Dear Friends, As we celebrate Christmas, close out 2013, and look toward the New Year, I feel it’s appropriate to reflect on the blessings the year has brought. We live in the greatest country the world has ever known. And though we’ve been through a lot of tough times – wars, civil unrest, economic turbulence, acts of nature, acts of man – we’ve always landed on our feet. That’s what great countries do. That’s what Americans do. And I’m blessed with the comfort of knowing that, even in the times of uncertainty we face today, we will do so yet again. America faces many challenges. But the grea... Read More »
Dear Friends, We live in a times of uncertainty – times of economic uncertainty, wars, civil unrest, acts of nature, and acts of man. But even in spite of all of this, we Americans have so much for which to be thankful. The Thanksgiving holiday is a time to remember these blessings. In America, we are blessed with freedoms that make self-governance and democracy possible, and we have an opportunity to create a better life for ourselves and our children. But these freedoms are not free, and throughout our history, our nation has been called to defend our right to life, liberty, and pursuit of h... Read More »
I support defunding Obamacare. I am proud to cosponsor Representative Tom Graves’ H.R. 2682, the Defund Obamacare Act, which prohibits any funds from being spent on any activity to implement or enforce the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), rescinds any unspent balances that have already been appropriated for implementation, and turns off all mandatory spending streams created and funded by the PPACA. Even though this law is a train wreck, attaching legislation such as H.R. 2682 to a continuing resolution (CR) is not the way to go about dismantling the law. Why? Because doing ... Read More »
In 2011, Congress passed the Budget Control Act, which called for automatic, across-the-board spending cuts in the event that Congress was unable to make targeted reductions on its own. In what has become typical fashion, leaders in Washington failed to reach an agreement, and sequestration went into effect, taking half of the mandatory spending reductions from defense functions. As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (HAC-D), I visit with our military leaders frequently, and I have developed a deep understanding of the challenges facing the Department of Defense (DOD)... Read More »
“Over the past three decades, the average tuition at a public four-year college has gone up by more than 250 percent -- 250 percent. Now, a typical family's income has only gone up 16 percent.” These are President Obama’s words during a speech at the University of Buffalo yesterday, where he outlined the administration’s plan to help make higher education more affordable. His solutions to the problem range from linking state and federal funding to an institution’s “performance” (based on yet-to-be-determined metrics) to capping the amount a borrower has to pay back on his or her debt. In short... Read More »
Our immigration system is in shambles. We have an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in our country, a porous border, and a visa system that fails to meet the needs of American companies. This fall, the House will address these issues when it considers the SAFE Act, the Legal Workforce Act, the AG Act, and the SKILLS Visa Act. The Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement (SAFE) Act (H.R. 2278) renews our commitment to interior enforcement efforts and increases security measures to deter the entry of criminal immigrants or those who pose security risks to our nation. The Legal Workforce Act (H.R... Read More »
These days, Congress doesn't agree on much. But there is bipartisan support in Washington for comprehensive tax reform. In May, the House passed a budget resolution that set forth our vision for reform. It called for consolidating the six individual income tax brackets into two brackets, a 10 percent bracket and a 25 percent bracket, and lowering the corporate tax rate. Our tax code is a lot like our government - it's broken. It’s nearly four million words long. It’s riddled with lobbyist-loopholes. It’s laced with perverse incentives. And it’s so complicated that nearly 90 percent of all Amer... Read More »
Dear Friends, Yesterday, Americans across the country celebrated our great nation’s 237th birthday. July 4th is a day to honor the sacrifice, vision, and dedication of our founders who believed so strongly in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And as we celebrate, we are reminded that was true in 1776 is still true today: freedom isn’t free. We live in the greatest country the world has ever known. And though we’ve been through a lot of tough times – wars, civil unrest, economic turbulence, acts of nature, acts of man – we’ve always landed on our feet. That’s what great countries do.... Read More »
Subscribe Update My Profile Unsubscribe U.S. Congressman Steve Womack Serving the 3rd District Of Arkansas September 30, 2011 Back to School… It has been a very productive—but busy—past few days in the district. From Harrison to Russellville, I’ve had the chance to visit with folks from all across the district, including students at several areas schools (Rogers High School, Heritage High School-Rogers, Valley Springs, and NorthWest Arkansas College). I can’t express how important students are to our communities and the future of our state. They are full of energy, spirit and innovative ideas... Read More »
District Update | September 23, 2011 Click here if you have trouble viewing this email From The Front... A Weekly Newsletter From Congressman Steve Womack Continuing Resolution… Early this morning, the House passed a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) which will fund government through November 18. The CR approved was consistent with the Budget Control Act and funds disaster relief with reasonable and responsible offsets necessary for a nation suffering under a crushing debt. This was the right decision for our country and it provides additional time for the Committee to create and establi... Read More »
