR)Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agenciesreleased the following statement regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) plans to compensate Forever GI Bill beneficiaries who were underpaid: When I brought the issue of GI Bill underpayments up to Secretary Wilkie during a hearing in September, he acknowledged the VA's error and promised that all affected recipients would be compensated. When recent news reports suggested the VA was not acting to help veterans who have been shortchanged, the department outlined its plans to remedy the situation. Those plans fall short. These veterans must be fully repaid for errors they did not cause and that is what I expect the VA to do. Background In August, when new housing rates took effect, the VA's IT system had not been updated causing it to underpay some beneficiaries for their housing and placing unnecessary burdens on students. GI Bill recipients should have received housing stipends based on Department of Defense's 2018 Basic Allowance for Housing rates which should have been calculated based on the zip code where the student takes the majority of classes, rather than on the zip code in which the school's main campus is located. Instead, GI Bill recipients have been receiving housing stipends at the 2017 rate and based on the school's zip code. In all cases, the 2018 rate is higher than the 2017 rate. Boozmanwho, along with serving as chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the VA is also a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committeepressed VA Secretary Robert Wilkie on this issue during a September hearing where he secured a promise that all eligible recipients who were underpaid will be paid in full. Today, the VA released a statement attempting to clarify its intent to fully reimburse GI Bill recipients who have been underpaid since August. However, the plan outlined in the VA statement is insufficient. The statement indicates that the repayment rate will continue to be based on the location of the school's main campus, rather than the physical location of the student's classes. Additionally, the statement leaves a question about which academic year will be used for the purposes of determining the reimbursement rate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399873,Womack Re-Elected to Influential House Steering Committee,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,Steve Womack,W000809,womack.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC November 28, 2018.Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) released the following statement after being re-elected to serve on the House Republican Steering Committee. The Steering Committee recommends members of the U.S. House of Representatives for committee assignments and chairmanships after analyzing a range of factors, including member background, expertise on issues, and level of seniority. This is Womack's third term on the Republican Steering Committee, where he represents members from Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico. It's an honor to serve on the Steering Committee, and I thank my colleagues for entrusting me to be their voice through this process again. We have a lot of work to do in the years ahead and strong leadership will be critical to turning our priorities into results. I am committed to working on behalf of representatives from Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico to make informed recommendations that advance our conservative, pro-growth agenda. My goal is to always position members for success, and in a way that allows them to serve their constituents and the American people in the strongest way possible. Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas's Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense, military construction-veterans affairs, and labor-health and human services subcommittees. Additionally, he co-chairs the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. womack.house.gov ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/senate-committee-advances-boozman-cardin-bill-to-empower-women-led-enterprises-around-the-world,"Senate Committee Advances Boozman, Cardin Bill to Empower Women-Led Enterprises Around the World",2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONThe Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced legislation introduced by U.S. SenatorsJohn Boozman (R-AR) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) that aims to eliminate global gender-related barriers and empower female entrepreneurs around the world. TheWomen's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment (WEEE) Actpassed with a committee amendment. This is an important step to reducing financial hurdles that women in developing countries face. Providing access to economic tools will put more women in control of their financial success and facilitate improvements in their homes and communities. I appreciate the leadership of Chairman Corker to advance this legislation and help level the playing field for women around the world,Boozman said. Investing in women creates a positive cycle of change that can lift women, families, communities and entire countries out of poverty,said Cardin, ranking member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. When women are able to be fully engaged in society and hold financial and decision-making power, they are more likely to invest their income in food, clean water, education, and health care for their children. I thank my colleagues for moving this important bipartisan legislation forward. Specifically, theWEEE Actseeks to: Establish a development cooperation policy of the United States to reduce gender disparities related to economic participation and opportunity, strive to eliminate gender-based violence, support women's property rights and increase the capability of women and girls to determine life outcomes. Require the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to ensure that all strategies and projects of the agency are shaped by a gender analysis and that gender equality and female empowerment are integrated throughout USAID's programs; Expand USAID's microenterprise development assistance authority to include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with an emphasis on supporting SMEs owned, managed and controlled by women; and Modernize USAID's development assistance toolkit to include innovative credit scoring models, financial technology, financial literacy, insurance and actions to improve property and inheritance rights. