Crawford: Spending controls are a must

JONESBORO — As lawmakers in Washington appear stalled in avoiding going over the “fiscal cliff,” U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford said spending controls must be part of the equation.

Crawford, R-Jonesboro, and U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., urged House and Senate leaders to include a balanced budget amendment or other permanent spending controls as part of the deal to “avert the so-called ‘fiscal cliff.’”

“Before the end of the year, it will be essential for Congress and the White House to reach a bipartisan agreement that will avert the fiscal cliff and will put America’s economy back on track,” Crawford said Friday. “If nothing is done, across-the-board-spending cuts will hurt senior citizens, middle-class families and every sector of our economy. Tax increases will also put a huge burden on the backs of small-business owners. However, it would be a mistake for Republicans to strike a deal that increases spending in exchange for higher taxes and the promise that we will cut spending down the road. If Republicans are going to strike a deal that raises taxes, then permanent spending controls must be part of the deal.”

President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner have been in talks to reach a compromise, but Boehner told The Associated Press on Friday the president had taken a “my way or the highway” approach.

To read more, click the link above.

Tribute honors veterans, community support

By Curt Hodges

JONESBORO —

Saturday’s keynote speaker was U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro. The 1st District representative grew up in a military family and served in the Army as a bomb disposal technician, advancing to the rank of sergeant.

“There’s nothing more important to me than honoring our veterans,” Crawford said. He also wished a happy birthday to the U.S. Marine Corps on its 237th year of service.

Crawford said much has been said of the sacrifices of men and women in the armed services, but he paid specific tribute to the sacrifices of the soldiers’ families — something he had observed firsthand when his father, an Air Force career serviceman, was deployed three times.

“Then we didn’t have Facebook or cell phones to communicate with,” he said. Families had to wait for letters and phone calls.

“If you got a phone call, it was always a tense moment because you never knew what that call would bring,” Crawford said. “Many of you have been in similar situations.”

Crawford issued a call to service, recalling a time when his family was moving from one base to another.

Their furniture and other belongings had been loaded up, but his parents were still cleaning their former home.

“I asked them why they were cleaning and mopping,” he said. His parents reminded him that they wanted to “leave it better than they found it.”

“We owe it to the next generation to leave our country better than we found it,” he said.

Special recognition was given to World War II Army veteran Albert Richardson, who was badly wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.

To read more, click the link above.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 30, 2012

CONTACT:

BRAD FERGUSON / BRAD@MEETRICKCRAWFORD.COM

Crawford Announces Campaign Bus Tour

Crawford Will Barnstorm Arkansas’s First District

Jonesboro, Arkansas –

Congressman Rick Crawford is launching a bus tour of the First Congressional District as the 2012 campaign comes to an end and Election Day nears on November 6^th.  The following schedule of stops has been announced for the tour that begins Thursday, November 1^st and ends Saturday, November 3^rd.

Thursday November 1st

Osceola – McDonald’s from 8:45 – 9:15 a.m. (801 W. Keiser Avenue)

Harrisburg – Food Giant Parking Lot from 10:20 – 10:50 a.m. (605 N. Illinois St.)

Dumas – Mathews Hardware from 1:50 – 2:20 p.m. (Hwy 165 & 65)

Stuttgart – Downtown Stage Across from City Hall from 3:30 – 4:00 p.m. (Main/6th St)

Cabot High School – Tailgate and football game from 5:00-8:00 p.m. (401 N. Lincoln St.)

Friday November 2nd

Heber Springs – John Payton Chevrolet Old Gas Station 8:00-8:50 a.m. (1602 AR 25)

Batesville – GOP Headquarters from 10:00-11:00 a.m. (695 S. Saint Louis St.)

Mountain View – The Wing Shack from 12:00 – 12:50 p.m. (305 Sylamore Ave)

Marshall – Marshall RV Park from 2:10-3:00 p.m. (The old Mountain Springs Creamery Building on Hwy 65 West of Marshall)

Mountain Home – Baxter County GOP HQ from 6:00-8:00 p.m. (1001 US 62 Bus)

Saturday November 3rd

Salem – Fulton Co. Fairgrounds Theater Building from 9:00-9:30 a.m. (124 Arena Lane)

Pocahontas – Days Inn Hotel from 10:50 – 11:50 a.m. (2805 US 67)

Batesville – Kelly Wyatts from 1:10 – 1:45 p.m. (1325 E. Main St.)

