"We had the opportunity to finally do right by our seniors by truly modernizing Medicare to include a prescription drug benefit for them, and did not.  Helping our seniors afford the prescription medicine they need should not be a partisan issue, that’s why Republican Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson and I came out with a plan back in January that does exactly that.  Unfortunately, our plan was not allowed to proceed by the Republican Majority. 

"These debates over this increasingly critical issue were held off until just recently, when the election season is well underway.  Instead of reaching across party lines to support a common sense solution to the challenges our seniors face, Congress voted for plans which – I am sad to say – were designed with reelection, rather than our seniors, in mind.

"I know that in the coming days, weeks, and months, my wife Holly and I will have to face seniors who come into our pharmacy to have their prescriptions filled, who will continue to struggle with the expense of the medicine they need.  I will have to explain to them why they are still struggling when only a few weeks before, Congress was poised to provide for them, yet did not.   I am angry at what has happened.

"I have fought for our seniors since day one in office, and I will not let this issue go until we win this fight."

“This is very exciting news for our teachers,” Ross said.  “As the son of public school teachers I know that the best educators are those who continue to learn, and this grant award will help 25 teachers acquire knowledge in an environment they would otherwise never experience.”

The “Kenya: Continuity and Change” project will be hosted by UA Monticello.  In a special summer program, 25 history and social studies teachers will be given the chance to study Kenyan and East African history and culture by spending six weeks in Kenya. 

“NEH grants are highly competitive,” Ross said.  “The awards are based on a rigorous interview and selection process to ensure that the best of humanities research, education, preservation, and public programs is cultivated.  I am proud to see such an opportunity extended to helping educators right here in Arkansas.” 

"I will be hosting How to Get Government Contracts: A Conference for Women and Minority Owned Businesses.    This conference will be presented in cooperation with the Arkansas Small Business Development Center.

"I encourage you to attend this conference, which will provide practical workshops to inform you of the various aspects of obtaining federal, state or local government contracts. Also, you will have the opportunity to meet representatives from major prime contractors who buy services and products from Arkansas’s small businesses.

"The conference will take place on Tuesday, August 6th at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. For more information or to Register - you can call 1-800-862-2040.   I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday."