The Senate has officially kicked off the August In-State Work Period, and I am glad to be back home in Arkansas and have the opportunity to visit with many Arkansans.

From highlighting the future of health care education to meeting with local businesses and celebrating community growth, I was reminded once again of the innovation, hard work and community spirit that make The Natural State such a special place to call home.

It was especially rewarding to tour the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine, our state’s first dental school and learn more about its effort to train the next generation of dentists right here in our state. I’m proud to have helped secure $15 million in federal funding to support this important investment in Arkansas’s future and meet real oral health needs. This institution will serve our communities, expand access to quality dental care and create new opportunities for Arkansans for years to come.

I also visited with several local forestry and trucking companies in Sheridan to hear directly from those helping keep Arkansas’s economy moving. This third-generation, family-owned forestry and logging company provides good-paying jobs, which helps strengthen rural communities. Our state’s forest industry has weathered good and bad years. Our entire congressional delegation is mindful of the important role it plays.

Businesses like these demonstrate how natural resources often serve as the lifeblood of a local economy and employ hardworking men and women. Protecting and strengthening these industries through pro-growth policies helps create a climate that delivers certainty and confidence for business owners.

In Tichnor, I joined Representative Rick Crawford (R-AR) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Three Rivers project, celebrating an important investment and a new chapter for this vital waterway. We have worked tirelessly, over years, to protect navigation on the MKARNS because it strengthens our supply chains and supports Arkansas’s economy. The progress we have made to ensure it remains operational and efficient will be felt for years to come.

Projects like this show what is possible when federal, state and local leaders work together to invest in the infrastructure that Arkansas communities need to thrive.

Finally, I also appreciated the chance to sit down with leaders at the Clinton National Airport. As a critical transportation hub that connects Arkansas to key cities across our country, it has been a privilege to assist them with achieving several priorities. That includes securing funding for a new curbside canopy, among other projects. I was pleased to learn more about future plans to further enhance its facilities and capacity.

In-State Work Periods are an important opportunity to step away from Washington and spend time with the people and communities I have the privilege of representing. Hearing directly from Arkansans, seeing the work being done in communities across our state and understanding the challenges and opportunities they face helps me better represent their interests in the Senate. It is also essential to crafting effective legislation.

I know that the best solutions come from the ground up rather than through orders from Washington. Whether it is strengthening our rural economy, expanding access to health care, improving infrastructure or supporting Arkansas businesses, these conversations help shape the priorities I take back to Capitol Hill.

There is no substitute for being out and about, listening to Arkansans and seeing firsthand the progress being made in communities across our state.