Friends,

It has taken well over a decade, but the wait is finally over for the people of Perry County!

The long-abandoned U.S. Forest Service building in Perryville has been renovated and reopened, giving new life to a historic building and creating a valuable resource for the community.

On Monday, I joined local leaders to celebrate the grand opening of the Ruby Blackmon 4-H Center, named in honor of Ms. Blackmon’s years of service to the community.

The newly restored building will serve as a home for Perry County’s 4-H program, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, and the Perry County Conservation District, supporting youth development, agricultural education, and conservation efforts.

I've been fighting for this since I first came to Congress, but this effort goes back even further. 

Think about that. For well over 15 years, Perry County has been trying to take ownership of a building Washington abandoned long ago. Over 15 years! For an empty building that the federal government was still spending taxpayer dollars to maintain.

If that doesn't capture the absurdity of federal bureaucracy, I don't know what does.

The situation became so ridiculous that I had to introduce legislation to force the issue. Last December, my bill passed the House unanimously, 388-0, and the provision is now included in the Senate Farm Bill, which I hope will become law this year.

In the meantime, with my leadership and the vote in the House to transfer the property, the U.S. Forest Service finally got to work and agreed to lease the building to Perry County for just $1 while my legislation to permanently transfer the property moves forward.

Perry County wasted no time. Local leaders and the community came together to restore the once-abandoned building to its former glory, giving it a new purpose that will benefit generations of Perry County families.

In the end, the Washington bureaucracy was no match for the determination of the Arkansans who kept fighting, pushing, and working until the job was done.

Thank you to Perry County Judge Larry Blackmon, Chamber leader Danny Crain, Extension Agent Blake Erbach, Mayor John Roland, and State Representative Mary Bentley for their dedication to making this long-overdue project a reality.

Exploring Economic Opportunities in Conway County

Following the ribbon-cutting in Perryville, I visited the site for a proposed port in Conway County to learn more about the next steps needed to move the project forward. Thank you to State Representative Mary Bentley and local officials in Conway and Perry counties for their work to expand economic opportunities and bring more jobs to central Arkansas.

Discussing Disaster Preparedness with FEMA

I sat down with FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton in Little Rock to discuss cybersecurity, flood insurance, disaster mitigation, and federal emergency management programs.

Making sure Arkansas families and communities have the resources they need to prepare for and recover from disasters remains a priority.

Visiting Future Leaders at Morrilton Intermediate School

I enjoyed visiting three sixth-grade classes at Morrilton Intermediate School to answer questions about Congress, government, and public service.

The students also participated in our Veteran Thank You Cards Project, showing their appreciation for those who have served our nation. Thank you to Principal Chandra Egger and the students for the warm welcome!

In addition to making housing more affordable and accessible, my 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act builds on my years of work to bring accountability to public housing by including meaningful reforms to strengthen oversight, increase transparency, and protect taxpayer dollars:

Strengthening Congressional Oversight
Section 701 requires annual testimony from the HUD Secretary on public housing conditions, agency performance, and efforts to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

Improving Financial Accountability
Section 702 requires monthly reports to Congress on the financial health of the FHA's mortgage insurance fund.

Increasing Homelessness Program Oversight
Section 703 strengthens congressional oversight of federal efforts to combat homelessness.

Holding Public Housing Authorities Accountable
Section 805 requires greater transparency and reporting from federal monitors and receivers overseeing troubled public housing authorities.

Last year, I was proud to vote for the Working Families Tax Cuts, which became law last summer. This historic legislation prevented the largest tax hike in American history, delivered new tax relief for workers, families, seniors, and small businesses, and put more money in the pockets of hardworking Arkansans.

Here are some of the tax wins I've helped deliver in the 119th Congress:

• No Tax on Tips: Deduct up to $25,000 in qualified tip income annually.
• No Tax on Overtime: Deduct up to $12,500 in qualified overtime pay annually, or $25,000 for married couples filing jointly.
• Tax Relief for Seniors: An additional $6,000 deduction for eligible Americans age 65 and older, or $12,000 for qualifying married couples.
• No Tax on Car Loan Interest: Deduct up to $10,000 annually in interest on loans for qualifying new American-made vehicles.
• Permanent Lower Income Tax Rates: Prevented the expiration of the lower individual income tax rates enacted in 2017.
• Larger Standard Deduction: Permanently increased the standard deduction, reaching $32,200 for married couples and $16,100 for individuals in 2026.
• Expanded Child Tax Credit: Increased the credit to $2,200 per qualifying child.
• Trump Accounts: Established tax-advantaged investment accounts for children, including a $1,000 federal contribution for eligible children born between 2025 and 2028.
• More Affordable Childcare: Expanded the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and increased tax-free employer-provided dependent care benefits.
• Adoption Tax Relief: Made up to $5,000 of the Adoption Tax Credit refundable, adjusted annually for inflation.
• Small Business Tax Relief: Made the 20% Qualified Business Income Deduction permanent.
• Immediate Business Expensing: Permanently restored 100% bonus depreciation for qualifying business investments.
• Paid Family Leave: Made permanent the employer tax credit for qualifying paid family and medical leave.

Last week’s trivia: From which country did the United States purchase the Louisiana Territory in 1803? C) France

69.2% of respondents answered correctly.

Treasury has finalized the investment lineup for Trump Accounts.

Initial contributions go into a default, low-cost fund tracking the broader U.S. stock market, chosen specifically to keep fees well below the legal cap.

Families can also choose from four additional low-cost index funds:

• iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV)
• Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI)
• State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (SPTM)
• iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT)

These funds have been selected to provide diversified exposure across major segments of the financial markets while keeping investment costs low.

These accounts can be managed through the Trump Accounts app, available now on the Apple App Store and Google Play. If you haven't downloaded it yet, do so today.

All kids born between January 2025 and December 2028 are eligible for a $1,000 federal contribution into a Trump Account. Millions of families have already signed up.

You can open an account by filing IRS Form 4547 through TrumpAccounts.gov, or when filing your taxes.

To learn more, click HERE or call my Little Rock office at (501) 324-5941.

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.