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

Over the weekend, I watched the UALR Trojans play against the Iowa State Cyclones in the round of 32 in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The outcome of the game was not what Trojan fans had hoped for, but the loss can't take anything away from their tremendous season!

Their triumphant overtime victory in the previous round was one of the highlights of the tournament thus far, as they out-classed the bigger and more experienced Purdue Boilermaker team. The excitement from the game even prompted a little pre-and-post-game trash talk from me to Rep. Todd Rokita of Indiana.

Making sports comparisons to other real life situations has become an art form in Washington, and no one does it better than veteran congressional reporter Chad Pergram, who frequently uses sports analogies to better relay to his readers the inner-workings of Congress. And if Chad were looking at the Trojans as inspiration for one of his stories it would undoubtedly be the positive change great leadership can bring. 

A year ago, no one could have envisioned the Trojans accomplishing both regular season and post-season Sun Belt Championships, and no one would have guessed they'd upset one of the best teams in the Big Ten in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But, then Coach Chris Beard came to Little Rock, and through his strong leadership, changed the program.

Although our local Cinderella team didn't quite get its story book ending, you get the sense that under Coach Beard seasons like this will be less of a pleasant surprise and more of a trend.

Good leadership doesn't only bring about positive change on the hardwood; good leadership is fundamental toward success in any setting, especially government. The American people have made it clear that they are frustrated with leadership in Washington and are tired of an out-of-control Executive Branch that continuously reaches beyond its constitutional authority to strengthen its failed "Washington knows best" policy agenda.

Leadership in the House of Representatives is pushing back against the misguided policies of the current administration. I am working with my colleagues on the House Financial Services Committee to fix the poor regulatory policy that is hurting economic growth. I have sponsored three pro-growth, pro-consumer bills in this Congress, two of which have passed the House, and one which recently passed the House Financial Services Committee.

Last week, I voted in favor of H. Res. 639, which allows Speaker Paul Ryan to file an amicus brief on behalf of the House of Representatives in the pending Supreme Court case United States v. Texas. This case is vital toward stopping the President's executive overreach on immigration, and it is imperative the House do everything in its power to remind the remaining eight justices that the president doesn’t have the authority to legislate without congressional consent. The most effective form of our government will be one where all three branches adhere to the Constitution. These are principles all Americans can support, and they are principles that I am committed to fighting for.

Most importantly, in the coming weeks we will outline our budget priorities that take aim at growing our economy and getting our fiscal house in order. I know from speaking to many of you back in Arkansas that you want your leaders to fight for policies that grow the economy, stop executive overreach, attack the long-term fiscal challenge of our $19 trillion debt, and reform mandatory spending programs. I am taking cues from the Trojan leadership by staying focused on these goals, remaining positive, and outlining a path towards success.

Sincerely,


Representative French Hill

News for the Week

VA staff members in Little Rock altered wait times, inspectors report
ArkansasOnline
A newly released report, prompted by a whistleblower's complaint 20 months ago, concluded that veterans hospital staff members in Little Rock gave the appearance of shorter wait times by manipulating patient data... "There is a simple solution to this problem, not just here in Little Rock, but throughout the entire VA system," Hill said. "Those who work at VA and do not act in the best interest of our veterans need to be appropriately disciplined for their actions."

Read More

Ark. politicians release statements on Obama's Supreme Court nominee
THV11
Congressman French Hill (R):
“Just as it is the president’s right to nominate a justice, it is the Senate’s right to advise and consent on that nomination. I am confident that the leadership of our Senate will do what is in their best judgement in regard to the nominee. As I have said before, as we are in the midst of a national election, it is my personal preference that this nomination be left to our next president.”

Read More
 

Women's History Month

In January, Rep. Hill wrote an op-ed for the 70th anniversary of the Fulbright Program and the program's impact on the international community. Most notably, the op-ed discussed the positive gains the program has made for women in Afghanistan and how the future of that country is directly tied to whether or not women can continue to receive the education needed to bring about positive change.

Last week, Rep. Hill had an opportunity to attend former First Lady Laura Bush's discussion at the United States Institute of Peace on the topic of expanding the rights and opportunities of women in Afghanistan.



Rep. Hill with First Lady Laura Bush at her event at the United States Institute of Peace.


Rep. Hill also met with Onaba Payab (pictured above) at the First Lady's discussion. Onaba is an Afghan woman who will be a Fulbright Scholar in the United States, Rep. Hill also met with her during his visit to Afghanistan last November.

March is Women's History Month and an appropriate time to celebrate not just extraordinary American women like former First Lady Laura Bush, but also those like Onaba throughout the world who may be less heralded but are equally as important in our never ending mission to create a better tomorrow.
U.S. Chamber Speech

On Wednesday, Rep.U.S. Chamber's 10th Annual Capital Markets Summit: The Foundation of Economic Growth in Washington. His remarks focused on the importance of strong capital markets and the need for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to focus on updating and improving the efficiency of its regulatory framework so companies can access capital to grow, innovate, and create jobs. 

Rep. Hill also was recognized by the U.S. Chamber for their Spirit of Enterprise Award, which is given to Members of Congress for their support for pro-jobs, pro-growth policies.
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