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a companion bill in July.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1024,Cotton Supports New Zealand's Rejection of Huawei,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 28, 2018 Contact:Caroline TablerorJames Arnold(202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) today released the following statement after news reports that New Zealand rejected a proposal to use Huawei gear in its planned 5G mobile network: I commend New Zealand for joining their Australian neighbors in blocking Huawei from their 5G network. Thanks to U.S. leadership, the world is beginning to understand the risk that Chinese telecommunications companies pose to security and privacy. I urge all our allies to think twice before allowing the Chinese Communist Party to gain a foothold in their critical infrastructure. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1025,Cotton and Cheney Introduce the Stopping Russian Nuclear Aggression Act,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 28, 2018 Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) today introduced the Stopping Russian Nuclear Aggression Act to limit Russia's nuclear buildup. ""Vladimir Putin has spent a decade cheating on existing treaties like the INF, building up his nuclear arsenal, and rewriting the rulebook on the nuclear triad by introducing new ways of launching a nuclear attack. Russia's heavy advantage in tactical nuclear weapons-which are not bound by the existing START agreement-restricts our ability to deter aggression against the U.S. and our allies. It's clear the old START model isn't going to cut it. This bill ensures all, not some, of Russia's nuclear arsenal is on the table in the next round of negotiations,"" Senator Tom Cotton said. ""Under no circumstances should the United States agree to extend the New START Treaty beyond the current expiration in 2021 without drastic improvements to the deeply flawed deal negotiated by the Obama Administration. Over the past few years, we have seen Russia tout several new nuclear weapons delivery systems and it is unclear whether those systems will be bound by the limits of the treaty. Russia's large stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons and belief that these weapons can be used as a part of an ""escalate to de-escalate"" strategy is also extremely concerning. When these concerns are then viewed through the lens of Russia's long-term violation of the INF Treaty, it is clear that extending the New START Treaty is not currently in the national security interest of the United States. That is why I introduced the Stopping Russian Nuclear Aggression Act. This bill prevents funding to extend the New START Treaty until the President certifies to Congress that Russia has agreed to verifiably reduce its stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons and include its new systems under the limits of the New START Treaty,"" Congresswoman Liz Cheney said. Background: The New START Treaty is set to expire in 2021 and both countries may agree to extend the treaty for an additional five years. Per the State Department website, limits under the New START Treaty include: 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments; 1,550 nuclear warheads on deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments (each such heavy bomber is counted as one warhead toward this limit); 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review states that: Russia possesses significant advantages in its nuclear weapons production capacity and in non-strategic nuclear forces over the U.S. and allies. It is also building a large, diverse, and modern set of non-strategic systems that are dual-capable (may be armed with nuclear or conventional weapons). These theater- and tactical-range systems are not accountable under the New START Treaty and Russia's non-strategic nuclear weapons modernization is increasing the total number of such weapons in its arsenal, while significantly improving its delivery capabilities. This includes the production, possession, and flight testing of a ground-launched cruise missile in violation of the INF Treaty. Moscow believes these systems may provide useful options for escalation advantage. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review further states that: Most concerning are Russia's national security policies, strategy, and doctrine that include an emphasis on the threat of limited nuclear escalation, and its continuing development and fielding of increasingly diverse and expanding nuclear capabilities. Moscow threatens and exercises limited nuclear first use, suggesting a mistaken expectation that coercive nuclear threats or limited first use could paralyze the United States and NATO and thereby end a conflict on terms favorable to Russia.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-and-cheney-introduce-the-stopping-russian-nuclear-aggression-act,Cotton and Cheney Introduce the Stopping Russian Nuclear Aggression Act,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) today introduced the Stopping Russian Nuclear Aggression Act to limit Russia's nuclear buildup. ""Vladimir Putin has spent a decade cheating on existing treaties like the INF, building up his nuclear arsenal, and rewriting the rulebook on the nuclear triad by introducing new ways of launching a nuclear attack. Russia's heavy advantage in tactical nuclear weapons-which are not bound by the existing START agreement-restricts our ability to deter aggression against the U.S. and our allies. It's clear the old START model isn't going to cut it. This bill ensures all, not some, of Russia's nuclear arsenal is on the table in the next round of negotiations,"" Senator Tom Cotton said. ""Under