Good governance requires strong oversight. The Framers of the Constitution understood that. Unfortunately, under Harry Reid’s watch, the Senate has provided little of that in recent years.

This lack of accountability has allowed the President to circumvent Congress to push an agenda that runs counter to the needs and wants of the American people through his abuse of executive order authority.

Small-business owners across Arkansas routinely tell me the biggest problem they face in today’s economy is compliance with countless, confusing regulations put forth unilaterally by the Obama Administration on a regular basis.

This Administration, like no other in recent years, has abused the regulatory process.  It has proposed thousands of new rules that add up to a combined price tag in the trillions. Compliance costs of these regulations are the equivalent of a wet blanket on the economy, taking resources from employers that should be devoted toward job creation.

The REINS Act, Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) bill, which I am cosponsoring, would serve as a check for the Administration’s regulatory binge. It will require Congressional approval, by joint resolution, of any federal rule that would cost the economy $100 million or more. Once major rules are drafted, they must be approved by both chambers of Congress and then signed by the President, satisfying the Constitutional requirements that currently are being subverted.

By passing the REINS Act, the American people will have a voice on these massive regulatory proposals through their elected officials. They will have the final say on whether or not these rules are the right course for the future. 

I’m cosponsoring another bill authored by Senator Paul that seeks to achieve the same end goal, but takes-on a different area of government in desperate need of oversight—the Federal Reserve.

There is a shocking lack of transparency when it comes to the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy deliberations. The Fed is essentially the nation’s central bank, yet somehow its practices are exempt from Government Accountability Office audits.

Just as the American people have a right to weigh in the President’s rules, they have a right to know how their nation’s monetary policy is being managed—or manipulated. The Audit the Fed bill would lift the veil of secrecy from the Federal Reserve, exposing monetary policy discussions and decisions to a Congressional audit.

With new leadership in the Senate, Congress finally has a chance to exercise much needed oversight and bring Washington’s actions out of the shadows.

Assyrian Christians and other minorities of the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq are under attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). These jihadists are persecuting religious minorities based solely on their beliefs. Our country is committed to religious freedom and we must take necessary action to protect the people facing this unjust persecution. In a letter signed by 16 of my colleagues to Secretary of State John Kerry, we urged him to do more to protect these innocent victims. We have the resources to help and Congress approved funds to assist Iraqi Christians.

“The Fiscal Year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (P.L. 113-235) included language directing the State Department to support programs designed to assist vulnerable Iraqi ethnic and religious minorities in the Nineveh Plains region, as well as the larger Iraqi Christian community,” we wrote in the letter.

Read the letter in its entirety below.

We have an obligation to promote religious tolerance worldwide. As an advocate of religious freedom, I will continue to monitor progress and push for assistance we can provide to these Iraqi Christians. 

The Senate debates the Keystone pipeline, a Conway native joins my staff, tell me why school choice is important to you and we’re looking for interns. Read about these and more in this “Week in Review.” 

• Keystone Pipeline Floor Speech: The Senate is debating the Keystone pipeline. I delivered a floor speech describing the economic impact it will have in Arkansas and encouraged my colleagues to approve construction of this project. 

• Army Responds to Purple Heart Provision - In December I joined members of the delegation writing a letter to the Secretary of the Army urging him to award the Purple Heart to Privates William Long and Quinton Ezeagwula, victims of the June 2009 shooting at the Little Rock recruiting center, based on the criteria approved by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act. This week I received a response. Read the story here. 

• Protecting Arkansas’s Forestry Industry – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is considering adding the northern long-eared bat to the endangered species list. This new classification could eliminate forest harvesting in Arkansas from April through September in order to protect the bat’s habitat. That’s why I urged the FWS Director to minimize the economic impacts of this decision in a letter with my colleagues. 

• KASU radio interview – On Wednesday I talked with Jonesboro’s KASU about the Senate debate on Keystone, relations with Cuba and the upcoming State of the Union address. Listen to the interview. 

• Why is school choice important to you? – I’m an original cosponsor of a resolution supporting National School Choice Week and I want you to share why school choice is important to you and your family. The National School Choice Week resolution designates the week of January 25 through January 31, 2015, as “National School Choice Week.” During this week, I will feature stories and pictures submitted by Arkansans about the importance of school choice. Click here to learn how to submit your story. 

• Welcome to the team: Blake Rollins, a Conway native and 2004 graduate of St. Joseph High School joined my staff this week. He will advise me on agriculture and tax issues. His connection to Arkansas and his unique understanding of agriculture and the policies that shape our state’s number one industry will benefit agribusinesses and producers.  

• Internships: My office is accepting applications for summer interns. Encourage college students who you know to learn more about this opportunity here. The deadline is March 10, 2015. 

• Veterans Suicide Prevention: As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee I’m committed to improving veteran services. I cosponsored The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act to improve mental health care and suicide prevention resources for veterans. 

• Merchant Marine Academy: As a member of the US Merchant Marine Academy Board of Visitors I cosponsored S.143, a bill to allow for improvements to the academy.