Batesville – Veterans Memorial Event from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (UACCB Independence Hall)

Paragould – Gazaway ACE Lumber from 4:50-5:30 p.m. (2620 W. Kings Highway)

Jonesboro – ASU Farmers Market from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. (Across Hwy 49 from baseball field off of Aggie Rd- Look for Crawford campaign signs)

“I am excited about our upcoming bus tour of the First District and look forward to talking directly to Arkansas voters about the ways I’m continuing to fight to change the way Washington does business.  For the first time since World War II we have cut discretionary domestic spending for two years in a row, but there is more we must do.  We need to keep pushing for permanent spending reforms like a Balanced Budget Amendment, repeal Obamacare, and rein in burdensome regulations that hurt small businesses,” said Crawford.

Rick Crawford has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation for Independent Business (NFIB) and National Right To Life.  For more information visit www.MeetRickCrawford.com.

Crawford Background: Rick Crawford and his wife Stacy are both graduates of Arkansas State University.  They live in Jonesboro with their two children. Crawford serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Agriculture Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.

###

Paid for by Crawford for Congress / www.MeetRickCrawford.com

U.S. debt pounded on in debate

JONESBORO — Republican incumbent Rick Crawford raised his central message of tackling the national debt at every opportunity during a 1st Congressional District debate Thursday, while Democratic challenger Scott Ellington emphasized his political independence and bipartisan instincts.

“I felt like I wasn’t on my game,” Ellington said.

Ellington said he is used to standing before a judge when making an argument, not sitting at a table with other candidates.

Thursday’s debate at Arkansas State University was the first in which Crawford joined Ellington, Green Party candidate Jacob Holloway and Libertarian Party candidate Jessica Paxton.

For most of the 90-minute contest, Crawford and Ellington avoided direct jabs. The biggest disagreement of the debate was over outgoing 4th District U.S. Rep. Mike Ross.

Ellington said he viewed Ross, a Democrat, as a model, citing his political independence. Crawford said Ross voted 94 percent of the time with his party when Democrats controlled Congress in 2008-10.

“You might want to do more research,” Crawford said.

Ellington said after the debate that Ross, over his entire congressional career, voted with his party only about half the time.

But much of the debate found Crawford hammering home points about the debt while Ellington responded that the debt had been exacerbated by two wars and tax cuts for the wealthy.

The nation’s debt “trumps all other issues,” Crawford said. “It’s the single greatest threat to our national security.”

Crawford won in the 30-county district covering east Arkansas and parts of the Ozarks in 2010, the first time a Republican captured the district since Reconstruction.

To read more, click the link above.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 24, 2012

CONTACT:

BRAD FERGUSON / BRAD@MEETRICKCRAWFORD.COM

Crawford Campaign Launches Second TV Ad

Crawford Continues Ad Campaign in Little Rock and Jonesboro

Jonesboro, Arkansas –

First District Congressman Rick Crawford launched the second television advertisement of his 2012 re-election campaign today.  Called ‘Horror Show’ the ad is a look at the Congressman’s efforts to rein in the out-of-control growth of the federal government and its ever-expanding reach into every aspect of our lives.

The ad mentions Crawford’s efforts to:

–       Fight President Obama’s push for bigger government

–       Repeal ObamaCare

–       Stop the EPA’s continuing grab for more regulatory power

–       Pass a bi-partisan farm bill

–       And support small businesses by reining in overly burdensome regulations.

The commercial began airing today on stations in Little Rock and Jonesboro.  Watch it here.

“Just in time for Halloween our new TV ad focuses on the frightening growth of the federal government and its ever-increasing reach into regulating every aspect of our lives and businesses. This ad sums up well what my priorities will be if I’m elected to a second term in Congress.  The focus needs to shift from concentrating power and decision-making in Washington to creating an environment that will allow our small businesses and entrepreneurs to succeed and create new jobs.  The positive momentum in our campaign continues to grow, and we are in full get-out-the-vote mode here in the last two weeks of the campaign.  I’m looking forward to the debate tomorrow night and the opportunity to discuss all of these issues with my opponent,” said Crawford.

Rick Crawford has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation for Independent Business (NFIB) and National Right To Life.  For more information visit www.MeetRickCrawford.com.

Crawford Background: Rick Crawford and his wife Stacy are both graduates of Arkansas State University.  They live in Jonesboro with their two children. Crawford serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Agriculture Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.

###

Paid for by Crawford for Congress / www.MeetRickCrawford.com

Rick Crawford hosts summit in Jonesboro for school lunches

The Nutrition Summit was held at the Nettleton Performing Arts Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Congressman Crawford said he wanted to host the summit to look at the costs and effect of implementing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

Congressman Crawford said in his opening remarks the Act was “well-intentioned, but its effects on schools has opened the door to massive amounts of unintended consequences.”

The USDA estimates the new regulations will “cost up to $6.8 billion over a five-year window, which schools will mostly have to come up with on their own,” according to Congressman Crawford.

