Washington, DC—December 19, 2019....With appropriations packages passed in the House earlier this week, Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) announced several key victories for the Third District and Arkansas. The following provisions were included in the two Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations packages that fully fund the government through September 30th, 2020:
Arkansas Military: Supports Arkansas National Guard priorities, including funding for the Razorback Range mission in Fort Smith and C-130 modernization at the Little Rock Air Force Base. Enhances resources for military tools (missiles, rockets, and other components) developed in Arkansas. Examples include Tomahawk components built throughout Northwest Arkansas and high-tech military materials built in Fayetteville. It also institutes a 3.1% pay raise for our troops – the largest increase in a decade.
University of Arkansas: Funds important agriculture and education grants, the National Agriculture Library in Fayetteville, and the National Clean Plant Network program. Additionally, the bill supports NASA research and projects to address solutions and responses to Chronic Wasting Disease, which has severely impacted the Northwest Arkansas deer population.
Law Enforcement: Supports the Department of Justice’s Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) program, which is used by the Rogers Police Department and other Third District law enforcement departments and agencies to share information and support services to combat crime.
Fire Departments: Includes resources for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, which directly help fire departments, like the Springdale Fire Department, and volunteer firefighter organizations to increase or maintain the number of trained firefighters available in communities.
Economic Development: Enhances economic development programs through the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which have supported local programs and projects in the past. The EDA helped move forward the Career Technology Center in Fort Smith, Industrial Park in Berryville, and the expansion of Goblin Drive in Harrison this past year.
Small Business: Provides funding for small business programs, including SBA disaster loans and the SBA Regional Innovation Clusters, to support continued economic growth and opportunity. Local businesses like Startup Junkie in Fayetteville have benefited from these resources.
Infrastructure: Includes $1 billion for BUILD grants, with a requirement that 50% of the money goes to rural communities. An example of a local BUILD grant funded project includes a $25 million grant for the I-49 Bella Vista Bypass. Additionally, the legislation includes funding for programs to modernize and invest in small and rural airports.
Medical Research: Enhances resources for medical research through the National Institutes of Health for diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer, as well as local initiatives to address obesity and the opioid epidemic.
Army Corps: Strengthens funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to help support navigation and flood control improvements locally and nationwide.
National Parks: Increases investment to address the U.S. National Park Service maintenance backlog.
The appropriations bills, which Congressman Womack supported, were passed in the House earlier this week and are expected to be voted on in the Senate today.
Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense and transportation, housing and urban development subcommittees.
