SOTU
On Tuesday, President Trump delivered a powerful and unifying message. He outlined an inspiring vision of American greatness, where the key to forging new solutions and unlocking the extraordinary promise of our nation’s future is rooted in a united people working together to face our challenges.
By concentrating on what unites us, we can rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, fix our broken immigration system, stand up for U.S. workers, deliver cost-savings for patients, bolster our national security, and build a stronger country. I also think he did a great job of making his case for better border security—an issue that has this country at an impasse on funding the government. American exceptionalism has always stemmed from a pursuit of bold ideas, and these proposals reflect just that.
We were also reminded of the strides that have been made under President Trump’s direction. A booming economy, historically low unemployment, stronger military, renewed leadership abroad, work to address the opioid crisis, historic criminal justice reform, and resurgence of opportunity to name a few.
The stories of great Americans throughout the night were especially touching. It was truly humbling to be surrounded by WWII veterans, Holocaust survivors, and great Americans from all walks of life. As President Trump said, “Everything that has come since — our triumph over communism, our giant leaps of science and discovery, our unrivaled progress toward equality and justice — all of it is possible thanks to the blood and tears and courage and vision of the Americans who came before.” Read the full speech here.
WEEK IN REVIEW
 To start off this week's From the Front... I would like to thank all of the Arkansans who stopped by my Washington office during their visits to our nation’s capital, including Danielle Laflamme from Bentonville, Jeff and Lucy Beauchamp from Van Buren, Steve Mallett, Tiffany Brown, Jonathan Shipley, Larry Collins and Judy Collins from Russellville. Safe travels back to the Natural State!
The House convened and voted on a series of bills, including the Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2019 (H.R. 876), Fairness for Breastfeeding Mothers Act of 2019 (H.R. 866), a bill to require the Federal Railroad Administration to provide appropriate congressional notice of comprehensive safety assessments conducted with respect to intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation (H.R. 543), Reviving America’s Scenic Byways Act of 2019 (H.R. 831), the Route 66 Centennial Commission Act (H.R. 66), Tiffany Joslyn Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2019 (H.R. 494), Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2019 (H.R. 450), Putting Trafficking Victims First Act of 2019 (H.R. 507), Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act (H.R. 752), and the Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act (H.R. 840). A full list of legislation considered this week can be found here.
 I had the pleasure of welcoming a great Arkansan and Third District resident to D.C. this week: Dick Trammel. Most know him as Mr. Northwest Arkansas. No one I know of has loved, served, and promoted Northwest Arkansas more than him. The only man to lead the Arkansas Highway Commission for four years, he’s also been a mainstay in Rotary International, higher education, programs serving our youth, Mercy Hospital, and dozens of other charitable causes. With his last year of service on the Arkansas Highway Commission completed and recent retirement from Arvest Bank, I had the honor of bringing Dick to the State of the Union and also saying a few words about him on the House floor. Watch my speech here.
The House Budget Committee held a hearing entitled Investing in America’s Economic and National Security, where we had serious discussions about challenges related to discretionary caps and the competing spending priorities that will be impacted by them. Budgeting is about setting the priorities of the nation, and the Budget Committee should be addressing the discretionary spending caps. In 2011, Congress enacted the Budget Control Act which imposed caps on discretionary spending. It is important that the caps be increased gradually, particularly to accommodate defense spending. We are in a position where we must make the hard choices we were sent here to make – ensuring the safety of the American people while securing a brighter, more fiscally sound future for generations to come.
I had great meetings with Arkansans throughout the week. It was a pleasure to welcome Andrew  Grobmyer of the Agricultural Council of Arkansas; Sheriff Rodney Wright of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office; Chief Hayes Minor of the Rogers Police Department; members of the Ignite Youth Prevention Coalition from Harrison; Chris White of Springdale who was advocating on behalf of Suicide Prevention Allies; Dr. Kerri Russell of Trout Unlimited; Dr. Patricia Relph who is an Arts Learning Specialist at the Walton Arts Center; Arkansas Rural Water Association Board members; members from the Association for Civilian Technicians from Fort Smith and Ward; and AR Deans of Engineering from the University of Arkansas and Arkansas State University. We covered everything from agriculture and security issues to education and health policy – I appreciated all the insight I received from the people of the Natural State!
.JPG) On Thursday, I started my morning at the National Prayer Breakfast. Republicans, Democrats, and people from different backgrounds and religions came together to pray and remember our blessings. America was founded on the principle of religious freedom – it’s always great to join with others to celebrate faith and the role it plays in our lives.
I appreciated being able to see Lieutenant General Darryl Williams who serves as the Superintendent of the United States Military Academy. I'm proud to be the Chairman of the West Point Board of Visitors and am committed to helping guide this institution. I also met with acting Department of Defense Chief  Management Officer Lisa Hershman to discuss ongoing issues at DoD.
I am now headed to Camp David with other Republican and Democratic members to discuss ongoing issues related to government funding and other policy topics.
I will be back in Washington next week and look forward to legislative business. Remember to keep an eye on my website or check out my Twitter and Instagram pages to stay up-to-date with the latest news from the Third District and Washington.
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