Congressman Bruce Westerman

Washington
209 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3772
Fax: (202) 225-1314

10/19/2026

Every corner of the Natural State has a different story to tell if you were to ask what agriculture means to them. From row crops and rice fields that proudly rank first in the nation for production to the cattle ranches, poultry farms, and deep-rooted timber industry, farming is our shared heritage.

These farmers all have different stories to tell, and their days all look a bit different. But no matter what the commodity they’re working to produce, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone else who works harder than an Arkansas farmer.

Representing a vast portion of the state, I have the privilege of knowing these farmers. Many of them have been working the land that their grandparents and great-grandparents worked to establish. In Arkansas, we take pride in Agriculture not just because it’s something we’re good at, but because it’s been our way of life for generations.

Agriculture tells the story of Arkansas and our nation. Through the grit and determination of those who came before us, we have now established ourselves as a leading producer of several products shipped to every corner of the country and the world. To recognize the contribution our farming forefathers made, we must continue to steward this way of life well and invest in it so that future generations of Arkansas farmers can take up the mantle with pride.

This week, we recognized National Farmers Day. Leading up to this day to recognize our farmers for their incredible contribution to our way of life, it was recently announced that our farmers would begin receiving roughly $1 billion in enhanced ARC/PLC farm safety net benefits this month – which is an increase of $381 million from the reconciliation package last year, aiming at providing some relief for our agriculture industry.

Farming families from every corner of Arkansas are the backbone of our economy – feeding, clothing, and fueling millions. I want them to know their concerns are being heard by me and in Congress. While I am certainly pleased to see this win for Arkansas farmers, the fight to secure more long-lasting certainty for their future is far from over, and I will continue working in Congress to ensure that our agriculturalists receive the help they need.

10/12/2026

With early detection becoming more critical, schools across Arkansas are seeing a greater need for trained professionals who understand learning disabilities like dyslexia. Thankfully, opportunities continue to arise to create the workforce necessary to meet this demand.

Last year, the University of Arkansas announced its partnership with the Academic Language Therapy Association and the Nelms Dyslexia Center to create a new master’s degree pathway for those looking to pursue a career in learning development.

Since then, we have seen the expansion of the university’s graduate pathway extend beyond our state’s borders, we’ve seen federal funding pumped into the state to promote research around literacy teaching, and other initiatives pop up across the state that are focused on empowering young learners to overcome the barriers of dyslexia.

As we learn more about dyslexia, we see how early detection and intervention can make a massive difference in student success. In 2017, the Journal of Educational Psychology published a study that followed a group of first-, second-, and third-grade students with reading disabilities who participated in a reading intervention method that had been found effective in previous research.

The study concluded that the first- and second-grade students had made larger improvements toward basic reading skills compared to the third-grade students. And more notably, the first graders were reported to develop their reading at a faster pace long after the controlled program had ended.

These studies proved what we now know to be true: early intervention is crucial for children who struggle to read due to a learning disability and coupled with the right tools, even just one year can make all the difference in setting them up for success.

As the co-chair of the Congressional Dyslexia Caucus, I was proud to introduce a resolution this week that recognizes October as Dyslexia Awareness Month.

Dyslexia impacts one in five Americans, and our educators, parents, and students need clarity and support to meet this learning disability head on. This resolution works to highlight the importance of continued advocacy and awareness around this learning disability while underscoring a commitment to fostering a more inclusive learning environment for all students.