Boozman Bulletin

This week I hosted listening sessions in Fort Smith and Monticello to get input from Arkansas agricultural producers as Congress begins writing the next farm bill. Given the intense pressure our farmers and ranchers are experiencing with increased costs for fertilizer, machinery, labor, field, seed and livestock feed, it's even more critical that we create a policy to ensure our producers have the certainty and predictability needed to continue to produce the safest, most affordable and most abundant food and fiber in the world. The next farm bill is key to supporting our producers and rural communities so Arkansas can continue to be leader in the industry.

ImageWe kicked off the listening sessions at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith.

ImageFarm bill listening session at the University of Arkansas Monticello.

ImageCongressman Westerman joined the listening session in Monticello.

I was pleased Congressman Bruce Westerman could join our listening session in Monticello. It's important to work together to ensure our family farmers and ranchers have the tools they need to succeed.

Agriculture policy may be complex, and debates about food policy may get less attention than other hot button issues, but as the high cost of groceries show, these decisions matter to all of us.

These listening sessions expand on my commitment to Arkansas agricultural producers and rural communities. The Senate Agriculture Committee has already hosted three hearings this year on farm bill titles and we will continue to do so. Last year, Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and I held a field hearing in Jonesboro. I also enjoy visiting with producers across the state during my annual ag tour.

Boozman-Backed Bill to Bolster Recruitment and Retention of VA Workforce Advances

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Last week, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee passed legislation I championed that would bolster recruitment and retention of clinicians at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The VA Clinician Appreciation, Recruitment, Education, Expansion, and Retention Support (CAREERS) Act would provide the VA with more tools to compete for highly qualified medical personnel, support training for current and future VA clinicians to ensure veterans receive the highest quality of care, and provide more oversight and public transparency on VA’s efforts to address vacancies. 

The VA CAREERS Act will:

  • Modernize the VA’s antiquated pay system for physicians and other high-level clinicians, which will particularly benefit rural and other hard-to-hire markets;
  • Pay for licensure exam costs for future clinicians participating in the VA scholarship programs;
  • Expand eligibility for more health care staff to be reimbursed for ongoing professional education costs; and
  • Increase and fine-tune the VA’s workforce data reporting requirements to help the VA and Congress be better informed on how to improve the hiring and onboarding process for future employees enterprise-wide.

Planning a Trip Abroad? 

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The U.S. State Department recently announced processing time for passports is increasing and is encouraging travelers to plan ahead for trips abroad. Visit travel.state.gov to get the details on the forms, fees and timeline to be prepared. Arkansans who need help expediting a passport for urgent international travel or have run into a problem with this process can reach out to my office for assistance.

In my latest column, we share some of the ways we're helping Arkansans with passport issues and other questions we frequently hear during this time of year. Can we help you? Read the column here.

Serve Arkansas as a Summer Intern

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We're accepting applications for summer interns in our Arkansas and Washington, D.C. offices. This is a great opportunity for college students or recent graduates to serve Arkansans and experience the legislative process.  

Interns gain valuable experience in public service, get a firsthand look at the inner-workings of Congress and help make the lives of Arkansans better. Watch what interns in our Washington, D.C. office did last year in this video they produced. Are you or someone you know interested in participating as a paid intern or earning college credit? Learn more and apply here.

Get Connected

Stay up-to-date with what I’m doing for Arkansans via social media. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If this was forwarded to you, sign up for my e-newsletter.
                                                                       

   
   
   

            
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