District Update | April 22, 2016
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U.S. Congressman French Hill
Dear Friends,

Yesterday, I was joined by my Arkansas colleagues to celebrate one of America’s finest contributions to the international community. We planted a tree on the Capitol Grounds to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Fulbright Program. Established in 1946 by then-Arkansas U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, this exceptionally American contribution to the world has educated over 360,000 students from 165 countries, including 52 Nobel Laureates and 31 heads of state.

Rep. Hill, Mrs. Fulbright, and two Fulbright scholars in attendance for yesterday's tree planting ceremony.

Earlier this year, I wrote about one of the more unheralded aspects of the Fulbright Program, which is the lasting mark it has left on the relationship between America and Afghanistan and how it has given hope and opportunity to many Afghans looking to make a positive change in a region desperately in need of bright and courageous leaders.

My idea for that piece came during my November 2015 trip to Afghanistan, where I had the good fortune of having tea in Kabul with a Fulbright student and native of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Naheed Esar.

At four months old, she and her family were forced to flee to Pakistan where they lived in a refugee camp. In 1999, she moved back to her native country and studied in an underground school in Herat Province. In meeting with her, I quickly realized I was in the presence of a remarkable individual, one whose story should remind all of us that there can be a future with a free Afghanistan.

During our time together, I learned that she comes from a long line of extraordinary women. Her inspiration for her own success was her grandmother, a freedom fighter and founder of three schools. The indomitable spirit of her and her family has resulted in Naheed's successful graduation from the University of Arkansas as a Fulbright Scholar with a master's degree in cultural anthropology.

Today, she is in her home country pursuing a career as an independent researcher and writer. She has completed a longitudinal research project on the lives of widows in Kabul and, as a result, founded a "Widows Association" to help the many women who have struggled with loss from decades of strife in Afghanistan.

The Fulbright Program’s contributions to diffusing conflict extend well beyond Naheed. In February, I visited with students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock who were competing in the Facebook Global Digital Challenge, a competition which sought strategies from college students on how best to combat violent extremism and defuse online recruiting by terrorist organizations.

At the challenge, I was introduced to three international participants who were Fulbright students at New York University. It was inspiring to see not just the students from my hometown university working towards solutions for defeating terrorism, but also to meet with participants who were given an opportunity to engage on this important topic because of Senator Fulbright’s great contribution to the world.

These are just a few of the remarkable encounters I have had in my first months in the House, and they provide a very small snapshot into the far-reaching effects the Fulbright program has had over its seventy-year history. I enjoyed meeting with and hearing from the many Fulbright scholars who were in attendance for Thursday’s tree planting ceremony.

Aside from the tree planting yesterday, Senator John Boozman and I will introduce resolutions in the House and Senate honoring the 70th anniversary of the Fulbright Program.

The gift of a quality education not only affects the individual receiving that education, but it can also impact the countless people that individual will encounter over the course of their life. The Fulbright Program is a shining example of the idea that education is the lifeblood of any thriving community, and we should all be very proud of its legacy.

Sincerely,


Representative French Hill

News for the Week

The Tax Law Makes It Almost Impossible for ‘S Corporations’ to Use Equity Crowdfunding
Daily Signal
Equity crowdfunding, created by the JOBS Act in 2012, will finally become legal on May 16th. The tax code, however, makes it almost impossible for millions of small businesses to use equity crowdfunding to raise growth capital. The tax law needs to be amended to eliminate this impediment to small firm capital formation. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., has introduced legislation (H.R. 4831) that would address this problem. The legislation would amend the Internal Revenue Code so that shareholders who only acquired their shares via a crowdfunding offering or a Regulation A offering would not count towards the 100 shareholder S corporation limit. This legislation would eliminate an important impediment to capital formation for small S corporations and promote job creation, innovation and higher wages.

Read More

Thornton remembered for life of public service
Pine Bluff Commercial
Ray Thornton of Little Rock, a former educator, lawyer, attorney general, congressman, university president, Arkansas Supreme Court justice and state Lottery Commission chairman, died Wednesday morning at age 87. U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, said Thornton was “a true gentlemen and an outstanding leader who used his drive, wit and energy to represent our citizens and improve higher educational opportunity for our young people. Though he will be greatly missed by many throughout Arkansas, his countless contributions will live on for many years to come.”

Read More
 


Salute to an Arkansas War Hero

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2928, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 B Street in Perryville, Arkansas, as the "Harold George Bennett Post Office." H.R. 2928 was introduced by Rep. Hill last June. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator John Boozman (AR).

Sergeant George Bennett (pictured below), a native of Thornburg, Arkansas, was the first American POW killed in Vietnam. Sergeant Bennett spent 179 days as a POW and after his third attempted escape, he was executed by his captors on June 25, 1965. 


Prior to the bill's passage, Rep. Hill spoke on the House Floor encouraging his colleagues in the House to vote in support of H.R. 2928, stating:

"Only 24 years old, Sergeant Bennett was the first American POW killed in Vietnam, and, like many other U.S. servicemen who lost their lives there, his remains have never been returned home.
Sergeant Bennett spent 179 days as a POW and attempted to escape three times at great risk. His captors executed him on June 25, 1965.  

"In 2006, his family was presented with his Combat Infantryman's Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Prisoner of War Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, and Purple Heart. And in 2010, Sergeant Bennett's family was presented with his Silver Star.

"Today we honor Sergeant Bennett’s heroism, bravery, and service by installing a permanent marker of his lasting contribution to his Native State and Nation he served so ably. Duty, honor, country: his example is one all Americans and Arkansans can admire, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill."

Click the image below to watch Rep. Hill's full speech.


Simpler, Fairer Tax Code

On Tax Day, Rep. Hill released the following statement:

"Tax Day has become synonymous with the often stressful and burdensome obligation that is paying taxes. Americans understand the need to pay their taxes; however, what they rightfully cannot comprehend is why our system for paying and collecting those taxes is so complex, and in many cases, unfair to the taxpayers. I have joined many of my colleagues in cosponsoring H.R. 27, the Tax Code Termination Act, which would end the current tax code and force Congress to replace it with a new, more efficient, user-friendly system that not only funds our government, but also is fairer to the taxpayer and promotes long-term investment and growth."

Also, please read Rep. Hill's op-ed from last year on the importance of fixing the broken tax code.

This week, the House passed several bills to hold the IRS more accountable. Click here to learn more.

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