Week in Review: July 29-August 2

The Senate adjourned for the August work period, but we got a lot accomplished in the final week.

• Farm Bill Goes to Conference; Appointed to Committee: I am grateful that Republican Leader McConnell and Ranking Member Cochran have selected me to serve on the conference committee. This is an experienced and knowledgeable group of senators who are all ready to work in good faith to get a fair bill for everyone.
   
• HEAL Act Introduced: Senator Pryor and I introduced the Honoring Ezeagwula and Long (HEAL) Act. Their bill would allow Private William Long and Private Quinton Ezeagwula, Arkansas service members attacked outside of a Little Rock Army recruiting center, to be eligible for the Purple Heart.
   
• Honoring the Life of Lance Cpl. Benjamin Tuttle: In a speech on the Senate floor today, I recognized the sacrifice of Marine Lance Cpl. Benjamin Tuttle, a graduate of Gentry High School, made for our country. 
  
  
• Strengthen Health Care Access for Rural Vets: U.S. Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and I continued their push to support the men and women who have served our country by reintroducing a bipartisan bill that would improve access to health care services for veterans living in rural communities.
  
  
• Pushing for Furlough Protection for National Guard Military Technicians: The readiness of our National Guard depends on military technicians’ ability to do their job. Serving side-by-side with other Guard and military personnel, the role they play in the effectiveness of our military units is nothing less than essential. They should receive the same exemption as other members of the Armed Forces. 

• Eliminate the Death Tax to Create Jobs: I introduced legislation that would permanently eliminate the federal estate and gift taxes that punish America’s small business owners and agriculture producers. This will help create jobs. 

• Why it was Important to Restore the Lower Interest Rates for Student Loans: As tuition rises, the dream of a college diploma often feels out of reach for many young Americans. Read about why it was important to ensure federal student loan rates didn’t double. 

• Chiseling Away at Obamacare: I support a full Obamacare repeal and continue to fight against the onerous rules and regulations imposed by the law. It’s bad for businesses, drives up the cost of our health care and is forcing Arkansans to lose their insurance. We’re exploring opportunities to stop this massive train wreck, chisel away at this law before more damage is done and get answers about how federal agencies intend to implement the President’s health care law - specifically "agencies with no responsibilities" to implement or promote the law. 

• Pushing for Answers on the Mayflower Oil Spill: Senator Pryor and I, along with U.S. Representative Tim Griffin (AR-02) sent a letter to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) urging them to release information regarding the Mayflower oil spill. After repeatedly dodging the question, ExxonMobil this week claimed that PHMSA is the only one with the authority to release the requested information. 

• Rural Airports Get Grants: Senator Pryor and I, along with Congressmen Rick Crawford (AR-1) and Tom Cotton (AR-4) announced that six Arkansas rural airports will receive over $1.2 million in Federal Aviation Administration grants.
   
• Upcoming Mobile Offices: Members of my staff will be in Hope on August 6^th and Piggett and Corning on August 8^th for Mobile Office events. They will be available at the walk-in event to help Arkansans with problems involving the federal government and to hear their thoughts about legislative issues.
  
  
• Thank You to Our Interns: Our interns have been a great help to the people of Arkansas during their time in Washington. I appreciate their dedication and their commitment to working with the staff to address issues concerning Arkansans. They have taken advantage of the opportunities in Washington and learned about legislative process and how we serve the people of our state. I appreciate all they did for the people of Arkansas this summer.