A Week in the First District
Two-Week District Work Period:

Monday I kicked off the first of a two-week District work period. This week, I visited with mayors, county judges, sheriffs, superintendents, and community leaders in Marion, Boone, Jackson, Poinsett, Craighead, Lonoke, and Pulaski counties. District work periods are the perfect opportunity to hear from constituents across the First District and learn about issues or concerns that they have. 

Among the issues addressed were funding challenges school districts face, and their plans to implement Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ new Arkansas LEARNS plan; drainage issues in several counties that are causing flooding; and strategies to increase economic development in our region. I assured the officials and leaders that my staff and I would be looking into areas where the federal government could support their efforts.
Ohio Train Derailment:

The recent Ohio train derailment continues to attract scrutiny. I’m grateful no lives have been lost. But local residents, and the American people, are rightly concerned about both the train derailment itself, and the decisions that have been made in its aftermath. We need a full investigation of both pieces of this, and the results shared with the American people. Only after we know all the facts can we consider what changes may be needed to improve safety moving forward.

Yesterday, my colleagues and I received a briefing from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NTSB is leading the investigation and is widely respected for its thorough investigations and fact-based conclusions. NTSB expects to release a preliminary report in about two weeks. The full investigation will likely take 12-24 months. But right now, residents need reliable answers from the EPA about the safety of their air and water, both inside and outside their homes.
Big River Steel & General Motors:

Recently, U.S. Steel announced that its Big River Steel facility has made a production agreement with General Motors, the nation’s largest automaker. Big River Steel is located in Osceola and was recently selected for a large expansion and is said to be the most advanced steel manufacturing facility in North America.This deal is just another testament to the thriving steel industry that has been built in Mississippi County. Businesses and investors know that we have a talented workforce and a government that is supportive of innovation in the steel sector in Arkansas.
Inflation:

Inflation continues to be a problem, as we all know from shopping, filling our gas tanks, and paying bills. This week the Commerce Department released figures from January that back that up, with prices continuing to rise at a damaging pace, beyond what economists had predicted. Government spending is a major contributor to inflation, and the upcoming debate over raising the debt ceiling will give us a good opportunity to press for long-overdue spending reforms.
Meeting with the new Sheriff of Marion County.
Visiting with students in Bay.
VoTech tour at Cabot High School.
No votes this week.
The House will be in session on Monday, February 27, 2023.
Paragould Daily Press
Somewhere in the statutes, there has to be something that supports our position in terms of broadening the scope of what is used to make this determination. There is a lot of connective tissue here; it can’t merely be about commuter traffic.

The Desert Review
The Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act was recently introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate. It would prohibit China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing U.S. agricultural land and agricultural companies. It would also add the Secretary of Agriculture as a standing member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).