ICYMI: Womack secures numerous Third District wins in FY25 appropriations bills

Washington, DC—July 19, 2024…Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Subcommittee, authored, secured, and voted to pass funding for Third District priorities within the Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations bills, all of which have advanced out of the committee as of last week.

Congressman Womack said, “Arkansans sent me to Congress to deliver results that will have real impacts on their daily lives. Whether the project focuses on improving infrastructure in Northwest Arkansas, preparing Fort Smith for the FMS mission, or supporting our hardworking firefighters' efforts to keep us safe, I want to ensure the needs of our growing region are met. Securing wins to improve the quality of life for Third District Arkansans remains my priority on the House Appropriations Committee.”

Below are the FY25 Appropriations bills that contain direct wins for Arkansas’ Third District with details about each provision’s impacts.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

• Arkansas Highway 112 – $6 million

• This project will fund the construction of safety, operational and congestion improvements on various segments of Highway 112 from Bentonville to Fayetteville. These improvements will include major widening, raised medians, pedestrian improvements, traffic signal upgrades, and roundabouts.

• Benton County Water System Improvements – $1.75 million

• This project will upgrade the current water system to a loop system and provide newer, larger pipes that can keep up with the water demand of the growing area.

• Construction of Future Interstate 49 – $3 million

• This project will fund the construction of a segment of future Interstate 49 and provide congestion relief for the cities of Fort Smith and Van Buren.

• Farmington Bridge Repairs – $6.5 million

• This project will provide funds to replace two functionally obsolete bridges that are located on Double Springs Road in Farmington, Arkansas.

• Huntsville Water System Improvements – $3 million

• This project will provide upgrades to the Huntsville water system, including building a water tower and upgrading the sewer lines and plant.

• Mulberry Food Pantry – $500,000

• This project will provide funds to the City of Mulberry to update the Community Food Pantry to increase its capacity and comply with the American Disabilities Act.

• Northeastern Benton County Fire Station Improvements – $1.25 million

• This project will provide funds for facility construction and upgrades, including structure material, heating and air, a new water line and additional equipment, including a new fire truck.

• North Central Crawford County Water Systems Improvements – $4.4 million

• This project will provide funds for a water system extension to serve approximately 350 users in North Central Crawford County who currently do not have access to a potable water supply.

• Springdale Northern Bypass – $59 million

• This funding will help complete the U.S. Highway 412 Springdale Northern Bypass by constructing a four-lane, divided highway with fully controlled access built to interstate standards.

• Towson Avenue Improvements – $12.5 million

• This project will provide funds to improve Highway 71B/Towson Ave. in Fort Smith by enhancing pedestrian accommodations and improving drainage.

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

• Ebbing Air National Guard Academic Training Center – $70 million

• The funding would be used to construct a F-35 Academic Training Center and Liquid Oxygen Supply Storage facility for the Foreign Military Sales F-35 program’s Pilot Training Center. The facility will provide spaces for training classrooms, flight simulator spaces, conference rooms, and administrative support spaces for the F-35 FMS Pilot Training Center mission.

Defense

• Ebbing Air National Guard Base Foreign Military Sales Mission – $36.743 million

• This funding will support continued infrastructure investments required to stand up the Foreign Military Sales mission at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration

• Berryville Hospital MRI –$1.376 million

• This funding will go toward equipment for an MRI unit for Berryville Hospital.

• Pea Ridge Fire Station – $2.75 million

• This funding will go toward the construction of a new fire station for the City of Pea Ridge’s Fire Department, which will provide increased fire and EMS capacity.

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

• Elkins Water System Improvements – $3.75 million

• This project will provide upgrades to the current water systems and help provide ratepayer relief.

• Springdale Water System Improvements – $3 million

• This project will provide funds to expand sewer infrastructure over very difficult and challenging terrain to the eastern border of Springdale.

Read about each of the FY25 Appropriations bills here.

Reps. Crawford and Duarte introduce legislation to protect water systems from cyber threats

Washington – Citing persistent cyber threats to our nation’s critical water infrastructure, Congressmen Rick Crawford (AR-01) and John Duarte (CA-13) introduced H.R. 7922, the Water Risk and Resilience Organization (WRRO) Establishment Act. This legislation establishes a new governing body, the WRRO, with cyber and water-system expertise to develop and enforce cybersecurity requirements for drinking and wastewater systems. The WRRO will work in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure cybersecurity measures are both practical and beneficial.

“Foreign adversaries such as Russia and China have utilized cyber-attacks to target critical infrastructure such as water systems. This bill is a more proactive approach to safeguarding our drinking and wastewater from these types of attacks. These protections are vital at a time where cyber threats are constant and technology is evolving quickly,” Rep. Crawford said.

Earlier this year, FBI Director, Christopher Wray testified to Congress that Chinese hackers have been targeting infrastructure such as water treatment plants, electrical grids, and pipelines. Just last month, other administration officials echoed this sentiment when both the national security advisor and EPA sent letters to state governors. In the letters, they urge the governors to address any vulnerabilities in their state’s water systems to minimize risks of cyber-attacks.  This is more than just a threat; cybersecurity breaches have already happened around the country. Just before last Thanksgiving, a small Pennsylvania water utility was breached by pro-Iran hackers. A Florida water treatment facility was hacked in 2021, and the hackers tried to increase the amount of beneficial chemicals in the water to unsafe levels. In February, the U.S. intelligence community reported that Chinese-backed hackers have had a presence in many critical infrastructure systems in the U.S., including water systems for as long as maybe five years.

“With the constant threat of cyberattacks by our adversaries, the United States’ water infrastructure must be secured and defended properly,” said Rep. Duarte. “I am proud to help lead this crucial legislation with Rep. Crawford to ensure that our wastewater and drinking water systems are adequately prepared to deal with potential cybersecurity threats.”

Leaders in the water system industry have shown wide support for the Water Risk and Resilience Organization Establishment Act. They recognize the importance of safeguarding this critical resource and are willing to play a role in achieving this goal.

“Strong and effective cybersecurity oversight is critical for the water sector,” said American Water Works Association CEO David LaFrance. “Rep. Crawford’s vision for a collaborative model that leverages the knowledge of the sector is the right approach for protecting water utilities from cyber-attacks.” 

“NAWC applauds the leadership of Rep. Crawford to advance legislation that helps bolster cybersecurity protections for the entire water sector. This legislation is long overdue and aligns with our guiding cybersecurity pillars, which call for greater collaboration and coordination of efforts to better protect critical water infrastructure,” said Rob Powelson, President and CEO of the National Association of Water Companies.

“Cyber threats targeting both informational and operational systems today pose a growing threat to the nation’s water systems, and a successful cyber-attack could threaten public health while also undermining the public’s confidence in their water supply. AMWA supports H.R. 7922 as a critical piece of the puzzle to defend the nation’s water systems from criminals and bad actors in cyberspace, and we thank Rep. Crawford for his leadership on this important bill,” said Tom Dobbins, CEO of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies.

Cyber-attacks often cost millions of dollars to address and can result in contamination, malfunctions, and service outages. Leveraging private sector expertise to provide cybersecurity awareness to thousands of public water systems across America is critical to ensuring infrastructure security.