Making the Economy Work for Arkansans Again

• Lower Inflation: Under the Biden administration, inflation averaged nearly 5 percent and peaked at 9.1 percent. In 2025, inflation has fallen to an average of 2.7 percent, and Americans have seen the first overall price decline since 2020.
• Higher Wages: Under Biden, workers lost more than $2,900 in purchasing power as wages failed to keep up with inflation. Today, real wages are growing again, up nearly $700 and projected to rise by nearly $1,200 in 2026 under the Working Families Tax Cuts.

Helping Working Families

• Passed the Working Family Tax Cuts, putting up to $10,000 back in the pockets of an Arkansas family of four
• Eliminated taxes on tips and overtime pay
• Cut taxes for seniors on Social Security income
• Increased the Child Tax Credit to $2,200
• Created an “Invest in America” account for every American child, starting with a $1,000 contribution at birth
• Extended and strengthened paid family leave

Unleashing American Energy Production

• Reversed Biden-era rules that restricted domestic energy production
• Reopened millions of acres for oil, gas, and coal development, including in Alaska and Wyoming
• Lifted restrictions on coal leasing and Arctic energy development
• Expanded American energy production to strengthen reliability and lower costs
• The House has also passed several additional bills to further expand American energy production, protect our energy grid, and strengthen U.S. energy security

Due to the leadership of President Trump and Congressional Republicans, and our productive U.S. energy producers, gas prices have fallen sharply (despite continued wars in Ukraine and the Middle East), from highs around $5 during the Biden administration to about $2.41 today here in Arkansas.

Supporting Small Businesses & Workers

• Passed the INVEST Act to cut red tape and expand access to investment capital for our American small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs
• Advanced the S-CAP Act to expand ownership opportunities for Arkansas workers
• Restored immediate expensing for new equipment purchases by small businesses
• Made the Section 199A small business tax deduction permanent

Delivering for Veterans and Servicemembers

• Supported the National Defense Authorization Act becoming law, funding the U.S. military at more than $900 billion to support our troops, modernize our military, and keep America safe
• Secured pay raises for all servicemembers
• Ensured Camp Robinson remains the home of the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center
• Opened the Arkansas's first Fisher House in Little Rock, giving military and veteran families a place to stay at no cost while supporting loved ones in medical care
• Introduced the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act to increase benefits for surviving families and catastrophically injured veterans
• Advanced the Major Richard Star Act to increase benefits for combat-injured veterans

Preserving the Natural State

• Passed the Flatside Wilderness Act to include 2,200 acres of existing Ouachita National Forest land to the Flatside Wilderness Area
• Passed a bill to convey a U.S. Forest Service building to Perry County to support agriculture education and youth development programs
• Advanced the effort to add the Little Red River to the Sustainable Rivers Program to help preserve more than 25 miles of world-class trout fishing

Standing with Rural Arkansas

• Invested $50 billion to strengthen rural health care nationwide, including $208.8 million for Arkansas through the historic Rural Health Transformation Fund
• Supported the $12 billion emergency agriculture relief package to help farmers and ranchers recover from disasters and market disruptions
• Advocated for aggressive screwworm prevention measures to protect American livestock, actions that were ultimately implemented by the administration
• Worked to repeal Biden-era regulations that increased costs and paperwork for farmers and ranchers
• Protected family-owned farms and small businesses by preventing the return of the death tax

The winner of the final Golden Fleece of 2025 is U.S. Customs and Border Protection for failing to fully carry out a clear directive from Congress to deploy effective inspection systems at land ports of entry to combat fentanyl trafficking.

Illicit fentanyl remains one of the most serious public safety threats facing our country and is the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States, including in Arkansas.

Yet a recent government report found that CBP’s congressionally mandated plan to deploy “non-intrusive inspection systems” left out nine major passenger vehicle crossings on the southwestern border, even though most fentanyl is trafficked through Mexico. Those crossings account for a large share of border traffic, and leaving them out created gaps that should never have existed.

I am glad to see this oversight now being corrected under the Trump Administration, but more needs to be done to make sure CBP is doing everything it can to protect communities in Arkansas and across America.

Last week’s Trivia: Which source most shaped the modern image of Santa Claus we recognize today? D) All the Above

49.1% of respondents answered correctly. (24.6% selected "Coca-Cola advertising campaigns 1930s onward)"

My office can arrange tours of the Capitol and many other sights in Washington, D.C., on behalf of you and your family during your stay. Please note: White House tours require Real IDs or other accepted forms of ID, such as a valid passport or U.S. military ID.

If you and your loved ones are planning on visiting Washington, D.C. in the coming months, I recommend you reach out to my office to request tours as soon as possible HERE.

If you have any questions about your visit to Washington, D.C., please call my D.C. office at (202) 225-2506.