Blog - Weekly Wrap-Up: September 16, 2013 - September 27, 2013

Statement

Restoring Healthy Forest for Healthy Communities Act (H.R. 1526): Arkansas and the federal government have worked together for over a hundred years to both preserve our forests and create jobs within them--providing funds for county roads and rural schools. Unfortunately, in the last twenty years the amount of revenue from timber sales in National Forests has declined quickly. And in 2000, Congress was forced to pass the Secure Rural Schools Act in 2000, which provided funds to counties in place of the lost timber sales. The Restoring Healthy Forest for Healthy Communities Act reforms this program by putting timber lands back in to production over the next decade. The amount of timber sold will increase gradually increasing, allowing Arkansas counties to become increasingly self-reliant. I am optimistic that timber production within our National Forests will return to a sustainable level and I will continue to work with my colleagues to roll back onerous regulations that hinder the sustainable management of our natural resources.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Benghazi Hearing: It's been over a year since the terrorist attack on the American Embassy in Benghazi, Libya that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, but the American people are still seeking answers. Last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee heard testimony from State Department Under Secretary for Management Patrick F. Kennedy. While the hearing shed some light on the decisions made by the special Accountability Review Board, questions still remain. Further, I am skeptical of the Accountability Review Board's performance in this situation and feel changes must be made. The House Foreign Affairs Committee and I will soon mark-up the Accountability Review Board Reform Act of 2013 (H.R. 1768), in response to shortcomings in the Benghazi Accountability Review Board process.

Source