U.S. Congressman Mike Ross of Prescott on Monday announced he will not be seeking re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Ross, who won re-election in 2010 by 18 points and has no announced opponent, has represented Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District in Congress since 2001. A fifth generation Arkansan, Ross is a former state senator and former small business owner.

Statement from U.S. Congressman Mike Ross:

Representing my home state of Arkansas in the U.S. Congress for the past eleven years has been a real privilege and honor. It is a job that I take very seriously and one that I love. However, as I reflect on turning 50 this year, I believe it is time for me to begin a new chapter in my life by spending more time with my family and exploring new opportunities here at home in Arkansas.

That’s why I have decided not to seek a seventh term to the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District. This was not an easy decision and one that I carefully made after a lot of reflection, thought and prayer.

Last year was a tough political environment to seek re-election. Yet, I won by 18 points—one of the largest margins of any member of Congress in a swing district. The trust and confidence the folks here at home have continually placed in me is something I will never forget. The people of Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District are good, decent, hard working people and I am proud to serve and represent them in the U.S. Congress.

A lot has changed since I was first elected to the U.S. Congress in 2000. Congressional campaigns have gone from several months in length to never-ending, costing millions of dollars every two years. As a result, fundraising never ends nor do the political attacks. While I have worked hard to bring folks to the middle to craft commonsense solutions to the many problems that confront our nation, Washington is mired in gridlock, gamesmanship and constant partisan bickering. Too many issues and votes are based on partisan politics rather than good public policy. Despite our many challenges, I remain optimistic that America’s best days are still ahead of us.

I never believed that my service in the U.S. Congress should become a permanent career. This seat never belonged to me—it belongs to the people of Arkansas. And I know there are many bright people in Arkansas ready to step up, go to Washington and offer a new generation of leadership. Simply put, it is someone else’s turn to represent our state in the U.S. Congress.

I have many good memories of my service in the U.S. Congress, and we have helped thousands of people. None of this would have been possible without the support of the people here in Arkansas, and for that, my family and I will always be grateful to them.

I look forward to serving out the remainder of my term in the U.S. Congress, which doesn’t end until January 2013. I will continue to work each and every day on behalf of the people I represent, just as I have faithfully tried to do from the beginning.

I have received a lot of encouragement to run for Governor of Arkansas when Governor Beebe’s term ends in 2014. I’ve always been very upfront and honest in the fact that, as a fifth generation Arkansan, I love our state and would like very much to help lead it at some point in the future. Whether I run for Governor in 2014 is a decision I have not yet made and won’t make until sometime after my term in this Congress ends.

But I do know if I was re-elected to the U.S. Congress next year, my term in the Congress would overlap with the Governor’s race. I believe it would be impossible to successfully run for Governor here at home, while effectively carrying out my congressional duties in Washington. That wouldn’t be fair to the people who elected me to Congress and it wouldn’t be fair to my supporters in a race for Governor. That certainly factored into my decision not to seek re-election to the U.S. Congress.

I don’t know what my future holds, but I am hopeful it involves us continuing to work together to build an even brighter future for our state and its people.

“Our local airports connect communities all across Arkansas to the world and help sustain economic development throughout the region,” said Ross. “This investment in the Monticello airport will help make the necessary infrastructure and safety improvements to keep the airport and the community growing.”

“Local airports are vital resource for Arkansas communities, attracting businesses and jobs and providing convenient travel options for residents,” Pryor said. “These funds will allow the Monticello airport to make important infrastructure improvements that will help them operate safely and efficiently.”

“We must continue to meet the demands placed on our infrastructure. Improvements to the airport are important to accommodate future economic development in and around Monticello,” Boozman said.

Rev. Buffington was Ross’s guest at the National Prayer Breakfast held annually on the first Thursday of February each year in Washington, D.C.

Ross said the funds will be used to provide weather and other related disaster education as well as to purchase outdoor weather sirens that will alert residents of approaching severe weather.

“Given the unpredictability of Arkansas weather, we should be as prepared as possible for any number of emergency weather situations,” said Ross. “This investment in Drew County will help local leaders prepare for the worst by working to reduce the loss of property and to protect lives during a storm.”

Ross pledged his support to continue fighting for these important federal investments as they move through the appropriations process.

Upon passage of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill in the Senate, the measure will then go to a Conference Committee of House and Senate members who will work to combine both Chambers’ bills to form a Conference Report. Upon passage of the Conference Report by the full House and Senate, the final bill will then be sent to the President to be signed into law.

U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor along with Representative Mike Ross announced Monday that Delta Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Producers, LLC, of Lake Village will receive a $97,500 Rural Development grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. The funds will be used to asses the feasibility of cellulosic ethanol production from sweet sorghum in Arkansas.

“Our nation must focus on a long-term investment strategy in renewable and alternative energy sources,” said Lincoln, who is part of a bipartisan group of Senators working on a comprehensive proposal to reduce gas prices, lessen our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, and strengthen America’s economy. “The funds awarded to Delta Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Producers will help our state become a leader in testing alternative sources of energy.”

“Commercializing cellulosic ethanol is a win-win opportunity for Arkansas farmers, rural communities and conservationists,” said Pryor. “This sweet sorghum grant is a positive step for both our economy and overall energy security. I’ve always been a strong believer in finding alternative fuels. Earlier this summer my amendment to increase cellulosic energy research was signed into law as part of the Farm bill.”

“Across the country and here in Arkansas, Americans are now experiencing the effects of our nation’s current energy crisis,” said Ross. “Arkansas is well poised to become a national leader in the biofuels industry, and I am hopeful these funds will help to spur these industries in our state. A key component of any comprehensive energy plan should be a major investment in alternative and renewable fuels like cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel that can be made right here in Arkansas.”

Sweet sorghum is a resilient grass cultivated in temperate climates and warm regions that tolerates drought extremely well and contains a large, lignocelluloses-rich stalk that is completely irrelevant to its use as a food crop. The latest studies demonstrate that sweet sorghum could produce eight times as much energy as is expended in growing it and massive amounts of cellulosic ethanol could be produced from already existing sorghum plantations.