A bipartisan panel of state lawmakers listened as school administrators voiced their concerns about the new guidelines.  The issues they talked about included the breakdown of amicable relationships between cafeteria workers and students, the cost of buying more fruits and vegetables administrators say students throw away, and unreasonably smaller portions that leave students hungry, and increased paperwork for food service staff.

The lawmakers in attendance were Senator Johnny Key (R-Mountain Home), Senator Paul Bookout (D-Jonesboro), Representative Andrea Lea (R-Russellville), and Jody Dickinson (D-Newport).

The school administrators included nine school district superintendents: James Dunivan from Nettleton Public Schools, Mitch Walton from Sloan-Hendriz Public Schools, Jerry Noble from Greene County Tech, Myra Graham from Trumann Public Schools, Charlie Powell from Piggott Public Schools, Gary Masters from South Mississippi County School District, Roger Rich from Southside School District, Dr. Melvin Bryant from Stuttgart School District, and Dr. Bryan Duffie from Westside School District.

Cabot School Board Member Ricky Hill and Mountain Home parent Angela Justman were also panelists.

Westside Superintendent Dr. Bryan Duffie told lawmakers his district is facing a the possibility of a $40,000 shortfall because more students bring their lunches from home. “By federal regs and state regs food service cannot have any negative balances basically. So it is up to the school districts to fork over that money to break even.”

Dr. Duffie said Westside has not had make up for a loss in the past couple of years, but it is a possibility as students continue to reject the new lunches. “It’s hard to predict if those kids are going to decide,’Oh, we’re going to eat lunch today,’ and do we have enough food.”

Dr. Duffie gave Congressman Crawford 300-400 letters from Westside students, parents, and staff who oppose the new guidelines. Dr. Duffie read one of the letters out loud, saying, “Dear Mr. Crawford, our garbage cans are full. Our children are not. Do something.”

Several of the superintendents voiced support of the idea of building menus according to what the students do and do not discard, however Mountain Home parent Angela Justman did not support that idea.

“As a mother I experience this daily at my house. If we let the children run everything nothing would get accomplished. They would be unhealthy,” Justman said. “It goes back to the underlying problem of obesity. Parents have to get more involved.”

Justman said healthier school menus are long overdue, but the program needs to be revised.

“I do appreciate the effort to get our children healthier.  I think it is extremely important. Every program starts out with a learning curve. I think we just need to tweak it a little bit and maybe put a little bit more control at the local level where we know our students individually.”

Congressman Crawford, who is a member of the Agriculture Committee’s Nutrition Subcommittee, also believes working with local agencies will aid the federal government in making the new guidelines more cost efficient and appealing to students.

“The schools are in a good position to identify the needs of their students, much better position than a Washington bureaucrat,” he said. “The USDA is working well outside of its original charter and now is in the business of determining the amount of calories, fat and sodium students should consume in a given school day.”

Congressman Crawford also  agreed with administrators about the need to consider implementing more physical activity in schools.

To read more, click the link above.

NRA-PVF Endorses Rick Crawford for U.S. House of Representatives in Arkansas

Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) is endorsing Rick Crawford for U.S. House of Representatives in Arkansas’s 1^st Congressional District.

“Rick Crawford is committed to protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms guaranteed to all Americans,” said Chris W. Cox, chairman of NRA-PVF. “His strong dedication and voting record have earned him an “A” rating from the NRA-PVF, and we proudly endorse him for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Rick Crawford supports District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago, which held that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental, individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms for all law-abiding Americans. While serving in Congress, Rick Crawford cosponsored and voted for H.R. 822, “The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act,” which would ensure that law-abiding Americans with valid concealed handgun permits would be able to carry a concealed handgun in any other state that does not prohibit concealed carry. He voted for H.R. 4089, “The Sportsmen’s Heritage Act,” which would promote America’s hunting heritage and positively impact sportsmen throughout the country.

Crawford voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas related to the deadly Operation Fast and Furious scandal, and voted for an amendment to prevent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from circumventing the will of Congress by centralizing records of thousands of Americans’ long gun purchases.

“Voters in Arkansas can trust that Rick Crawford will respect their right to self-defense and will honor their rich hunting heritage,” Cox continued. “We urge all NRA members and gun owners in Arkansas’s 1^st District to vote Rick Crawford for U.S. House of Representatives on November 6.”

Chris W. Cox is NRA’s chief lobbyist. He also serves as chairman of NRA-PVF. The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund is responsible for political candidate ratings and endorsements. These are based on candidate voting records, public statements and responses to NRA-PVF questionnaires.

–NRA-PVF–
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues to uphold the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services. Be sure to follow the NRA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NationalRifleAssociation and on Twitter @NRA.

To Read more, click the link above.

 

Join Rick today between 12:00-1:00 pm at the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie (921 E. 4th Street) in Stuttgart to talk about the issues that are important to you.