Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Ross announces intentions

It's all keeping promises.

This is what Congressman Mike Ross, D-4 AR, said as he announced his candidacy for a second term in office.

Ross made the announcement Tuesday, March 26, as he toured the expanded district.

Ross represents Arkansas' Fourth Congressional District, the largest in the state. The district encompasses a total of 29 of the state's 75 counties. It was expanded from 26 counties in 1999, and contains, he said, 129 towns.

"No matter where I go, though," Ross said, "there's no place more special than home."

Ross has spent his life in this area. He grew up in Prescott and Emmet, while the family lived in Hope for a while as well.

"I think my time in office has been about promises kept," he said. "This is the first time in about 100 years someone from Prescott has been elected to Congress, and I want to make you proud."

The first bill Ross proposed as a freshman representative was for the government to keep its hands out of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds.

He helped write a bi-partisan bill creating a Medicare prescription drug program, wherein the drug manufacturers would have to provide the same rebates they give to HMOs to other companies.

"It's time Congress stops talking about the need to modernize Medicare and does it," he said. "But we must first unite as we have in the war against terrorism."

Ross reminded those gathered he voted against a congressional pay raise, and when it passed, his was used to create scholarships for students in the district.

Two students in the Fourth District will receive $2,500 scholarships, he said, as long as he remains in office.

"This will help some children realize the American dream of getting a college education," Ross said.

Ross said he kept his promise to those in agriculture by working on a better farm bill. The previous bill had been a disaster, he said.

"Agriculture is a huge part of the economy of the district, and I was successful in getting an addendum to the bill to stop the dumping of Vietnamese catfish in Arkansas."

On economic development, Ross said he kept his promise and helped secure $180 million to help with the cleanup effort after the ice storm of 2001.

He also secured hundreds fo millions for highway projects throughout the district, and worked to restore money former Congressman Jay Dickey, had taken away after being defeated in the 2000 race.

"I've watched volunteer firefighters save lives and homes. In 1995 we lost the hospital here. These are not things we can play politics with," he said.

Ross said his work in Congress is not to worry about what makes either party look good or bad, but to do what's best for the people who sent him there in the first place.

He voiced support for Pres. George W. Bush's tax cut and the war on terrorism.

On the topic of the campaign, Ross said his headquarters will again be in Prescott, even though the "experts" told him Prescott was too small the first time. "It's my home," he said.

The campaign office will be up and running no later than June 1, being open from 7 a.m. until the last person goes home.

"I'm asking for your help and vote to get reelected in November," Ross said. "I'll keep fighting for prescription drug benefits, better education and safer schools. I'll fight for farm families and keep my promises to veterans. I will continue to be an economic ambassador for the district."

He promised to remain faithful to the small-town values instilled when growing up in the region, and said he will always put his family first. Ross thanked his family for sharing him with the 600,000 people in the district.

This is my home, and where I'm raising my family."

Ross is in Washington about three days a week, spending the rest of the time traveling across the district, working to meet his constituents's needs. "It helps me keep perspective on what's going on in the district and be more accessible to the people.

"I represent the needs of the people, and I'm not taking this race for granted."