no circumstances should the United States agree to extend the New START Treaty beyond the current expiration in 2021 without drastic improvements to the deeply flawed deal negotiated by the Obama Administration. Over the past few years, we have seen Russia tout several new nuclear weapons delivery systems and it is unclear whether those systems will be bound by the limits of the treaty. Russia's large stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons and belief that these weapons can be used as a part of an ""escalate to de-escalate"" strategy is also extremely concerning. When these concerns are then viewed through the lens of Russia's long-term violation of the INF Treaty, it is clear that extending the New START Treaty is not currently in the national security interest of the United States. That is why I introduced the Stopping Russian Nuclear Aggression Act. This bill prevents funding to extend the New START Treaty until the President certifies to Congress that Russia has agreed to verifiably reduce its stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons and include its new systems under the limits of the New START Treaty,"" Congresswoman Liz Cheney said. Background: The New START Treaty is set to expire in 2021 and both countries may agree to extend the treaty for an additional five years. Per the State Department website, limits under the New START Treaty include: 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments; 1,550 nuclear warheads on deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments (each such heavy bomber is counted as one warhead toward this limit); 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review states that: Russia possesses significant advantages in its nuclear weapons production capacity and in non-strategic nuclear forces over the U.S. and allies. It is also building a large, diverse, and modern set of non-strategic systems that are dual-capable (may be armed with nuclear or conventional weapons). These theater- and tactical-range systems are not accountable under the New START Treaty and Russia's non-strategic nuclear weapons modernization is increasing the total number of such weapons in its arsenal, while significantly improving its delivery capabilities. This includes the production, possession, and flight testing of a ground-launched cruise missile in violation of the INF Treaty. Moscow believes these systems may provide useful options for escalation advantage. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review further states that: Most concerning are Russia's national security policies, strategy, and doctrine that include an emphasis on the threat of limited nuclear escalation, and its continuing development and fielding of increasingly diverse and expanding nuclear capabilities. Moscow threatens and exercises limited nuclear first use, suggesting a mistaken expectation that coercive nuclear threats or limited first use could paralyze the United States and NATO and thereby end a conflict on terms favorable to Russia.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:10:16Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-supports-new-zealand-and-146s-rejection-of-huawei,Cotton Supports New Zealand’s Rejection of Huawei,2018-11-28,2018,2018-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Contact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) today released the following statement after news reports that New Zealand rejected a proposal to use Huawei gear in its planned 5G mobile network: “I commend New Zealand for joining their Australian neighbors in blocking Huawei from their 5G network. Thanks to U.S. leadership, the world is beginning to understand the risk that Chinese telecommunications companies pose to security and privacy. I urge all our allies to think twice before allowing the Chinese Communist Party to gain a foothold in their critical infrastructure.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:10:16Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2381,Hill's Statement on Syria and Iraq Security Bills,2018-11-27,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman French Hill (AR-02) released the following statement after supporting two bipartisan bills that condemn war crimes in Syria and impose additional sanctions on Iranians who threaten peace and stability in Iraq: The Syrian dictator Assad and the Mullahs in Iran must be held accountable for their war crimes, genocide, and other grave injustices against the Syrian and Iraqi people. Their destabilizing activities are a threat to America and our allies, especially Israel. I will continue to support action in Congress to hold these perpetrators accountable and to provide much needed relief to their innocent victims. I continue to call on the Senate to pass the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which the House passed in May of last year, to preserve records for future investigations into war criminals in Syria. Background Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act,H.R. 390, provides for emergency relief to victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Iraq and Syria, and provides accountability against perpetrators of these crimes. The Preventing Destabilization of Iraq Act, H.R. 4591, imposes sanctions with respect to Iranian persons that threaten the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=blog&id=1023,Cotton in National Review: 'What's Really in Congress's Justice-Reform Bill”,2018-11-26,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 26, 2018 What's Really in Congress's Justice-Reform BillNational ReviewBy: Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) The bad outweighs the good. It remains to be seen whether the lame-duck 115th Congress will debate a sweeping overhaul of our federal criminal-justice system before we adjourn for the year. You may have heard about the legislation at hand, the FIRST STEP Act. I oppose it. I urge my fellow conservatives to take the time to read and understand the bill before signing on in support of this flawed legislation. The 103-page bill that was released the Friday before Thanksgiving has some good parts, and