Rep. Womack pushes back against questions about impact of foreign pilot training center

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, in a Thursday morning interview with the Fort Smith Radio Group (1230 AM) took issue with “very disappointing” comments by a Fort Smith city director about the economic impact of the foreign pilot training center in the city.

Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith was selected in March 2023 by the U.S. Air Force to be the long-term pilot training center supporting F-35 fighter planes purchased by Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Finland, and other countries participating in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The base will also house and provide training support for Republic of Singapore F-16s.

The Air Force estimates the cost to complete the training center is $807 million. The previous estimate, provided by federal and state officials, ranged between $850 million and more than $1.2 billion. About $600 million in federal funds has been appropriated since 2021 for the center. Federal and state officials have said the annual economic impact of the new operation could be $1 billion or more.

Rep. Womack never named the offending director during the radio interview.

In a late November Facebook post, Director Christina Catsavis questioned the promised $1 billion economic impact of the facility at Ebbing, noting, “No reasonable analysis supports numbers like that, and that alone should have prompted more questions years ago.” Catsavis noted her support for the training center and acknowledged that the “economic benefits will arrive in phases as construction begins, families relocate, contractors move in, and mission operations expand.”

She said her concern is that the city of Fort Smith is making financial and policy decisions based on expectations that may not be realistic.

“We owe our residents a clear understanding of what this project will realistically deliver and when,” Catsavis noted in the concluding part of her social media post. “My goal is not to diminish the mission, but to ask the questions that should have been asked years ago, to seek the official economic impact report from the Office of Management and Budget, and to ensure that any information shared with our community is accurate and grounded in reality.”

Womack said Thursday that social media posts from a Fort Smith city director who is “questioning” the impact of “the mission that so many people fought hard for” is “counterproductive.”

“That kind of stuff has to stop. It’s not helpful,” Womack said. “The construction of the facilities, all of the activities associated with it, the economic impact on the greater Fort Smith region is incalculable. And yet, we still have people down there that want to stick their nose into something as if it’s some kind of conspiracy, and that the city of Fort Smith has been sold a bill of goods.”

He said Arkansas’ Congressional delegation, Gov. Sarah Sanders, the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce and many others worked hard to convince the military to make the significant investment to place the training center in Fort Smith. He said it’s unfortunate that the win for the city is not enough for some.

“There is an element down there that just can’t seem to accept the fact that that is a pretty good deal for the city,” Womack said.

In a response to questions from Talk Business & Politics, Catsavis praised Womack, the delegation, and all others who secured “the important asset for our region.”

“I will continue to request that the report citing the one billion dollar economic impact be produced, since we have made infrastructure decisions and other critical decisions based on its findings,” Catsavis said in her response. “I do not believe that is out of line or inappropriate. In fact, the reaction to that request feels like an outsized response to a very basic expectation of transparency. I have nothing but respect for the Congressman and the work he has done for the River Valley, and I value the focus he has placed on our region. I look forward to working with him in the future on matters where we can find agreement and advance the interests of Fort Smith.”

Womack told Talk Business & Politics that the issue is “an unfortunate situation.”

“A lot of great leaders have contributed to this mission,” he said. “Floating the notion that we’ve misrepresented its value, etc., is hurtful to the city. Fort Smith is a great city and I’m honored to advocate for its people. But this kind of rhetoric isn’t helpful.”