Dear Friends,
This week is the first of Congress' two-week district work period. I am excited to be back in Arkansas and am hosting a variety of events and speaking with many different constituents and local leaders.
On Saturday, I hosted a six-mile hike through the Flatside Wilderness. I was joined by Arkansas Rep. Rick Beck, members of the Boy Scouts, the Ozark Society, the Sierra Club, and representatives from the U.S. Forest Service. It was a perfect day for a hike, and I appreciated the enthusiasm of those who accompanied me on the journey.
The National Parks Service has issued a challenge to hike 100 miles in our national parks this year to commemorate the 100th birthday of the NPS. As an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, I am looking forward to completing the National Parks Services’ 100- mile challenge to honor the centennial celebration.
Rep. Hill with fellow hikers at Flatside Wilderness |
Aside from taking in the natural wonders of the Natural State, there are many other reasons I enjoy these district work periods. One of those is being able to meet with and hear from each of you. Earlier this week, I visited with a number of constituents, met with Maumelle Mayor Mike Watson, and spoke to a group of students at the Bowen School of Law in Little Rock.
Yesterday, I gave a speech at the Arkansas Farm Bureau Policy Summit on the importance of good trade and economic policies, attended the touching Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemoration, and hosted a telephone town hall for seniors.
This is a small sampling of the events and meetings I will be take part in during this two-week period, and I look forward to visiting with, seeing, and hearing from many of you while I am home.
Sincerely,
Representative French Hill |
News for the Week
It really is simple
ArkansasOnline
Last week, I was asked by the Democrat-Gazette if I had a response to a recent Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report, which found that employees at the Little Rock VA Medical Center had been willfully manipulating data in order to make wait times for medical appointments appear shorter than they actually were.
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Congressional Digest: Crowdfunding bill filed, Clean Line draws debate
Talk Business & Politics
Federal lawmakers had a quiet yet busy week with most of the action happening in the House. A key energy project in the state received a go-ahead from federal regulators, while a bill to help smaller companies with building capital was introduced. CLEAN LINE PROJECT APPROVAL RECEIVES DIRTY LOOK FROM DELEGATION.
Read More
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Visiting Washington
Spring has officially sprung in Washington, and the scaffolding around the Dome of the U.S. Capitol is coming down. It is a great time of year to visit our Nation's capital, and our office is here to make your trip as enjoyable as possible.
If you are a constituent and plan on being in Washington in the coming months, please contact our Washington, D.C. office for a tour of the U.S. Capitol, or for any other assistance you may need. Information for requesting a tour can be found here.
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More Export Opportunities for Arkansas Rice
Last week, Rep. Hill was on First Talk on KARN with Bob Steel, discussing the attacks in Belgium and the president's trip to Cuba.
During the interview, Rep. Hill stated about the president's trip:
"I have a lot of concerns about the way we have gone about opening up relations with Cuba. We have not gotten, in my view, a plan for reparations being paid to all the Cuban businesses, many of whom who are now in America, whose family assets, farms, small businesses, manufacturing companies were stolen by the Castros.... I think that process is important, and I think having a more formal role to democracy and a greater role to more private land ownership and business ownership in Cuba is important and … I wish the President would have spoken out more clearly on that and met with all the dissidents who are protesting the Castro Regime. With that said, the first benefits with a more warm relationship with the Cuban people will be American travel, tourism, and food-related exports. Seventy to eighty percent of [their imported rice] comes from Vietnam, and of course American-grown rice, including that in Arkansas, the largest rice producer, would benefit--and benefit significantly."
Click here to listen to the entire interview.
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