I don't question the intentions of the bill's proponents. But you may have noticed that they talk more about their intentions than about the consequences of the bill. As conservatives, we know that good intentions say little about actual consequences. And to paraphrase Thomas Sowell, intellectuals who generate ideas with good intentions rarely have to face the consequences of those ideas personally. When proponents of the bill discuss the substance, they claim that ""nothing in the FIRST STEP Act gives inmates early release."" Instead of early release, proponents say, it merely provides incentives for inmates to participate in programs. This is nothing but a euphemism. Let there be no doubt: If the bill is passed, thousands of federal offenders, including violent felons and sex offenders, will be released earlier than they would be under current law. Whatever word games the bill's proponents use will make no difference to the future victims of these felons. Proponents also claim that only ""low-level, non-violent"" offenders will benefit, and that there are adequate safeguards to protect the public. If I believed these assertions, I would support the FIRST STEP Act. But a careful reading of the bill's text, as opposed to the talking points used to promote it, shows that violent felons are eligible for early release, and that many of the bill's provisions go against core conservative principles. For background, according to the Department of Justice, the Senate version of the FIRST STEP Act creates a new ""time credit"" system that allows federal prisoners to accrue credits by participating in ""evidence-based recidivism reduction programming or productive activities."" These new credits are in addition to existing ""good time"" credits and are worth up to one-third of the offender's sentence. The first problem with this new system is that ""productive activities"" is defined so vaguely that, according to the Bureau of Prisons, playing softball, watching movies, or doing activities that the prisoners are already doing today will result in new time credits. The whole idea behind these incentives is that prisoners will be less likely to recidivate upon release. But if the credits are this easy to get, how will this change the behavior of serious felons? The second problem is that while some offenders are ineligible for these new ""time credits"" based on an exclusion list, many serious violent crimes are missing from that list. Since proponents tend to misstate or misunderstand their own bill, here are some of the specific federal laws that are missing from the bill's exclusion-from-early-release list: Drug-related robberies involving assault with a dangerous weapon (18 U.S.C. 2118(c)(1)) Using a deadly weapon to assault a law-enforcement officer (18 U.S.C. 111(b)) Assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a spouse or child (18 U.S.C. 113(a)(7)) Violent carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury (18 U.S.C. 2119(2)) Trafficking heroin and fentanyl, if not also convicted of certain other charges. More than 90 percent of traffickers will be eligible for the time credits. (18 U.S.C. 841(b)) These are not low-level, non-violent crimes, nor are they obscure crimes. There are dozens of other serious violent crimes, including sex-related offenses, that are missing from the bill's exclusion list. Frankly, there are almost no low-level, non-violent offenders in federal prison, as opposed to state prison, to begin with. And to the extent people are in federal prison for low-level convictions, they typically pled down from more serious charges. Most important, when there are manifest injustices in individual cases, the proper course of justice is not to simply let out thousands of serious felons but to appeal to the president for clemencies and pardons. As Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist 74, the president is far better situated than a legislature to address such cases.Proponents also claim that we have nothing to fear because only offenders classified as having a ""low-level"" of recidivism risk can use their credits to get early release. But this requires extraordinary faith in the government's ability to predict the recidivism risk of violent felons. I understand why liberals have such faith. But it is surprising to me that conservatives, and especially libertarians, have faith that government bureaucrats can judge the state of a felon's soul and predict his future behavior. Even if you trusted the current administration to do so, would you trust a future Democratic administration? Plus, if this safeguard is enough, why does the bill have an exclusion list in the first place? Third, rather than focus on low-level crimes, the bill reduces the penalty for the crime of trafficking the highest quantities of fentanyl described in federal law after previously having been convicted of drug felonies. According to the National Association of United States Attorneys, reducing the sentence on the front end, combined with the new time credits on the back end, means that a repeat fentanyl trafficker could spend half the time in prison under this bill that he would spend under current law. Finally, the Senate FIRST STEP Act gives judges much more discretion to ignore the mandatory minimum sentence for criminals with prior records. Since when has increased judicial discretion been a conservative principle? Proponents of this bill are suggesting that we put our faith in the wisdom of the same district-court judges who are issuing nationwide injunctions against the Trump administration for merely enforcing our immigration laws. Remember, about three-fifths of active district-court judges were appointed by Clinton or Obama. This bill relies on their discretion to keep the American people safe. Instead of relying on summaries, you should read the bill yourself, and read letters from law-enforcement organizations, including the National Sheriffs Association, the Major County Sheriffs Association, the Major County Chiefs of Police, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and others that came to the same conclusion I did: The bad in this bill outweighs the good. I believe there are reforms to the criminal-justice system that align with core conservative principles, such as adding a mens rea requirement for all crimes, reducing the size of the criminal code, and limiting federal power over our lives. This bill includes none of those provisions. But it does include the priorities of the ACLU and the New York Times editorial board. That should be enough to give conservatives pause as to whether the Senate FIRST STEP Act should be rushed through the lame-duck session.