Weekly Columns

If you've ever spent any time with me, you'll know that I'm passionate about sound environmental policy. As a licensed forester and lifelong resident of the Natural State, I believe we have an unchosen obligation to steward our resources well and leave the world in better condition than we found it. Part of this responsibility means caring for forests, the backbone of our clean air, clean water and thriving wildlife habitats.

Every year I take a few days to thank some of the many men and women who work in Arkansas agriculture. This year in particular highlighted how important agriculture is to the economy and our daily lives. Without farmers and ranchers continuing to run operations during COVID-19, we wouldn't have had food on our shelves or meat in the freezer.

It's no secret that America's health care system is broken. You don't need to look any further than the recent presidential debate, where both candidates sparred over health care proposals and what should be done on a federal level. Many people are saying that Republicans don't actually have a plan, but that simply isn't true. U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and I have teamed up to introduce the Fair Care Act of 2020 (FCA), a health care bill that takes more than 75 bipartisan provisions and many other ideas and brings them together into a comprehensive bill.

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 20-26, 2020 as National Small Business Week. "Our nation's more than 30 million small businesses, which employ nearly half the private-sector workforce and create two-thirds of all net new jobs, are the key to propelling our economy to the prosperity levels America has enjoyed over the past three years," the president wrote. As many of these small businesses struggle to stay open after COVID-19, this national declaration is an important reminder to support our community-owned businesses.

As wildfires burn across the West, many Americans have lost their loved ones, their homes and all their possessions. My prayers are with everyone who has been displaced or who is heroically fighting the fires, and I hope these blazes are quickly contained. Unfortunately, fires like this have become so common that we refer to this time of year as "wildfire season." I don't think we just have to accept this as the new normal. In all my years as a forester, I've seen firsthand that scientific forest management works.

When COVID-19 hit the U.S. early this year, about one-third of Americans began working from home to limit contact with others and slow the spread of the virus. However, many people still had to keep their businesses operating in order to keep essential infrastructure in place. Because of their work, we could consistently rely on stocked grocery store shelves and a functioning supply chain.

With more and more people headed back to schools, universities and workplaces, we need a comprehensive plan to mitigate COVID-19 more than ever. In fact, we already have the technology for widespread, at-home testing. Why is it not more available?

Let's look at the background. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for COVID-19 testing in three categories:

If you turn on the news, you'll likely hear someone talking about the Post Office. Let's look at the facts. Speaker Pelosi allowed negotiations on another COVID-19 relief bill to stall in Congress, but she called a so-called "emergency session" of Congress to vote on legislation to fund the Post Office. This is nothing more than a political attempt to capitalize on fears that the USPS is somehow in crisis.