Highlights from this week in Washington include being named Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, cosponsoring legislation to curb unnecessary regulations and promoting the aviation industry. Read about these and addition work in this “Week in Review.”

• State of the Union: The President delivered this annual address to Congress on Tuesday. This is the first time President Obama addressed a Republican controlled Congress. Unfortunately, instead of indicating his intention to work together for the change the American people voted for, he repeated his own agenda which we've heard from him before.

• Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman: I’m honored to be named chairman of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee and I look forward to leading efforts to cut wasteful government spending and holding federal agencies accountable for how they use taxpayer dollars. 

• Senate VA Committee:  The committee unanimously approved The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act.  This legislation would improve mental health care and suicide prevention resources for veterans by increasing access to mental health programs, providing incentives to recruit and retain psychiatrists to treat veterans and enhancing resources for members of the military transitioning to civilian life. The House approved this bill last week and I’m confident the Senate will follow its lead. 

• Walnut Ridge Airport: The military reconsidered its decision and renewed the fuel contract with the Walnut Ridge Airport. This facility has an important role as a disaster relief staging area and this enables it to have the resources it needs to maintain disaster relief operations in the region. Read more here. 

• General Aviation Caucus Co-chair: This Congress I will serve as a co-chair of the Senate General Aviation Caucus. I look forward to working with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to promote the aviation industry and its contributions to our economy and transportation system. 

• REINS Act: I cosponsored the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. This would require Congressional approval by joint resolution of any federal rule that would cost the economy $100 million or more. This is an effort to curb the alarming amount of unnecessary regulations from this administration.