Congressional Roundup: Cotton’s Cuba Bill Likely To Stir Debate

The state’s congressional delegation returned this week to Washington, D.C. to tackle several issues including infrastructure and national security.

DELEGATION ANNOUNCES AIRPORT PROJECTS AWARDED FUNDING
At least 11 airports in the state will receive nearly $6.5 million in funding to help with facility upgrades and expansions, the state’s congressional delegation announced Wednesday.

The airports receiving funding are as follows:

Ash Flat: Sharp County Regional Airport will receive $440,325 to rehabilitate the airport apron and runway.
Benton: Saline County Regional Airport will receive $528,183 to expand the airport apron.
Clarendon: Clarendon Municipal Airport will receive $206,764 to extend taxiway.
Clinton: Clinton Municipal Airport will receive $194,776 to install taxiway lighting.
Corning: Corning Municipal Airport will receive $244,332 to rehabilitate the airport apron.
De Witt: De Witt Municipal Airport will receive $335,250 to expand and rehabilitate the airport apron.
Newport: Newport Municipal Airport will receive $557,072 to install airfield guidance signs, miscellaneous NAVAIDS and to rehabilitate the runway.
Russellville: Russellville Regional Airport will receive $124,184 to acquire land for approaches.
Searcy: Searcy Municipal Airport will receive $150,000 to rehabilitate the airport runway.
Texarkana: Texarkana Regional –Webb Field will receive $3,403,151 to rehabilitate the airport runway.
Waldron: Waldron Municipal Airport will receive $318,812 to rehabilitate the airport runway.

COTTON CO-SPONSORS CUBA BILL
A bill that would ensure that any increase in resources to Cuba reach the Cuban people by banning financial transactions with the Castro regime’s military and security services was introduced this week.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is a co-sponsor for the Cuban Military Transparency Act.

The bill was also co-sponsored by Sens. Robert Menendez, D-NJ, Orrin Hatch, R-UT, Ted Cruz, R-TX, Cory Gardner, R-CO, David Vitter, R-LA and Mark Kirk, R-Ill.

“The United States must stand squarely on the side of the Cuban people and take every possible action to weaken the brutal rule of the Castro regime,” Cotton said. “This bill is one such step. It denies the Castro security services hard currency and aims to hold the regime accountable for its past crimes and misdeeds.”

The bill would:

· Identify and prohibit financial transactions with the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Ministry of the Interior, their sub-divisions and leadership;
· Amend the Department of State’s Rewards for Justice Program to include the arrest or conviction of the individuals responsible for the February 24th 1996 deadly attack on United States aircraft;
· Direct the Attorney General to coordinate with Interpol regarding the capture of U.S. fugitives in Cuba;
· Direct the President to provide reports on the role of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior in Cuba and the return of property that has been confiscated by the Government of Cuba; and
· Provide exemptions for current “cash-in-advance” sale of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices and remittances to family members and transactions related to democracy promotion programs.

WOMACK NAMES SERVICE ACADEMY APPOINTEES
On Thursday, Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, named 14 students that were nominated to the nation’s Service Academies.

The students, who graduate high school this year, are set to graduate from the Service Academies in 2019.

The students are:

United States Military Academy:

• Jordan Cascio, Homeschooled (Bella Vista)
• Elisha Conner, Harrison High School
• William Farrell, Northside High School
• Jason Hunt, Bentonville High School
• Harrison Rooney, Bentonville High School

United States Naval Academy:

• Amanda Agana, Fayetteville High School/Naval Academy Preparatory School
• David Carnahan, Gravette High School/Naval Academy Preparatory School
• Jackson Mitchell, Fayetteville High School
• Bennett Moehring, Bentonville High School
• Michael Peyton Wood, Har-Ber High School

United States Air Force Academy:

• Alexandra Bochart, Bentonville High School
• Dillan Hett, Pottsville High School
• James McMahon, Fayetteville High School

United States Merchant Marines Academy:

• Haley Galloway, Bentonville High School

Air Force Academy Preparatory School:

• Joseph Saucier, Rogers Heritage High School
• Mitchell Williams, Bentonville High School

Womack said he appreciated the sacrifice and patriotism of the students heading to the military academies.

“These young men and women represent America’s finest, and I am proud that they will not only represent Arkansas’s Third District with honor and distinction at our prestigious U.S. Service Academies, but that they will become future leaders in our military,” Womack said. “Their patriotism is humbling. I extend my most sincere congratulations and gratitude to the 2015 appointees.”

WESTERMAN SPONSORS FOREST BILL
On Thursday, Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, introduced a bill that he said would help protect forests around the nation.

The Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 would provide protection to the national forest system by implementing proactive management standards intended to lessen the threat of wildfires and other risks, Westerman said.

“For far too long, our nation’s forests have been fighting a battle for survival. The conflict is not with logging but with the effects of reactive versus proactive management which has resulted in costly confrontations with wildfire, disease, and insects,” Westerman said. “This bill would utilize tools already available to the U.S. Forest Service and provide protection to America’s forests by reducing the risks of wildfires through proper management techniques.”

The bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Ryan Zinke, R-MT, Glenn Thompson, R-PA and Ann Kirkpatrick, D-AZ.

The bill has received praise from House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop of Utah, who also noted Subcommittee on Federal Lands Chairman Tom McClintock’s work on the legislation.