Press Releases
Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas Members Urge Prioritization of Funding for MKARNS Deepening
Washington,
April 27, 2022
Washington, DC – April 27, 2022....The Arkansas congressional delegation today joined U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and other members in sending a letter urging the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize and commit additional funding to the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS). Members who signed the letter include Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Reps. Kevin Hern (OK-1), Markwayne Mullin (OK-2), Tom Cole (OK-4), Frank Lucas (OK-3), Stephanie Bice (OK-5), Rick Crawford (AR-1), French Hill (AR-2), Steve Womack (AR-3), and Bruce Westerman (AR-4). The lawmakers wrote: “The MKARNS, which opened as an official inland waterway system in 1971, originates at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and runs 445 miles through Oklahoma and Arkansas to the Mississippi River. Inland waterways barge transportation is the safest, most economical, and fuel-efficient way to move our nation's goods for use domestically and for export.” They continued: “Continuing the deepening of the MKARNS would directly benefit the 56,000 jobs for surrounding farmers, manufacturers, and other producers who contribute over $8 billion in sales and nearly $300 million in state and local tax revenue as a result of the system's efficient operation.” The full text of the letter can be found here. Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. ### |