Weekly Columns

For the sake of both the environment and the economy, Congress must advance common sense Endangered Species Act (ESA) reforms that return power to private landowners while simultaneously protecting endangered species in a responsible way. Weaponization of the ESA and its morass of red tape are impeding our ability to move forward on vital land management practices and even building important and necessary infrastructure, all in the name of environmental activism that’s actually doing more environmental harm than good.

Congress currently has a unique opportunity, through the reconciliation process, to align both the House and the Senate on an agreed upon budget which will ultimately allow Congress to pass legislation that supports an America First agenda. As Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, there are numerous opportunities to engage in this process. 

For many of us in rural parts of the country, agriculture roots run deep. Generations of families have invested their livelihoods tending to crops, raising livestock, and feeding millions through the bounty of their hard-earned harvest. Arkansans are certainly no stranger to this way of life. In the Natural State, we recognize how deeply important the agriculture industry is, not only to our own pocketbooks, but the success and sustainability of our country’s economy.

In today’s world, access to information and connection to others can be most easily found in a small rectangular device in our back pockets. Gone are the days when you had to go to the library to research an issue or find an answer to a question in a book. We no longer have phone booths or even landlines when trying to reach someone by phone. With the internet and phone combined in our back pockets, access to information and others has never been easier than it is today.

America is blessed with an abundance of fuel to produce reliable, diversified, and accessible energy, but the consumption demands are creating supply challenges. It is senseless on many levels to throttle instead of grow energy supply as we have seen in the past. American energy supports thousands of jobs, is essential for economic prosperity, and bolsters our national security.

For four years, the American people have been in last place. Under the previous administration, Americans felt increasing financial burdens, economic woes, and safety concerns at every turn. Countless constituents across the Fourth District called our offices in Washington D.C. and Arkansas to express their deep concerns with how they were going to keep their families safe, warm, and fed. So, in November, when it was time for the American people to cast their vote, they voted for prosperity, for relief, and for solutions.

The devastating wildfires in California serve as a reminder that we must change course and implement sound forest management practices to help prevent future catastrophic wildfires. This week, I was proud of the strong bipartisan support for the Fix Our Forests Act, a bill I introduced that passed the House by a vote of 279-141. 

To many, forestry is simply viewed as the trees planted in someone’s backyard, shade during an outdoor activity, or nature’s greatest indicator of the changing of the seasons. But for Arkansans, forestry is a way of life. As the heart of America’s woodbasket, Arkansas is covered by 19 million acres of forestland that provides not only scenic beauty, clean air and water, wildlife habitats, and opportunities for outdoor recreation, but is also a major economic driver.