We visited with Jonesboro’s KASU this morning and discussed some of the topics under discussion in Washington including the Farm Bill, delays in the health care law, student loans and the economy. In case you missed the interview you can listen to it here.

President Obama recently gave a speech outlining his plans for a climate change initiative that will drive up the cost of energy across the country.  It included new benchmarks for the Keystone Pipeline, which has already cleared far more hurdles than most projects are put through before approval. 

This new poll should give him pause to reconsider.

The National Journal/Congressional Connection Poll finds overwhelming public support for moving the Keystone Pipeline project forward. More than two-thirds of respondents, 67 percent, support building the pipeline to carry Canadian oil to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. This support cuts across political lines, as it includes 56 percent of Democrats.

Is President Obama really prepared to side with the small minority (less than a quarter of Americans if you use this poll as a measuring stick) in opposition to the pipeline?

The President’s team recently disregarded well-established guidelines on cost-benefit analysis to generate an increased “social cost of carbon.” In other words, they broke the rules to make carbon emissions look more costly than they really are. Now, Keystone pipeline opponents are using the administration’s flawed analysis to demand further reviews of the pipeline.

Stalling the Keystone Pipeline is incomprehensible when American families are struggling. The project will create thousands of well-paying jobs. It will help reduce our dependence on sources of oil outside of North America. It is an important component of an all-inclusive national energy policy, which needs to be one of our top national priorities.

This is why many find the President’s recent speech troubling, especially in light of his intentions to act unilaterally on this initiative. It is why I joined my Republican colleagues on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) to ask Chairwoman Barbara Boxer to reconsider her decision to exclude Obama Administration witnesses from today’s climate change hearing.

In our request to Chairwoman Boxer we wrote, “The potential of these government actions to exacerbate the serious economic problems that currently persist justifies asking a panel of federal witnesses, charged with implementing the President's agenda, to testify as to the scope, purpose, and consequences of such unilateral action.”

The Administration is clearly lining up against the majority of Americans on the Keystone Pipeline.  My hope is that at future hearings, Chairwoman Boxer will invite Obama Administration officials who can explain to the American people why that is. 

Today I joined several of my GOP colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan questioning the Department of Education’s involvement in the implementation of the President’s health care law.

During a recent interview with Politico, Secretary Duncan discussed how the department would be helping with the execution of the President’s health care law. You can watch the interview here. The discussion on health care implementation begins at 9 minutes.

In our letter we say that “While we understand that the effects of the President’s health care law will be felt by parents, teachers, and their families, we are unfamiliar with how the Department of Education’s involvement in implementation will further the mission of educating our nation’s students.”

This is one of many agencies outside of the Departments of Health and Human Services and Treasury that, according to recent news reports, intend to promote Obamacare, an effort outside its missions.

We asked the Secretary to answer some questions that the American people deserve answers to about the department’s participation including the authority, scope and cost. You can read the letter and the questions we’re looking for answers to.

Here’s a recap of what happened this week in Washington in case you missed it.

• Middle East “Volatile”:  I traveled with a delegation of senators for high level meetings and classified briefings in Afghanistan, Jordan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  The situation across the Middle East remains very volatile. The events in Egypt were unfolding in real time while our delegation was in neighboring countries. I also had the opportunity to visit with Arkansas soldiers stationed in Turkey. Read more about the trip.

• Delay to President’s Health Care Law:  The Obama administration recently announced its plans to delay implementation of a key component of the president’s health care legislation – the employer mandate. If delaying the law is good for American businesses, it should be good for the rest of the American people, too. That’s why I joined my GOP Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to permanently delay the implementation of Obamacare for all Americans. Read the letter here. 

• Student Loans: We are continuing to work on a bipartisan solution to reduce student loan interest rates to an adequate level. We need a long-term, balanced solution that provides certainty and stability for all Americans, and I remain optimistic that we can resolve this problem. Read more about the plan I support.

• Honoring SPC Robert Pierce: Army Specialist Robert Pierce sacrificed his life for his country while serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. We honored his life in a speech on the Senate floor.

• Answering You Questions: We take the time to respond to people who take the time to reach out to me. I shared my thoughts about some of the questions we’re receiving in our latest column.