Dear Friend, 

Last week, on the House Floor, I recognized Julia Gaffney of Mayflower for her accomplishments in the Tokyo Paralympics earlier this year.

Julia participated in four swimming events in the Paralympic games, winning bronze medals in the 100m backstroke and the 400m freestyle.

Julia is an inspiration to each of us, and I was glad for the opportunity to highlight her accomplishments.

Congratulations again, Julia!

My full speech can be seen below, or by clicking here.

I am against the federal government mandating COVID-19 vaccines – including the two vaccine mandates announced by President Biden last week.

Employers should have maximum flexibility in working with their employees to achieve successful strategies to address COVID-19.

I have long encouraged Arkansans to consults with their doctor about the vaccine and make the best medical decision for themselves, and the Biden Administration’s mandate takes away that decision making power from Americans and is a significant overreach by the federal government.

My full statement on the vaccine mandates can be read here or you can learn more in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette here.

I am so proud of the young leaders of the Arkansas chapter of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America I met with last week.

The organization introduces students to careers in family and consumer sciences, while offering these young leaders in-curriculum opportunities to begin taking courses towards these careers and promoting personal growth and leadership development.

Here in Arkansas, we have 300 chapters with over 5,300 members.

In addition to the in-curriculum opportunities this organization offers, students also have the ability to meet with leaders from across the nation, leaders in their desired fields, and earn scholarships to pursue these career goals.

Last week was National Veterans Small Business Week. There are nearly 2.4 million veteran-owned businesses, employing over 5.7 million people and generating over $1 trillion annually for our economy. I am proud to support these businesses and the impact they have on the community and economy of central Arkansas.

One of my greatest honors serving in Congress is having the opportunity to give back to the veterans who served our nation. I am proud to have three combat vets serving on my team, working directly with our local veterans to get the benefits they have earned and deserve.

Ahead of Veteran’s Day, I also took a moment to thank our veterans for their service last week. My full speech can be seen below, or if you click here. 

I spoke with Karina Mitchell, of Yahoo Finance, about the pitfalls associated with President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan.

I also had the opportunity to highlight central Arkansas and the major companies coming to our area that will boost our local economy.

Naturally, this brought up concerns about the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate. Once again, I am against a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

You can watch my full interview here, or by clicking below. 

As of October 24^th, those with a landline with the 501 area code now have to dial the complete ten-digit phone number they are hoping to reach.

This will include the area code and the telephone number.

This is the only area code in Arkansas that will be affected by the change.