Week of May 5, 2024

Welcome to "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of May 5, 2024. I'm Alex Thomas — Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette — with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions.

The U.S. Capitol will be buzzing with excitement on Wednesday as lawmakers and Arkansans celebrate the unveiling of a new statue honoring civil rights activist Daisy Bates.

The Bates statue, to be located in National Statuary Hall, replaces one of Arkansas' former statues recognizing Uriah Rose.

Every state can contribute two statues to the U.S. Capitol's collection; a second statue of country music legend Johnny Cash will be installed later this year.

Check the Sunday edition of the Democrat-Gazette for the full story.

Months after Congress missed its original deadline for passing a new farm bill, federal lawmakers have released two outlines of proposed legislative packages.

Congress typically passes farm bills on a five-year cycle to address nutrition, rural development and agriculture programs, but lawmakers missed its deadline last September despite talks about the next measure's titles.

Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee and Democrats on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee put forward their respective plans, with House Republicans looking to mark its version up later this month.

STORY: Congressional committees release farm bill overviews with September deadline for action

Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., traveled to Baltimore last Thursday to examine the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and the related response efforts.

The trip was related to Womack's involvement on the House Appropriations Committee. The congressman from Rogers leads the subcommittee handling matters on transportation, housing and urban development.

Finally, the Senate confirmed the nomination of a former Sebastian County sheriff as the next U.S. marshal for the agency's Western District of Arkansas.

President Joe Biden nominated Gary Grimes in December for a four-year term. The Senate approved the nomination with a voice vote.

STORY: U.S. Senate confirms former Sebastian County sheriff for U.S. Marshal position

Thanks for supporting "Arkies in the Beltway!" Make sure to keep up with all news involving Arkansas at arkansasonline.com. You can also stay up to date with what's happening in the nation's capital by following me online; my handle across all social media platforms is @AlexHouseThomas.