News List

Balancing the Budget with Shared Responsibility

March 16, 2012

This week I will introduce The Shared Responsibility in Preserving America’s Future Act, which would require passage of a balanced budget amendment by the Congress in exchange for a 5 percent surtax on individual income exceeding $1 million annually. While my proposal may turn some heads, I hope it can be the beginning of Republicans and Democrats working together to fundamentally change Washington and start reducing our national debt. Trillion dollar deficits are not sustainable. Extreme partis...

Crawford Proposes Deficit Plan that includes Balanced Budget Amendment and Millionaires Tax

March 15, 2012

Congressman Rick Crawford today introduced The Shared Responsibility in Preserving America’s Future Act, which would require passage of a balanced budget amendment by the Congress in exchange for a 5 percent surtax on individual income exceeding $1 million annually. “The era of yearly trillion-dollar deficits is unsustainable,” said Crawford. “Extreme partisan politics has kept Republicans and Democrats from addressing this problem. If we are going to take financial calamity off the table both p...

JOBS Act: Bipartisan Ideas for Economic Growth

March 9, 2012

Small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation’s economy. Family-owned small businesses are more than just a place to work, they are living and breathing enterprises that are often passed from one generation to another. Arkansas is full of successful small businesses and family startups. This week the House of Representatives took action to revive our economy and restore opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The Jumpstart Our Business Startups, or JOBS Act, is a bipartisan bill...

Crawford presses U.S. Rice with Iraq

March 5, 2012

WASHINGTON – Congressman Rick Crawford led members of the House Rice Caucus in calling on Iraq to ease import rules for American rice. Crawford co-founded the Rice Caucus in the United States House of Representatives and took the lead on sending a letter to Iraqi Minister of Trade Khair Alla Babaker asking him to ease import rules for American rice. “Arkansas’s First Congressional District in the leading rice producing district in the United States. Our producers supply a quality product that is...

Crawford to host Farm Bill hearing in Jonesboro

March 5, 2012

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rick Crawford announced that the House Agriculture Committee will hold a field hearing on the 2012 Farm Bill in Jonesboro. The hearing will be on Friday, March 30th on the campus of Arkansas State University. “Agriculture is the number one industry in our First Congressional District. Hosting Chairman Lucas for a field hearing in Jonesboro will give farmers in our region a chance to have their voice heard before a new Farm Bill is written,” said Crawford. “Our dis...

Getting Washington Bureaucrats out of Arkansas Classrooms

March 2, 2012

A quality education can be the spark that ignites imagination and enables young people to pursue their highest dreams. As the father of two young children, I am a strong advocate for local control of education. Teachers and administrators in Arkansas understand the needs of their students better than Washington bureaucrats can. As Congress begins the process of crafting new education policy, I am seeking input from teachers and administrators in our First District. Last week I met with educators...

American Energy to Fuel Economic Growth

February 24, 2012

As of today, the price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Jonesboro is $3.45. Just a year ago that same gallon of regular gasoline would have cost $2.96. We have all heard news reports that gas could hit a record $5.00 a gallon this summer. I talked to a factory worker this week in Mountain Home who is already spending 20 percent of his monthly income on gas. At a time when our economy is struggling, higher gas prices will put a huge burden on working families trying to make ends meet. The risi...

The Right to Religious Liberty

February 17, 2012

Religious freedom is the bedrock of our democracy. The first settlers to cross the Atlantic made great sacrifices to move their families and livelihoods to an unknown land for the basic right of worshipping God without government intrusion. Early colonial charters and eventually the Bill of Rights were written to ensure that Americans have religious liberty. The relationship between church and state has grown more complicated since our nation’s founding. The tension between government and religi...

Crawford statement on Payroll Tax Extension

February 17, 2012

WASHINGTON – Today, Congress Rick Crawford released the following statement about the House of Representative’s payroll tax extension vote: “Today’s vote will extend tax relief to Arkansas’s working families. The vote means that a dad in Paragould will be able to put another tank of gas in his truck to get to work. It means that a mom in West Memphis will be able to pay for her children’s school lunch for another week, and it means that a senior citizen in Mountain Home will be able to visit her...

Crawford Statement on President Obama's FY 2013 Budget

February 14, 2012

This marks the fourth straight year that President Obama has proposed a budget with over $1 trillion in deficit spending. A budget is a statement of priorities and clearly President Obama has not made deficit reduction a priority. This budget has already been panned as an election year ploy. I genuinely welcome all ideas to table but we cannot play politics with the federal debt that we are passing onto our children. My constituents want responsible action from Washington to address the national...

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