Issue Position: Economic Development
Issue Position
"As we move forward, I will continue supporting legislation that cuts taxes for working families and small businesses, creates jobs here at home and strengthens our state's infrastructure so that we can come out of this economic recession stronger than ever before."
- U.S. Congressman Mike Ross
The past two years have been a tough time for our national economy. At one point, we stood on the brink of a financial system meltdown. At another, our nation's unemployment reached its highest level since 1983. We did not get into this mess overnight and we will not get out of it overnight. However, on all accounts, it appears the economic recession has bottomed out and a slow economic recovery is underway.
I do not think there is one silver bullet, one plan or a single piece of legislation that alone will solve our high unemployment. There is only so much government can do, even during tough economic times. Job creation will ultimately depend on the real job creators: businesses across America. As we move forward, I will continue supporting legislation that cuts taxes for working families and small businesses, creates jobs here at home and strengthens our state's infrastructure so that we can come out of this economic recession stronger than ever before.
Additionally, economic development in the Mississippi Delta Region continues to be a priority of my work in Congress. I am proud to serve as President of the Mississippi River Valley Flood Control Association and as Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Mississippi River Delta Caucus.
Small Business Support
In 1938, William Dillard opened a small clothing store in Nashville, Arkansas. Struggling as any business does in its first few years, his small shop pulled in $1.62 on its worst day. Through innovation, hard work and dedication, William's store began to grow. Today, Dillard's department stores are located across the United States and bring in about 19 million dollars per day.
From the establishment of the first Wal-Mart store in Rogers to Hot Springs-based Mountain Valley Spring Water Company, the state of Arkansas has a rich history of small business success. In fact, the opportunity for any American to start his or her own business and become successful through hard work and determination has long made our nation unique in world history.
Our small businesses are leading the way in private-sector job growth, which is the only way we are going to pull through this economic recovery and sustain that growth in the long term. In fact, the over 200,000 small businesses here in Arkansas employ nearly one million people and provide nearly half of all Arkansas jobs.
While unemployment seems to be on the decline, our economy is still struggling to recover. We are all in this economic recovery together and so I wanted to meet with small business owners throughout our district to listen to them, take their concerns back to Washington and find ways the public and private sectors can better work together to create more private-sector jobs and boost economic development.
During the last session of Congress - the 111th session or over the past two years - I voted for and the House passed 14 tax cuts for small businesses that have been signed into law by the President. In fact, over the last two years, these tax cuts have affected over 27 million small businesses in America, many of which are right here in Arkansas.
For instance, I was proud to help pass the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which is one of the most significant pieces of small business legislation in over a decade. The Small Business Jobs Act provided eight different types of tax cuts for small businesses to spur investment, growth, access to capital, new starts and hiring, all of which are now in effect and applying to small businesses' taxes. And, the law was fully paid for by cracking down on foreign corporations that try to evade U.S. tax laws and gain an advantage over American companies that play by the rules.
As any businessman would, I'm also working to address our budget deficits and national debt. If Arkansas families and small businesses are expected to live within their means, then so should the federal government. That's why in this Congress - the 112th session of Congress - I voted to trim my own office's budget by 5 percent and the office budget of every other House member and House committee, sending $35.2 million back to the U.S. Treasury. I also voted for and the House passed a resolution to set federal, non-security spending at Fiscal Year 2008 levels to help reduce the nation's budget deficit. These cuts and budget rules are important first steps to restoring common sense and fiscal discipline to our federal government, but we've still got a lot of work ahead.
While I am working hard to help our economy recover and get our nation's fiscal house back in order, we still have a long way to go. I will continue to support and advocate for commonsense policies that support our small businesses and encourage private sector job growth. I know times are tough and I know many of our friends and family are struggling. However, I remain confident that our
Infrastructure Development
I believe there is no better way to create jobs and put our local economies on a path to long-term economic development than to focus on our infrastructure. Similar to how President Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA) Program helped create jobs during the Great Depression, we need a modern-day WPA-type investment in our infrastructure now.
For instance, I-49 and I-69 are two projects that are critical to future economic development in Arkansas. When completed, I-49 will run from north to south passing through Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Waldron, Mena, DeQueen, Ashdown and Texarkana. When this important corridor was first envisioned back in 1908 stretching from Winnipeg, Canada, to New Orleans, Louisiana, it was known as the "Palms to Pines Highway." It's now been 18 years (1991) since the federal government named I-49 as the nation's number one highway transportation corridor in terms of importance and we are still working toward its completion.
I-69 is another important interstate project that will connect Canada to Mexico when completed. Current proposals for I-69 have it coming through Arkansas between Shreveport and Memphis passing through areas near El Dorado, Magnolia, Warren, Monticello and Desha County. This interstate was designated by Congress in 1991 as a High Priority Corridor of National Significance and I was successful in getting it named a "Corridor of the Future" a few years ago.
As a founding member and co-chair of the bipartisan I-49 Congressional Caucus and as co-chair of the bipartisan I-69 Congressional Caucus, I will continue to fight for critical federal funding for these vital infrastructure projects. These two interstates will not only create jobs in the short term, but they will also strengthen an infrastructure that will help attract more businesses to our region and make our communities stronger.
Congressional Mississippi River Delta Caucus
In March 2012, I led the effort, joined by Congressman Rick Crawford of Jonesboro, to form the Congressional Mississippi River Delta Caucus for the 112th Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives to give Delta residents a bipartisan voice in Washington.
The Delta region continues to face some tough economic times. That's why I'm working tirelessly to help our Delta communities secure the resources, investments and attention they need to strengthen the region's economy and enhance the quality of life for all who call the Mississippi Delta home. I'm proud to help lead this caucus with Congressman Crawford because this effort is about giving Delta residents the strong bipartisan voice they need in Congress to get the job done.
I formed the Congressional Mississippi River Delta Caucus to combine the past efforts among various separate Mississippi River and Delta caucuses in the Congress. The overall goal of the Congressional Mississippi River Delta Caucus is to provide a bipartisan forum for members of Congress and staff to discuss, advance and engage the Congress's work on issues of importance to the people of the Mississippi River Delta and its surrounding areas. The caucus will monitor legislation affecting the Delta and will take necessary action to strengthen economic development in the region, improve the health and well being of the people in the Delta and work to improve the infrastructure necessary for growth.
We will also work hand-in-hand with the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) to improve the economy and standard of living for the communities in the Delta Region. The DRA is a federal-state partnership that serves 252 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee by acting as a coordinator and planner of resources for federal, state and local stakeholders in the Delta Region.
The core functions of the Congressional Mississippi River Delta Caucus include: to bring awareness to poverty and economic stagnation in the Delta; to serve as a forum for members of Congress and staff to receive information through briefings, hearings and meetings about issues affecting the Delta; to create a coalition of members of Congress to support legislative initiatives and funding requests that help address issues of importance to the people of the Delta; and, to serve as a vehicle for leaders from the Delta to communicate to Congress about issues of importance to the Mississippi River Delta region.
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