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. Family farm operations in Arkansas and across rural America tell our nation’s story. The family farm represents the success that comes from hard work and never being willing to ...
Our economy will not recover until there is a clear plan from Washington to stop spending money that we do not have and a plan to pay down the national debt. When I am home in Arkansas, I constantly hear from parents and grandparents who are worried that their children and grandchildren will not be able to live the American dream because our national debt will cripple our economy for generations. Additionally, small business owners tell me they are afraid to hire more workers or expand their bus...
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Rick Crawford introduced legislation that would prevent the Department of Agriculture from closing any Farm Service Agency offices until the completion of proper county workload assessments. Crawford is cosponsoring the legislation with Congressman Leonard Boswell, (D-IA). The bill, called the “Farm Service Accountability Act,” would prohibit the closure or relocation of offices with a high workload volume. In January, the USDA announced – as part of a consolidatio...
Agriculture is the number one industry in our First Congressional District. 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. Annually, agriculture in Arkansas is a $16 billion economic juggernaut that employees over 260,000 Arkansans. This week I welcomed members of the House Agriculture Committee to Jonesboro for a Farm Bill Fiel...
Congressman Rick Crawford questions witnesses at a 2012 Farm Bill Field Hearing today at Arkansas State University JONESBORO – Today, Congressman Rick Crawford welcomed House Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas to Arkansas State University for one of only four 2012 Farm Bill Field Hearings in the country. The hearing was Arkansas’s chance to have a seat at the table as new policy is being crafted and this marks the first time a Farm Bill Field Hearing has ever been held in Jonesboro. Crawford and ...
WASHINGTON – Congressman Rick Crawford released the following statement after voting for FY 2013 Budget: “At home I constantly hear from parents and grandparents who are afraid that their children and grandchildren will not be able to share in the American dream because the debt is crippling our economy. The vote today is a step towards ending deficit spending and reducing our national debt. I still firmly believe that Congress must take action and pass permanent spending controls that will fund...
Medicare is a promise made to seniors who have paid into the program for years. In Congress I am working to strengthen Medicare for today’s seniors and the next generation of Americans. This week the House of Representatives passed the Medicare Decisions Accountability Act. The measure will repeal the controversial Independent Payment Advisory Board, commonly known as IPAB, which would limit seniors’ access to Medicare services. I am an original cosponsor of the bill and I was proud to support t...
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rick Crawford voted to repeal the controversial Independent Payment Advisory Board or IPAB provision of President Obama’s healthcare bill that passed Congress in 2010. The repeal of IPAB was part of the Medicare Decisions Accountability Act that Crawford co-sponsored and that passed the House of Representatives today. “Arkansas’s First Congressional District is home to many senior citizens who rely on Medicare to see their doctor and get their prescriptions filled...
WASHINGTON – Congressman Rick Crawford will welcome the House Agriculture Committee to Jonesboro, AR for one of only four 2012 Farm Bill Field Hearings. The hearing will be on Friday, March 30th on the campus of Arkansas State University. “It is an honor to host Chairman Lucas and committee members for a field hearing in Jonesboro to give farmers in our region a chance to have their voice heard before a new Farm Bill is written,” said Crawford. “Our district is home to a great variety of agricul...
WASHINGTON – Congressman Rick Crawford, (R-AR) and Congressman Sanford Bishop, (D-GA) will hold a lunch on Wednesday, March 21st with leaders of the American chicken industry. The lunch will serve as the inaugural event of the bipartisan Congressional Chicken Caucus. The Chicken Caucus was established to educate members of Congress and their staffs on the concerns and benefits of the U.S. chicken industry. “Congressman Bishop and I look forward to hosting the Chicken Caucus Lunch on Wednesday. I...
