funding
States to receive $2.5B from feds for electric vehicle charging infrastructure
The federal government will send $2.5 billion over the next five years to states, local governments and tribes to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Biden administration officials said Tuesday. The new Charging and Fueling Infrastructure grant program, which was authorized by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, will spend $2.5 billion over five years to build […]
U.S. to hit debt limit much sooner than expected, thrusting Congress into showdown
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government will hit its borrowing limit next week, forcing the new, divided Congress into negotiations over the debt limit much sooner than expected, though a potential date for the nation to default isn’t expected until this summer. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote to Congress on Friday afternoon, telling leaders the United […]
Officials seeking federal dollars need Arkansans’ help verifying broadband access
The Arkansas State Broadband Office is urging Arkansans to verify a federal broadband map to ensure the state receives the maximum funding available and that those funds reach regions that need broadband most. The Federal Communications Commission has released a new broadband map showing high-speed internet availability across the country. The National Telecommunications and Information […]
1.7 trillion spending package passes in U.S. Senate, backed by both parties
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate passed a massive $1.7 trillion funding package Thursday that carries emergency aid for natural disaster recovery and the Ukrainian war effort, pushing past disputes over immigration policy and barely meeting a Friday deadline when current funding runs out. The bill, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, now goes to the […]
Congress rolls out $1.7 trillion spending deal in race to Friday deadline
WASHINGTON — Congress unveiled a $1.7 trillion spending package early Tuesday that would fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year, completing the annual process that began this spring when President Joe Biden sent lawmakers his budget request. Biden’s chief budget official in a statement urged Congress to speedily pass the massive […]
Arkansas’ Hutchinson, other GOP governors ask Biden to end public health emergency
Gov. Asa Hutchinson and 24 other Republican governors sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday asking him to end the national public health emergency declared at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “While the virus will be with us for some time, the emergency phase of the pandemic is behind us,” the governors […]
Congress clears one-week bill to fund the government, but many hurdles remain
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate sent President Joe Biden a one-week government funding bill late Thursday, giving negotiators a few more days to wrap up talks on what is expected to be a $1.7 trillion package to keep the federal government up and running through September. The short-term bill is the second time Congress has […]
Arkansas pregnancy centers seek almost $500,000 in second round of state grants
Pregnancy resource centers throughout Arkansas asked the state in November for a total of nearly half a million dollars, much of what’s left in a state fund aimed at facilities that discourage clients from ending their pregnancies. Nine of the 16 applicants for this second round of funding also applied for the first round in […]
Our new governor must invest in education
Arkansas just made history with the election of Sarah Huckabee Sanders as our first female governor. Her success in her role as governor will depend heavily upon her investment in education. K-12 education issues were a top concern for voters, and her actions on these will be pivotal for our students, families, communities, and the […]
Arkansas wildlife will benefit from legislation pending in lame-duck Congress
From the Ozarks to the Delta, Arkansas is home to some of our nation’s most cherished wildlife. But right now, more than 375 species across the state are facing significant challenges, due to increasing habitat loss, new invasive species, and extreme flooding. It’s part of a larger national trend where more than one-third of America’s wildlife are at […]
At tribal summit, Biden pledges federal commitment to Indian Country
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he is poised to designate Avi Kwa Ame, a sacred site for Native American tribes in southern Nevada, as a national monument that would ensure the preservation of ancestral lands for those 12 tribes. “I’m committed to protecting this sacred place that is central to the creation […]
More than $37 billion in disaster aid under scrutiny in congressional lame duck
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration wants Congress to approve more than $37 billion to help communities throughout the country recover from various natural disasters, including Hurricanes Ian, which battered Florida and the Southeast U.S. in late September, and Fiona, which hit Puerto Rico. The supplemental funding request comes on top of a $9 billion COVID-19 […]