The Senate debates legislation to fight human trafficking, leading efforts to honor our Guard and Reserve members and grants for rural Arkansas. Read about these and more in this “Week in Review.” 

• Supporting Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act: The Senate has an opportunity to pass legislation to fight human trafficking and give justice to victims of this heinous crime. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats are blocking this bill. I encouraged the Minority to support this legislation during a speech on the Senate floor. 

• Honoring Guard and Reserve Members as Veterans: I am proud to introduce legislation to honor our Guard and Reserve members as veterans. The Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Act of 2015, a bipartisan, bicameral bill honoring as veterans, Guard and Reserve retirees who served honorably for a minimum of 20 years but do not meet the active duty service requirement to qualify them as veterans under existing law. 

• Improving Highway Safety: I am leading efforts to improve the safety on our roads and highways by introducing The Drug Free Commercial Driver Act of 2015. This legislation would eliminate a hurdle in the commercial trucking industry’s pre-employment drug screening process and enhance industry standards by allowing trucking companies to use a more effective screening option. 

• #ARFarmFriday: Follow me on Instagram as I highlight Arkansas’s agriculture community with a new picture each week of our state’s farms, ranches and agriculture producers using #ARFarmFriday. Post your picture to Instagram using this tag and I may feature your picture one week. 

• USDA Rural Development Grants: Infrastructure is a critical component to providing citizens the services we rely and depend on to meet our needs.  That’s why I was proud to announce that Campbell Station and Mountain Top Public Water Authority in Heber Springs and received funds to improve water infrastructure in the communities. 

• KASU interview: I joined Jonesboro’s KASU radio station to talk about the current debate in the Senate on human trafficking, Loretta Lynch's nomination, the Iran letter, reforming the Earned Income Tax Credit and legislation to improve mental health services for our servicemembers and veterans. Listen to the discussion here. 

• Save Your Vision Month: March is Save Your Vision Month, which is aimed at promoting the importance of regular and comprehensive eye care. The campaign focuses on healthy eyesight and vision in the 21st century, a time where adults spend five to seven hours per day using computers, smartphones, tables, or other handheld electronic devices that put stress and tension on our eyes.

What I Co-Sponsored This Week

S.301—Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
Tags: Banking
S.313—Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2015
Tags: Healthcare
S.628—Improving Access to Maternity Care Act
Tags: Healthcare
S.751—The Clean Air, Strong Economies (CASE) Act
Tags: Jobs/Economy/Energy/Government Reform
S.801—Representation Fairness Restoration Act
Tags: Jobs/Economy
S.828—A bill to clarify that a State has the sole authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing on Federal land within the boundaries of the State.
Tags: Jobs/Economy/Energy/Government Reform
S.Con.Res.10—A concurrent resolution supporting the designation of the year of 2015 as the "International Year of Soils" and supporting locally led soil conservation.