Washington, DC—December 21, 2020....Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) released the below statement following the passage of Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations and coronavirus relief legislation that keeps the government open, fully funds critical priorities, and provides further resources to defeat the coronavirus and support the American people:
Congressman Womacksaid, “Tonight, the House finally completed its appropriations duty and delivered enhanced resources to combat the coronavirus. This package secures wins for Arkansas and the nation by investing in vaccine distribution, assisting families and small businesses, supporting rural hospitals, and boosting our military readiness. However, Congress deserves no praise. The bill before us should have been voted on months ago. I realize - as do the American people - that this is not the ideal way to go about funding the government and providing pandemic relief. No one in this chamber disputes that fact. I’ve called for changes to our budget and appropriations process that could very well add efficiency and dignity to Congress. Our constituents deserve better than the constant cycle of political games, partisan obstruction, and missed deadlines.”
Package highlights that support Arkansas and the nation include provisions that:
Provide nearly $20 billion for the production of COVID-19 vaccines, covering the cost for everyone who needs it;
Help small businesses by providing an additional $284 billion in Paycheck Protection Program funds and simplifying the loan forgiveness process;
Increase resources for further coronavirus testing capabilities;
Deploy funding for schools and childcare providers to assist with safe operations;
Ban surprise medical billing to increase pricing transparency and protections for patients;
Give additional financial support to families, as well as farmers, ranchers, and producers impacted by the pandemic;
Improve healthcare for rural communities by supporting hospitals and providers;
Bolster telehealth programs and services;
Restore health coverage to Marshallese families in Northwest Arkansas by instituting Medicaid technical fix;
Provide resources to improve Ft. Chaffee infrastructure and allow for an energy project at Ebbing Air National Guard Base;
Continue University of Arkansas research projects on defense and energy initiatives;
Aid Arkansas’s manufacturing of defense supplies;
Institute a 3% pay raise for our hardworking military members;
Support Arkansas’s National Guard missions and boost troop levels;
Fund SBA Regional Innovation Clusters, which have supported Third District organizations like Startup Junkie;
Stand with Arkansas’s hardworking truckers by excluding them from burdensome regulations;
Make the highest level of rural broadband investment in history to better connect underserved areas;
Advance the MKARNS 12-foot channel deepening project;
Adjust the cost share for Inland Waterways System projects to help expedite the completion of ongoing and future projects;
Increase flood resiliency by streamlining U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction authority for communities that experience continual flood loss;
Protect the sanctity of life by maintaining pro-life funding restrictions;
Strengthen national security and continue to rebuild our military;
Secure our border by providing resources for new border wall segments;
Provide our veterans with greater healthcare access and services; and
Enhance resources for medical research through the National Institutes of Health for diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer.
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 Committee.
