Washington, DC—March 6, 2024…Today, the House of Representatives passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, which is a package of six appropriations bills: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.
Congressman Womack said, “First and foremost, this package delivers for the people of Arkansas’ Third. The district-specific funding will improve our infrastructure and grow our local economy while ensuring the critical FMS mission at Ebbing Air National Guard Base is kept on schedule. Our advocacy for renewing the Compact of Free Association has paid off—these agreements are included in this package, benefiting America’s national security and the Marshallese community in our district. Boosting defense infrastructure spending, fully funding veterans’ care, and cutting the left’s bloated spending are some of the conservative wins from the deal. Advancing the priorities of those I proudly serve will always be my top priority.”
Womack authored and secured resources for several Third District priorities:
Compact of Free Association: The package includes renewal of the Compact of Free Association (COFA), agreements that Womack has consistently advocated for because of their importance to our national security and citizens of the Freely Associated States who reside in Arkansas’ Third District.Womack’s recent letter to Speaker Johnson was successful—the Compacts are included in the next possible legislative vehicle.Additionally, the package includes two bills Womack helped lead: The Compact Impact Fairness Act and the Care for COFA Veterans Act.
Ebbing Air National Guard Base: The package includes $83 million for construction, planning, and design forthe Foreign Military Sales mission that will bring F-35 fighter planes and a Republic of Singapore F-16 squadron to the installation.
Community Project Funding: All seven of Womack’s Community Project Funding requests for FY24 were secured within the package:
Greenwood Bypass: This project will receive $5,000,000 to relocate Arkansas Highway 10 to a newly constructed four-lane divided, partially access controlled route between Arkansas Highway 96 and Coker Street, widen AR-10 to four lanes from Coker Street west to Arkansas Highway 71, and extend Main Street south as a city street to intersect the relocated AR-10. This project will provide much-needed relief to the residents of Greenwood and surrounding region, as the current AR-10 is a choke point in the City of Greenwood that can be exacerbated by weather, accidents, or maintenance.
Arkansas Highway 412: This project will receive $5,000,000 to support improvements of the portion of Highway 412 that interfaces with Interstate 49. This project supports the rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas area and will enhance safety at the interchange while also improving the ability of Highway 412 and I-49 to move people and freight.
Black Bass Dam: This project will receive $1,200,000 to allow the city to restore and repair Black Bass Dam by building stone retaining walls in a stairstep structure, which would diverge water flow into an expanded spillway in the event of flooding. This will protect the nearby pump station that provides all the water for the western part of Eureka Springs.
Gravette Sanitary Sewer: The City of Gravette’s existing sanitary sewer system needs an expansion to accommodate residential development, foster economic growth, and adapt to increased traffic volume. This project will receive $7,235,993 to extend the sanitary sewer approximately 4.5 miles east along Highway 72 in Gravette to near Interstate 49. Extending the sewer would improve the health and safety of residents and protect the local environment from the risk of wastewater contamination. This project would also allow for residential and commercial connections opening undeveloped land for residential and commercial development and support the Gravette Public School District to accommodate future student enrollment in Gravette.
Lake Wedington: Lake Wedington Recreation Area is a recreation area on the National Register of Historic Places located on Lake Wedington. It is currently closed until further notice due to deteriorating infrastructure conditions. This project will receive $4,700,000 to address the outdated conditions of the water and wastewater systems of the recreation area. By completing this project, the Forest Service can ensure that visitors of Lake Wedington Recreation Area have access to potable water, and wastewater systems would meet current environmental standards and be ready for use.
13th Street Bridge: This project will receive $1,248,527 to refurbish and improve the 13th Street Bridge in Little Flock, Arkansas. This bridge serves one of the main thoroughfares in Little Flock, 13th Street. Little Flock consists of just over 3,000 citizens, and its Street Department revenue in 2022 was $436,355. If it had no other road expenses for the whole year, it would take three years for the city to be able to pay for bridge repairs and improvements. The project would upgrade the bridge to account for the increasing commuter traffic and the structural integrity necessary for flash flooding events.
White River Basin: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) owns and operates six dams in the White River Basin. The dams are used to reduce the frequency and severity of floods, provide water supply, generate hydroelectric power, and provide minimum environmental flows downstream of Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes. The study will receive $263,000 and provide a comprehensive water resource management strategy for the White River Basin, which seeks sustainable water resource management while considering flood risk management, water supply, hydropower generation, agricultural practices, and social well-being.
Other package highlights include:
Fully funds veterans’ medical care.
Prevents the Department of Veterans Affairs from curtailing veterans’ Second Amendment rights by sending information on those seeking assistance with their benefits to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) system, without a judge's consent.
Prohibits the Department of Justice from targeting or investigating parents who exercise their right to free speech at local school board meetings.
Strengthens tracking and review of foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land.
Prevents the sale of oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China.
Cuts endangered species listing activities at U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
Preserves critical funding for America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.
Targeted cuts to Democrat initiatives within the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Increases funds to the Drug Enforcement Administration, including increased funds for efforts to combat fentanyl.
