Bruce Westerman
RWhat happened in Fort Hood on November 5, 2009, was horrific. Thirteen innocent lives were lost in an act of jihadist extremism by Nidal Hasan, a man seeking to become a martyr. His actions certainly demand the fullest weight of the justice system to be brought upon him, and I support him getting the death sentence he was given. However, a public execution is not in the best interest of the United States or our justice system, which, for 250 years, has been marked by dignity and great respect around the world. Hasan’s goal was to become a martyr. The last thing we should be doing is offering him the public platform to become one and handing propaganda to the very authoritarian regimes we oppose. I strongly urge President Trump to call an end to this decision that would undermine our system of justice and bolster Islamic extremism. We must always remember the principles our nation was built upon. Turning death, no matter how warranted, into public spectacle is not the answer.
This week, Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) introduced the Veterans Owner-Builders’ Rights Act to expand VA home loans and provide rural veterans with the ability to use a VA home loan to build their own homes. This bill would establish a five-year pilot program under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make direct housing loans to veterans in rural areas for the construction of new homes. “Stable, reliable housing directly contributes to the health and well-being of our veterans. Unfortunately, high construction costs and interest rates keep many from investing in their future as homeowners,” said Congressman Westerman. “By working directly with the VA to expand construction loan access and investing in the domestic building materials we have in our own backyard, this bill initiates an innovative pilot program that lowers housing costs and provides more access for our veterans in addition to supporting rural America and bolstering our domestic wood supply chain. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside my colleague from Washington to deliver real, bipartisan solutions that address the needs of our veteran community.” “Building our own home was one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done. While many vets have the relevant skills, they functionally can’t use their VA home loans and leverage their skills to build a home. In fact, only 30% of vets use their VA home loans at all,” said Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez. “My bill creates a pilot program for rural vets to use provided blueprints and expedited permitting to start building wealth and community-while increasing the housing supply for all of us.” Background: As the U.S. continues to face a shortage of starter homes, giving veterans the flexibility to build a home creates a new path to home ownership. In rural communities especially, housing demand frequently outpaces construction. Many veterans already have the skills and knowledge to build a home, but without benefits that give them the freedom to use those skills, they don’t have an opportunity to build. This means veterans are forced into a narrow band of options for how to use VA home loans. As a result, only about 30% of veterans use VA home loans. Owner-builder opportunities, like the ones this bill creates, simultaneously build wealth for veterans and their families, while adding to the overall housing supply. Specifically, this legislation would: Create a new direct home loan program at VA for rural veterans who want to build their own homes, utilizing the framework and eligibility requirements of an existing VA direct home loan program; Provide blueprints with American wood sourcing and manufacturing requirements to stimulate domestic timber economies; Streamline the permitting application process by requiring permit furnishment within 45 days of submission and covering all associated fees; Provide technical assistance for veterans through the VA or a contracted third party related to the skills necessary to construct or repair a home, as well as for the permit application process; and Safeguard against home-flippers by requiring the veteran to live in the home for at least two years or otherwise accelerate repayment of their loan.
Arkansas truck drivers keep our supply chain rolling. This week, we recognize the men and women who hit the road to deliver the goods that drive our nation’s economy! https://t.co/3nx46e2Skx
🇺🇸25 years later. We will never forget. https://t.co/G8G5QxAFsR
House Republicans understand that peace through strength begins right here in the homeland – in our nation’s factories, arsenals, and depots. By voting to pass the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, Congressman Westerman joins his colleagues in investing in our national defense to expand munitions capacity, restore depleted stockpiles, and grow our defense workforce. The House-passed FY27 NDAA: ✅Revitalizes the defense industrial base ✅Improves servicemember quality of life ✅Gives a well-earned 5% to 7% pay raise for service members ✅Restores lethal capability ✅Strengthens American deterrence ✅Eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse
The Gulf South region is the energy and mineral backbone of the United States. Representing just under 14% of the nation’s population, the Gulf South contributes a staggering $3.7 trillion to the U.S. GDP. As Chairman of the new Gulf South Business Caucus, Congressman Westerman had the opportunity to deliver the keynote address at this year’s @gulfsouthbiz Policy Conference. Through this newly formed caucus, the Congressman looks forward to leading the charge to focus on federal priorities that support our region’s workers, communities, and employers, while continuing to lead the nation in economic competitiveness, energy production, and industrial growth.
“I have had the privilege of knowing Congressman Westerman for many years, and I know his commitment to conservation is not merely a matter of public policy. We have shared many sunrises together in Arkansas duck blinds, watching waterfowl settle into flooded timber and experiencing firsthand the natural resources that make our state so special. Those mornings reinforced what I have long known about Bruce Westerman: his passion for the outdoors is genuine, deeply rooted, and reflected in the work he does on behalf of Arkansas and our nation.” Read the full article here: https://t.co/EfB2sVrBfX
We are blessed to live in the greatest nation in the world. Happy Fourth of July and happy 250 years of independence, America!🇺🇸 https://t.co/pgot8pf1BU
Arkansas, and the United States, have an incredibly abundant source of timber. Unfortunately, we look to nations outside of our borders to supply us with a resource that we have right here in our own back yard. Healthy forest management is more than just taking care of our trees, in fact we have been loving our trees to death. Our forests are overstocked and unhealthy because we have no markets for the wood and rural communities are suffering because their resource and economic opportunity are tied directly to the forests. A nation with such an abundance of timber should never be reliant on other countries to import lumber and pulp products, but that’s where we find ourselves. Recently, we’ve seen paper mills across the country closing – even a few here in the Fourth District. With a background in Forestry and Engineering, Congressman Westerman understands just how important our pulp and paper industry is and he remains heavily focused on legislation that will support such an important economic contributer for Arkansas. This week’s meeting with the Pulp & Paperworkers’ Resource Council to discuss just how important the forest products industry underscored the need for Congress to work diligently to provide its support.
