Op-Ed

Preparing for the 2012 Farm Bill
June 15, 2012
Op-Ed
Our First Congressional District is home to a variety of agricultural interests. In the fertile Mississippi River Delta we grow cotton, rice, corn, soybeans, wheat and even peanuts. In stark contrast to the Delta stand the Ozark Foothills where we have poultry, cattle, dairy and timber producers. More rice is produced in our district than any other district in the nation. In fact, farm families in our district grow half of all rice produced in the United States. Annually, agriculture in Arkansas is a $16 billion economic juggernaut that employs over 260,000 Arkansans.
Protecting Innocent Life
June 8, 2012
Op-Ed
Life at every stage is precious.
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Healthcare Law Holding back Job Creation
June 1, 2012
Op-Ed

This month the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of President Obama's healthcare reform law. Although no one knows what the justices will decide, we do know the healthcare law is taking a toll on our struggling economy. Over the last few months I have talked to small business owners across our district who say the uncertainty created with the healthcare mandate is keeping them from hiring new employees.

All of the Above Energy
May 25, 2012
Op-Ed
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Providing for the Common Defense
May 18, 2012
Op-Ed
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Protecting Rural Arkansas Post Offices
May 11, 2012
Op-Ed
This week the U.S. Postal Service announced a new strategy to keep rural post offices open. Previously, the Postal Service had planned to close over 3,600 offices, many of them in rural communities. Our First Congressional District could have lost as many as 100 post offices, creating a tremendous hardship for people who rely on their local branch. While the announcement to keep offices in our district open is a step in the right direction, I am pushing ahead with efforts to ensure rural post offices cannot be closed at a future date.
Arkansas’s Natural Resources
May 4, 2012
Op-Ed
Hunting and fishing are a way of life for many in Arkansas. For generations families have come together to fish Arkansas's streams and lakes. The beginning of hunting season is a celebrated like a holiday. To protect the rights of sportsmen, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4089, The Sportsmen's Heritage Act of 2012. The bill protects the ability of American sportsmen to hunt and fish on many public lands.
Keeping Arkansas Families Farming
April 27, 2012
Op-Ed

This week the Department of Labor's proposed rules that would classify the children of farm families as illegal child laborers came to the forefront. Since last August the Department of Labor has been considering new rules that would impose heavy fines on farm families whose children help with regular chores, feed livestock, drive a tractor or help with planting. The proposed child labor rules are the latest battle in the Obama Administration's war on agriculture.

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Ending GSA's Culture of Waste
April 20, 2012
Op-Ed

Recent revelations of the General Services Administration's spending scandal are a prime example of why Americans do not have faith in their government. In 2010, the General Services Administration hosted an opulent conference in Las Vegas that cost the American taxpayers $822,000 dollars. Wasting taxpayer dollars should never be tolerated.

Labor Department takes aim at Family Farms
April 13, 2012
Op-Ed
For many in Arkansas, farming is a family business. Generations join together to cultivate the land and earn an honest living. Many farms are passed from one generation to another and are a tremendous source of pride. Other families scrimp and save to purchase land and pass a legacy onto their children and grandchildren.