Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) released the following statement: 

“The appropriations bill that I supported today was far from perfect, but it did incorporate policies negotiated by Speaker Johnson that cut federal spending according to the caps in the Fiscal Responsibility Act and changed the parameters that were in effect under the continuing resolution that continued the policies under Nancy Pelosi’s last omnibus bill. The 2024 Fiscal Year is nearly halfway complete, and we have more work to do on the six remaining appropriations bills that include defense funding and important provisions for Arkansas agriculture and transportation.

"This package adopted the Compacts of Free Associated Amendments (COFA), a policy I led that will be an important step in countering the increasing aggression of the People’s Republic of China under the Chinese Communist Party in the Indo-Pacific region.”

BACKGROUND: 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024:

• Provides funding for a project to extend the Texarkana Regional Airport’s (TXK) primary runway by an additional 500 feet and install navigational lights. The project will allow larger, narrow-body and wide-body aircraft to access the airport and assist the airport in achieving long-term financial self-sufficiency.
• Provides funding to make improvements to the U.S. Highway 82 corridor in Ashley, Chicot, Columbia, and Union Counties.
• Provides funding for flood protection to 1.7 million acres from crop damage, loss of livestock, damage to railroads, highways, and other development from floods on a nearly 30-mile stretch of the Red River from the Hempstead/Lafayette County line in Arkansas southward to approximately 1 mile north of the Maniece Bayou in Lafayette County.
• Provides funding to benefit the Red River Emergency Bank Stabilization Project, which will prevent continued erosion towards a levee in the Long Prairie Levee District and protect critical infrastructure and land along the Red River, including the Dickson Revetment.
• Preserves funding for America's farmers, ranchers, and rural communities, which will be critical when Congress considers the Farm Bill. 
• Funds The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) - a program that plays a significant role in combatting food insecurity.
  • Arkansas is currently a leading state for food insecurity.
• Addresses foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land by improving the tracking system of foreign-owned land, protecting Arkansas land from land grabbing by the CCP.
• Fully funds veterans’ health care programs and protects the 2nd Amendment rights of veterans by preventing the VA from sending information to the FBI about veterans without a judge’s consent.
• Continues critical investments in agriculture research, rural broadband, rural water infrastructure, and animal and plant health programs.
• Includes the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act (COFA), legislation spearheaded by Congressman Bruce Westerman. COFA approves and incorporates by reference agreements signed between the U.S. and the three FAS – the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia – for the new Compact of Free Association (COFA) period, from Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 through FY 2043.
  • COFA agreements are critically important to U.S. national security and citizens of the Freely Associated States who reside in Arkansas. Arkansas is home to the largest population of Marshallese in the continental United States.
  • COFA is a historic step in supporting U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific region and countering the increasing aggression of the People’s Republic of China under the Chinese Communist Party.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 is a package of the following appropriations bills:

• Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
• Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
• Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act
• Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
• Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
• Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act