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1022,Cotton Statement on Thanksgiving,2018-11-22,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Skip to Content Menu",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/2018/11/22/cotton-statement-on-thanksgiving,Cotton Statement on Thanksgiving,2018-11-22,2018,2018-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on Thanksgiving: ""Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours. Wherever you are, I hope you're surrounded by family and friends. Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude, for our families, for our many blessings as a nation, and for our troops who are far from home this day. We all have much and many to be thankful for.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:10:16Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/boozman-encourages-support-for-local-retailers-highlights-small-business-saturday,"Boozman Encourages Support for Local Retailers, Highlights Small Business Saturday",2018-11-21,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) released the following statement encouraging Arkansans to support small businesses in their communities this Saturday, November 24 as part of Small Business Saturday: Small businesses drive our economy in Arkansas and across the country. They employ our family, friends and neighbors and provide in-demand goods and services all while giving back to the communities they operate in. I hope Arkansans will join me in patronizing these economic engines this holiday season, beginning on Small Business Saturday, Boozman said. Boozman is a cosponsor of the Senate-passed resolution that designates Saturday, November 24, 2018 as Small Business Saturday. The measure urges consumers to shop locally and highlights the importance of small businesses to our economy. Last year, 108 million Americans shopped or dined at independently-owned businesses for Small Business Saturday.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/recycling-s-benefits-significant-and-widespread,Recycling's Benefits Significant and Widespread,2018-11-21,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Every year in November, our nation renews its commitment to reduce waste and preserve our limited resources on America Recycles Day. The day of recognition serves as a timely reminder as we approach the holiday seasona period when used envelopes, wrapping paper, shipping material and gift boxes quickly pile up that we all have a role to play in reducing our landfill input. Recycling is an easy way to do our part. It is a win-win solution, as it allows us to be responsible stewards of our environment while creating needed resources for U.S. manufacturers, valuable export commodities and jobs for over 500,000 Americans. Recycling truly does help build a stronger America. This is the message Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) and I routinely share with our colleagues as the co-chairs of the Senate Recycling Caucus. Through the caucus, we work with our colleagues and stakeholders to raise awareness of recycling's impact on advancing our nation's environmental and economic interests and to support public policies that increase the practice across the country. The caucus, which was formed in 2006, is committed to educating our colleagues on new and innovative ideas to make recycling practical for all stakeholders. With that in mind, we held a briefing on the eve of America Recycles Day to promote the benefits of recycling and help find ways we can work together to turn challenges into opportunities. Zach Freeze, Senior Director for Sustainability at Walmart Stores Inc, was one of the expert panelists at this briefing. Given that the large majority of recycled material is generated outside of the household, it is vital that we encourage businesses, large and small, take a proactive, conscientious approach to sustainability. Walmart's innovative efforts to reduce waste in its operations and increase sustainability are ideas that can translate into bigger benefits for the industry. I appreciate that Zach made the time to share how Walmart is carrying out its vision by increasing focus on product sustainability efforts, more sustainable packaging solutions and it's bold Project Gigaton, which seeks to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions produced by the company and its suppliers by one billion metric tons by the year 2030. The Senate Recycling Caucus aims to raise the visibility of the importance of recycling from a conservation standpoint as well as the important role the industry plays in our economy. Events such as this are a good way for us to listen, learn and share ideas. We need to take the best of those ideas and turn them into action. Recycling is one of the few solutions to a problem that is truly bipartisan. Waste reduction is not a red state issue or a blue state issue. Nor is it a big city problem or a rural problem. We all can do our part, and share the benefits, by recycling. With the holiday season upon us, I encourage everyone to make a concerted effort to recycle. When you recycle, you literally reinvest in American manufacturing, providing raw materials for America's factories and economic opportunity for your community.Recycling doesn't take much effort, but it makes all the sense in the world.