The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a federal spending package that includes more than $200 million in funding for Arkansas projects secured by U.S. Senator John Boozman. The legislation now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
The package provides full-year funding for fiscal year 2026 for the Departments of Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, as well as other related agencies. With passage of 11 of the 12 appropriations measures, more than 95% of the federal government is funded through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
Boozman, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, prioritized maternal health, workforce development, transportation infrastructure and national security in his funding requests.
“Arkansans deserve to have their hard-earned tax dollars reinvested in their communities to help improve health outcomes including robust support for maternal and infant care, increase economic opportunity, and transform critical infrastructure,” Boozman said.
Major investments include $15 million each for the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith’s Center for Mother and Infant Healthcare and for expanding labor and delivery capacity at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The package also allocates $30 million for a University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Center of Excellence in Food Science and $15.8 million for I-49 construction near Fort Smith.
The legislation also includes two bipartisan bills Boozman championed: the PREEMIE Act, which reauthorizes federal research and intervention activities to reduce preterm birth and infant mortality, and the HOLD Act, which expands eligibility for living organ donors to receive compensation for wages, travel, childcare and caregiver expenses.
Additional funding will support workforce training facilities, transportation projects and national security missions at installations including Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Camp Robinson, Red River Army Depot and Pine Bluff Arsenal.
