Friends,

Great companies need great workers.

I saw that clearly this week when I visited Nabholz in Conway and the Saline County Career Technical Campus in Benton. One has built a hugely successful company by investing in skilled workers for decades. The other is preparing the next generation to help Arkansas businesses grow.

At Nabholz, I was joined by Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling and Senator Tom Cotton to tour the company’s new facility and visit with its workers. Founded by Bob Nabholz nearly 80 years ago, the company has grown from a small construction business into one of the nation’s premier family- and employee-owned construction firms, with more than 1,800 employees. Through it all, Conway has remained home.

Just as impressive is Nabholz’s commitment to its people. In 1973, the company launched what became Nabholz University, Arkansas’s first in-house carpentry apprenticeship approved by the Department of Labor. More than 800 employees have completed its programs, with many advancing to become superintendents, project managers, and company leaders. Nabholz also partners with local schools to give students hands-on experience.

In Benton, seven school districts, local governments, and ASU Three Rivers have come together at the Saline County Career Technical Campus to prepare students for good-paying careers. The campus offers ten pathways, including welding, HVAC, advanced manufacturing, construction, cybersecurity, and health sciences, with opportunities to earn industry certifications and college credit.

While I was there, I watched students building new holiday houses for Christmas on the Square at the Saline County Courthouse. It was a fitting example of students putting their skills to work for their own community.

These visits show why a skilled workforce matters to Arkansas’s economic future. It helps homegrown companies like Nabholz thrive and gives our state an edge in attracting new investment. Companies like Caterpillar, Welspun, Dassault Falcon Jet, and Westrock Coffee are already growing in central Arkansas and creating new opportunities for workers.

As Co-Chair of both the bipartisan Congressional Skilled Workforce Caucus and the House Entrepreneurship Caucus, I am working to strengthen career and technical education, expand apprenticeships, and support the businesses creating jobs across our state.

Great companies need great workers. Central Arkansas is blessed to have both.

I joined the Little Rock Regional Chamber’s Metro Real Estate Update to discuss my 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and my efforts in Congress to expand housing opportunities, cut unnecessary red tape, and make homeownership more attainable for hardworking Arkansas families.

I also enjoyed the conversation with Arkansas Business’s Mitch Bettis and hearing from Chamber Senior Vice President Jack Thomas about the future of 30 Crossing Park.

More than 700 House-passed bills are still awaiting Senate action, many of which would directly benefit Arkansas families, small businesses, and communities. Here are three more bills the Senate needs to take up:

H.R. 2478 – Financial Exploitation Prevention Act

Gives financial firms additional authority to temporarily delay certain transactions when they reasonably suspect an older or vulnerable adult is being financially exploited. 

H.R. 7305 – Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026

Authorizes the Department of Energy to establish Energy Threat Analysis Centers nationwide, bringing together industry data and government intelligence to better identify and assess threats to the nation’s energy infrastructure. 

H.R. 6703 – Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act

Expands health coverage options for employers and employees, including small businesses; provides funding for cost-sharing reductions; and increases transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers. 

My 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is now law and includes nearly 60 provisions to make buying a home easier, expand access to affordable mortgages, and help more Arkansas families build financial security. Here are a few ways the law will help make homeownership more attainable:

Putting Families Ahead of Wall Street

Section 1001 restricts large institutional investors from purchasing certain single-family homes, helping protect opportunities for Arkansas families to buy homes rather than compete with large corporations.

Making Smaller Mortgages More Accessible

Section 105 establishes a pilot program to expand access to mortgages of $100,000 or less, while Sections 401 and 402 require federal regulators to examine lending rules and fees that can make smaller mortgages harder to obtain. This is particularly important in rural Arkansas, where home prices are often lower.

Helping Families Save for a Home

Section 404 establishes a pilot program to help families participating in HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency program grow their savings and take steps toward homeownership.

Giving Homebuyers a Fairer Appraisal Process

Section 704 requires lenders offering federally backed mortgages to have a process for homeowners and buyers to challenge potentially inaccurate home appraisals and request a review.

Last week’s trivia: Arkansas agriculture contributes billions of dollars to the state’s economy each year. Which industry is Arkansas the nation’s #1 producer of? A. Rice 

73.7% 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 be able to 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.