As of this week, Senate Democrats have voted 12 times not to fund the federal government, resulting in blocked pay for our men and women in uniform, delayed seniors’ cost-of-living adjustment, threatened access to telehealth and even nutrition assistance for vulnerable populations — all to score political points.

Hardworking Arkansans and Americans across the nation are dealing with the consequences while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claims that every day “gets better” for his party, and one House Democratic leader outrageously, callously admitted to using Arkansas families and our economy as political leverage. 

Despite weeks of disappointing rhetoric and intentional obstruction from our colleagues across the aisle, Senate Republicans remain focused on serving our constituents. We are not letting our responsibilities as lawmakers fall to the wayside as we continue to urge our Democratic colleagues to join us in reopening government. Committees including the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry panel that I chair have continued to hold hearings and review legislation.

We are committed to supporting our farmers, ranchers and ag producers with vital policies that help them feed, fuel and clothe the world.

In late October, our committee successfully passed several bipartisan measures that specifically benefit The Natural State. My colleagues and I approved legislation to expand the Flatside Wilderness Area in the Ouachita National Forest, furthering a long-time initiative encouraged by generations of Arkansas’s elected officials and now led by Congressman French Hill (AR-02). I was pleased to help advance this effort to protect such a special natural resource so visitors for many years to come can continue enjoying the opportunity to hike, hunt and recreate in this area.

We also passed another initiative championed by Congressman Hill to grant Perry County ownership of a small land parcel that includes a vacant U.S. Forest Service building. This area and facility can be renovated and used by the county’s Conservation District, the University of Arkansas Extension Program and 4-H Youth Development to provide the community with an important outpost for economic and educational benefits. Transferring ownership is also efficient since it removes maintenance costs the federal government was paying for an unused facility.

Finally, our committee also passed a package introduced by Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health and strengthen forest management around the country. I was pleased to help guide these bills through the Ag Committee and look forward to their consideration by the full Senate. 

I am encouraged both my Republican and Democratic colleagues supported these relevant policy updates and other legislative items. Though I am frustrated with the partisan tactics that led to the shutdown, I know that America functions best when we can find common ground and I hope that spirit will prevail again so we can pass the bipartisan, stopgap funding necessary to reopen our government.  

My offices remain available to serve Arkansans as my team and I work diligently on behalf of our state. We are eager to do that outside the constraints of a shutdown and believe the bipartisan solution on the table is the fastest, most reasonable path to get there.