Re-Opening Our Capitol This week I spoke on the House floor about something that should be a big priority for us next Congress—fully re-opening the Capitol building. The Capitol and House office buildings closed to the public on March 12, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While it has slowly opened in stages, there are strict restrictions still in place despite declining deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19.   (Click the photo or here to watch full video)   Today, when constituents come to visit my office, they need to be personally escorted around by staff, they have to be a small group, they can’t go to the House gallery to watch votes take place, and my staff is only allowed to give a tour once a week. This is the people’s House, yet we continue denying access to the people, the very people that elected us to serve them, the very people whose taxes fund our operations. Because of these regulations, I’ve had to turn several of my constituents away.   It’s far past time to truly open up the Capitol to the people and restore its operations to pre-pandemic times. We cannot afford to keep distance between the American people and their elected representatives. These regulations prevent constituents from freely visiting their representatives, hinders productivity in our offices, and does nothing to make us any safer. I hope to see these restrictions lifted under new leadership, and I look forward to welcoming back more Arkansans to our nation’s Capitol.

S. 4524 – The Speak Out Act – YES  Prohibits employers from enforcing nondisclosure agreements (NDA) and non-disparagement clauses regarding sexual assault -- which stop workers from discussing any incidents of sexual harassment or assault occurring months or years later. These NDAs are often signed on the first day of employment, sometimes unknowingly.

Epoch Times Lawmakers Want to Ban Chinese Companies From Buying US Farmland Due to ‘National Security’ Threat Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) have also introduced a bill called the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act, which would “protect our national security by preventing foreign adversaries from taking any ownership or control of the United States agriculture industry.” AgriPulse Open Mic Interview This week’s Open Mic guest is Rep. Rick Crawford. The Arkansas Republican was elected to a 7th term in last week’s election. Looking forward, Crawford doesn’t expect significant legislation to come from a limited lame duck session and suggests narrow margins in the next Senate and House will require compromise and a bipartisan effort to accomplish much. Crawford suggests a more conciliatory tone from the White House could bring legislative victories in the new year. He expects a new farm bill to be marked up next year and doesn’t expect significant policy changes, but says reference prices for many commodities will need to be adjusted. Finally, Crawford offers caution when dealing with the Chinese.

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