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/arkansas-lawmakers-ask-small-business-administration-to-maintain-vital-program-for-family-poultry-farms,Arkansas Lawmakers Ask Small Business Administration to Maintain Vital Program for Family Poultry Farms,2018-11-20,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,"Eric A. ""Rick"" Crawford",C001087,crawford.house.gov,crawford,https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton along with U.S. Representatives Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman pressed the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to reverse a proposed rule that would harm Arkansas poultry farmers' ability to access vital funding for their operations. The delegation sent a letter to SBA Administrator Linda McMahon urging the agency to revise the proposed rule, which if implemented would impose unworkable eligibility requirements on poultry farmers who rely on SBA's 7(a) loan program. The 7(a) program provides loan guarantees to assist small businesses in obtaining credit. ""Poultry is the largest segment of Arkansas's agricultural industry, creating and supporting over 150,000 jobs including thousands of family farms. Access to capital is one of the most significant barriers to entry for farming, which is why Congress specifically included agriculture in the SBA's mandate. This proposed rule would jeopardize the livelihood of thousands of small family farms and small businesses across Arkansas,"" the lawmakers wrote. To view the full text of the letter sent to the Small Business Administrator, click here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:10:16Z https://crawford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398803,Arkansas Lawmakers Ask Small Business Administration to Maintain Vital Program for Family Poultry Farms,2018-11-20,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,Rick Crawford,C001087,crawford.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton along with U.S. Representatives Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman pressed the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to reverse a proposed rule that would harm Arkansas poultry farmers' ability to access vital funding for their operations. The delegation sent a letter to SBA Administrator Linda McMahon urging the agency to revise the proposed rule, which if implemented would impose unworkable eligibility requirements on poultry farmers who rely on SBA's 7(a) loan program. The 7(a) program provides loan guarantees to assist small businesses in obtaining credit. Poultry is the largest segment of Arkansas's agricultural industry, creating and supporting over 150,000 jobs including thousands of family farms. Access to capital is one of the most significant barriers to entry for farming, which is why Congress specifically included agriculture in the SBA's mandate. This proposed rule would jeopardize the livelihood of thousands of small family farms and small businesses across Arkansas, the lawmakers wrote. To view the full text of the letter sent to the Small Business Administrator, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399811,Arkansas Lawmakers Ask Small Business Administration to Maintain Vital Program for Family Poultry Farms,2018-11-20,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,Steve Womack,W000809,womack.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC November 20, 2018.U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, along with U.S. Representatives Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman, pressed the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to reverse a proposed rule that would harm Arkansas poultry farmers' ability to access vital funding for their operations. The delegation sent a letter to SBA Administrator Linda McMahon urging the agency to revise the proposed rule,which if implemented would impose unworkable eligibility requirements on poultry farmers who rely on SBA's 7(a) loan program. The 7(a) program provides loan guarantees to assist small businesses in obtaining credit. Poultry is the largest segment of Arkansas's agricultural industry, creating and supporting over 150,000 jobs including thousands of family farms. Access to capital is one of the most significant barriers to entry for farming, which is why Congress specifically included agriculture in the SBA's mandate. This proposed rule would jeopardize the livelihood of thousands of small family farms and small businesses across Arkansas, the lawmakers wrote. To view the full text of the letter sent to the Small Business Administrator, click here. Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas's Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense, military construction-veterans affairs, and labor-health and human services subcommittees. Additionally, he co-chairs the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. womack.house.gov ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/11/arkansas-lawmakers-ask-small-business-administration-to-maintain-vital-program-for-family-poultry-farms,Arkansas Lawmakers Ask Small Business Administration to Maintain Vital Program for Family Poultry Farms,2018-11-20,2018,2018-11,Republican,House,AR,John Boozman,B001236,www.boozman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton along with U.S. Representatives Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman pressed the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to reverse a proposed rule that would harm Arkansas poultry farmers' ability to access vital funding for their operations. The delegation sent a letter to SBA Administrator Linda McMahon urging the agency to revise the proposed rule,which if implemented would impose unworkable eligibility requirements on poultry farmers who rely on SBA's 7(a) loan program. The 7(a) program provides loan guarantees to assist small businesses in obtaining credit. Poultry is the largest segment of Arkansas's agricultural industry, creating and supporting over 150,000 jobs including thousands of family farms. Access to capital is one of the most significant barriers to entry for farming, which is why Congress specifically included agriculture in the SBA's mandate. This proposed rule would jeopardize the livelihood of thousands of small family farms and small businesses across Arkansas, the lawmakers wrote. To view the full text of the letter sent to the Small Business Administrator, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z