The Israeli Prime Minister addresses Congress, the Senate attempts to override the Keystone veto and a new addition to Team Boozman. Read about these and more in this “Week in Review.”   

• Review the Treasury Department’s Fiscal Year 2016 funding request: I chaired my first hearing of the Financial Services and General Government subcommittee where Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and IRS Commissioner John Koskinen testified. Watch my opening statement. 

• I Stand With Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress. He delivered a powerful, forceful speech. His message for us to stand together must be the priority for any negotiations to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat. There is no viable containment option. In a floor speech in advance of the Prime Minister’s address, I said nothing short of full elimination of Iran’s nuclear program can honestly be considered a victory. If these talks fail to produce an agreement requiring that of Iran, Congress must have the authority to reject it. 

• Senate Attempts to Override Keystone Veto: I voted to override President Obama’s veto of bipartisan legislation approving the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Unfortunately the attempt fell five votes short of the number needed to override the veto. 

• Monticello Twenty for the Future: Monticello's Twenty for the Future representatives shared the economic developments being made in the community and we’re happy to continue that momentum and see how we can help these efforts to develop and attract jobs to the region. Watch the video. 

• Northern Long-Eared Bat Designation Oversight: I led a letter with my senate colleagues to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director questioning the agency’s consideration of adding the Northern Long-Eared Bat to the endangered species list. These bats can be found across the entire state of Arkansas, and activities throughout most of our state could be impacted by the current proposals from the Service.  Read more about these efforts. 

• Welcome to the Team: Colonel (ret.) Anita Deason joined my staff as an advisor for military and veterans’ issues. She brings over three decades of military service to the table along with a keen understanding of issues facing our servicemembers, veterans and military families. A resident of Conway, Col. Deason will be based out of my Little Rock office but will travel around the state. 

• Water Resources Research: I was pleased to join Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) to introduce legislation to reauthorize federal grant funding for water resources research institutes. The Water Resources Research Amendments Act (WRRA) will provide continued support for important research on state and regional water challenges, provide training for hydrologists and other water-related scientists and engineers, and fund public outreach and education on water issues.  This will allow Arkansas and other states to solve serious problems related to our water needs. 

What I Co-Sponsored This Week

S.423—Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2015
Tags: Banking & Finance/Government Reform
S.440—Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act
Tags: Jobs/Education
S.611—A bill to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize technical assistance to small public water systems, and for other purposes.
Tags: Government Reform/Infrastructure
S.637 –A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend and modify the railroad track maintenance credit.
Tags: Transportation/Infrastructure
S.653—Water Resources Research Amendments Act of 2015
Tags: Government Reform/Infrastructure
S.Con.Res.7—A  concurrent resolution authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for a ceremony to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.
S.Res.94 –A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Career and Technical Education Month.
Tags: Jobs/Education