Americans deserve real solutions to their health care issues that the Fair Care Act provides, not partisan talking points and inaction. The Fair Care Act takes politics out of the equation and introduces common sense and competition to the health care marketplace. It covers preexisting conditions, lowers costs, and increases consumer choice by incorporating bipartisan proposals, proven academic research, and scientific data. But most importantly, it is legislation that will give Americans fair coverage at a fair price.
“In short, we pay more for a system that delivers less. We can and must do better.” Read more: https://t.co/SbnPh1qJNJ
Hot Springs National Park served as the perfect backdrop for last week’s @NatResources field hearing, demonstrating how the Great American Outdoors Act 250 investments can spur new public-private partnerships, create jobs, and sustain billions of dollars in spending within rural and gateway communities.
On this day in 1944, the largest seaborne invasion in history was conducted, ultimately changing the trajectory of the Second World War. Today, we honor the thousands of allied troops who fought boldly and bravely for something greater than themselves. May we continue to honor their legacy and remember that freedom is never free.
ICYMI: Congressman Westerman talked to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette about his health care bill, the Fair Care Act. His comprehensive health care reform plan would lower costs and expand coverage for all Americans. Read the full article at the link here: https://t.co/EWGACcGoz9 https://t.co/UOTVMdho98
Today we pause to honor the selfless sacrifice of our fallen heroes — the men and women in uniform who gave their lives so that we can be free. May we never forget the cost of liberty. https://t.co/tQNipKBu8G
A major focus for Congressman Westerman this Congress has been cutting the burdensome red tape to streamline our federal permitting process so that America can get back to doing what it does best: building. The @TransportGOP BUILD America 250 Act makes great strides in cutting red tape so that building critical infrastructure projects can be done in a more cost-effective and timely manner.
In 1982, President Reagan said, “Our country's outstanding highway system was built on the user fee principle—that those who benefit from a use should share in its cost. It is appropriate that we rely on this same concept now.” Over 40 years later, today’s @TransportGOP bill builds upon that principle.
Today, Congressman Westerman is working with his colleagues in the @TransportGOP Committee to mark up the BUILD America 250 Act, a 5-year bill to invest in the roads, bridges, and other critical surface transportation infrastructure Americans rely on every day.
JUST REINTRODUCED IN THE HOUSE: Fair Care Act! For a health care system that is the largest contributor to our federal debt and where Americans spend over $5 trillion annually, we cannot afford to let partisan politics stand in the way of common sense and quality care. That's why Congressman Westerman reintroduced the Fair Care Act. It's time to take politics out of the equation and inject common sense and competition into the health care marketplace to make health care more economical, straightforward, and accessible to all Americans. The Fair Care Act: ✔️Modernizes health savings accounts by merging health care accounts into one simple Health Savings Account. ✔️Creates changes to the insurance market to make it easier to access cheaper health plans, including short-term insurance. ✔️Promotes price transparency and competition to reduce the monopoly power of hospitals, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical industries for lower costs. ✔️Creates reforms to Medicare and Medicaid to offer greater help for those who may not qualify for Medicaid but still struggle to afford insurance, and allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices and compare insurance plans so senior citizens can get tailored care instead of getting stuck in a one-size-fits-all system.
In Arkansas and across the country, pulpwood mills are closing, leaving in their wake unemployed Americans and underutilized, valuable wood products that have gone to waste. This is neither benefiting our rural communities nor stewarding our natural resources well, and it leaves the forest industry in desperate need of new markets for residuals and low-value wood. On the House Floor, Congressman Westerman urged his colleagues to vote in favor of @RepBentz’s amendment to the Farm Bill that expands the definition of woody biomass that ultimately benefits our rural communities and unleashes greater opportunities for our timber products industry.
Today, Congressman Westerman launched the bipartisan Gulf South Business Caucus that will champion pro-growth policies and regional development across the Gulf states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas for energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, and industrial growth. The Gulf South region is integral to America’s energy production, manufacturing, and workforce demand. When the Gulf South region succeeds, America succeeds!
National Work Zone Awareness week is an excellent reminder for all of us to stay alert, slow down, and be mindful of the men and women working to improve our roadways! https://t.co/x5eaTAYlKY
Happy Earth Day! We observe this day as a reminder to be good stewards of the abundant resources we have been given. https://t.co/LGMeMOEsRw
The Fourth District thanks you for your service, Staff Sgt. Chitwood. Welcome home. https://t.co/H36M0c5oZR
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