FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)

Rep. Crawford Votes to Rein in Government Spending

3/6/2024

Washington — Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) voted in support of the largest overall cut to non-defense, non-VA spending in almost a decade. 

“The spending package brought forward after months of deliberation has many conservative wins to be proud of. This legislation cuts spending and prevents a partial government shutdown, which would create more interest-accumulating debt and cost more taxpayer dollars. While it’s not the bill I would have written all on my own, it’s a victory in a time of divided government. I hope we can build on this success for the rest of FY24 and start focusing on more meaningful spending reforms for FY25,” said Rep. Crawford.

As chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Crawford noted that forcing the administration to implement the truck driver pilot program as intended was a huge win for Republicans. 

“It’s absurd that young people can join the military and drive trucks under fire and can drive from Texarkana to West Memphis, but current law prevents the same person from transporting a load from West Memphis to Memphis,” Rep. Crawford added.

Under existing law, Commercial Driver License (CDL) drivers who are between the ages of 18 to 21 may drive semitrucks within a state but may not cross a state line. The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program would remove this barrier and give real data about safety and efficacy for a possible long-term solution.

The legislation, which passed the House Wednesday evening would, among other things:

• Reduce the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives funding by $122 million;
• Expand law enforcement efforts to combat human trafficking, with a focus in rural areas;
• Reduce funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by nearly 10%;
• Fully fund Veteran’s health care benefits;
• Address foreign ownership of U.S. farmland by improving the tracking and foreign investment review systems; and
• Blocks the Biden Administration’s barriers to the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program, which addresses the truck driver shortage.

Arkansas specific items in the bill include, among other things:

• $1 million for Mountain Home’s Water Intake, Water Transmission Main, and Water Treatment Plant Improvement project to be matched with the city’s $4 million contribution;
• $103.2 million for the Army Corps of Engineers’ Three Rivers Project, which will prevent a catastrophic failure of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System;
• $6 million to the State of Arkansas for construction of future I-57 from Walnut Ridge to the Missouri State Line;
• $3 million to the State of Arkansas for Highway 412 Corridor improvements;
• $2 million to Mississippi County for the Blytheville Demolition and Revitalization Project at the former Eaker Air Force Base; and
• $1 million, to match $7.7 million, for water infrastructure improvements at Craighead Technology Park and construction of the Real-Time Crime Center.