WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), embraced Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle’s commitment to build “infrastructure over paperwork” across all functions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a hearing focusing on the Corps’ projects, programs and priorities.

Telle and Boozman discussed the need to streamline processes and provide clarity to deliver more timely, viable and effective projects in Arkansas and nationwide.  

“Congress and our project sponsors continue to encounter inconsistent explanations between districts, divisions, and headquarters when it comes to project readiness and work plan prioritization. These inconsistencies slow projects and create confusion for local partners,” said Boozman.

“One of the features of ‘building infrastructure not paperwork’ has to do with harmonizing and making consistent the work that we do from district to district. We have to make sure that we have consistency. A state like yours that is divided among multiple districts…ought to get the same customer service and same level of support, same level of transparency whether they’re in the Little Rock District or the Memphis District. This is something that I’ve been working on since I took this job. General Graham has been a big help ensuring that we can have a consistent and coherent program across the enterprise,” Telle said. “This is not trying to centralize our work here in Washington. This is about empowering our commanders.”  

Boozman also raised the value of Section 214 Funding Agreements in expediting the permitting process for critical infrastructure projects in Arkansas. 

“Many permit applicants including state and local governments, and private developers, rely on the Corps for timely review of permits and consultations. [These] agreements have been successful in Arkansas, very successful. For example, the Arkansas Department of Transportation has been able to fund a liaison to the Corps, increasing coordination and advancing key infrastructure projects,” Boozman said.

“These are authorities where this committee has given us the ability to do what you said –– we have this huge demand for our work whether it’s in the infrastructure part of our work or in the permitting part of our work. Our districts have been incentivized, in the past, to hold all that work for themselves. We would be foolish to not take advantage of expertise and expand our capacity beyond just what we are able to deliver. So ‘building infrastructure and not paperwork’ is all about leveraging our partners, and 214 is a good example of that,” Telle said.

Boozman thanked Telle for his support during the Dardanelle Lock and Dam Spillway failure in August 2025 that threatened to cut off power for thousands of Natural State residents. This incident exposed significant vulnerabilities for the regional energy grid with immediate and negative impacts as the facility provides power for public and rural electric customers, manages flood control and supplies cooling water for Arkansas Nuclear One. 

In 2025, Boozman supported Telle’s nomination to serve in his current position and secured his commitment to ensuring Arkansas would receive the Corps’ full support and resources for critical projects. Boozman and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) hosted Telle in Arkansas in January 2026 for roundtable discussions on cybersecurity threats to public utilities and the energy grid.

Watch Boozman’s exchange with Assistant Secretary Telle here.