Fourth District Congressman Bruce Westerman has objected to plans to revise the metropolitan statistical area population requirement, saying it would have an adverse effect on cities in his district. In his weekly report, Westerman said;

On Jan. 19, 2021, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to increase the population threshold for a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The current population threshold, which has been unchanged since 1950, is 50,000 or more persons. Declassified cities will either lose access to some federal programs or see greatly diminished federal funding from those using the MSA designation as a qualifying factor. 

This proposed rule change would negatively impact the Fourth District, particularly the cities of Hot Springs, Texarkana and Pine Bluff. That is why I sent a letter to the OMB in March requesting a reversal of the proposed rule change. The OMB provided no reasonable justification for changing a 70 year precedent that could detrimentally hinder the economic development of communities in Arkansas and across America. It is important that our communities are given the opportunity to grow and thrive, and I will continue monitoring the status of this proposed rule change.