In the News

Fed should be 'flexible' in response to coronavirus crisis, says oversight commission member The Hill 05/05/2020 The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department should be “flexible” as they deploy $500 billion to protect businesses and local governments facing financial peril because of the coronavirus, said a member of the oversight committee charged with monitoring their… Read more »

FRENCH HILL: Getting to work Arkansas Democrat Gazette 05/04/2020 From when the first person fell ill on Dec. 8, 2019, in Wuhan, China, from a mysterious illness now known as the novel coronavirus to the World Health Organization's (WHO) announcement on March 11, that, in fact, the coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic, the United States and the world have been swept up in a global… Read more »

U.S. House Proposes Legislation for Contactless, Cashless Payments The Tokenist 05/04/2020 When it comes to direct payments with paper currency and touchpoints during points-of-sale (POS), paranoia is increasing. This has prompted banks, financial authorities, and now governments to introduce more effective means of financial transactions. Cash Paranoia in the Time of… Read more »

Bill Extends Medicare Telehealth Coverage for Therapy Providers JDSupra 05/02/2020 As part of the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the federal government expanded Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services. In subsequent guidance and rulemaking, CMS provided expanded… Read more »

Area universities get more relief funding Texarkana Gazette 05/02/2020 The Arkansas congressional delegation announced an additional round of coronavirus relief funding for Arkansas' historically black colleges and universities and institutions serving low-income students to help ensure learning continues during the coronavirus crisis. Several universities in Southwest Arkansas… Read more »

Lawmakers ask that a sign-language interpreter be added to the White House’s popular coronavirus press briefings Business Insider 05/01/2020 The Congressional Deaf Caucus is fighting to have sign language interpreters at all televised White House public health press briefings. The chairs of the caucus, Reps. Mark Takano and John Rutherford, sent a letter to Vice President Mike… Read more »

COVID funds go to HBCUs, schools serving low-income students The Pine Bluff Commercial 05/01/2020 Approximately $14.6 million in additional coronavirus relief funding will go to Arkansas’ Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and institutions serving low-income students to help ensure learning continues during the coronavirus crisis. U.S. Senators John Boozman and… Read more »

Hill talks to Chambers about COVID-19 The Saline Courier 05/01/2020 Congressman French Hill held a conference call with members of the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Bryant Chamber of Commerce, the Saline County Economic Corporation and the mayors of Benton and Bryant on Wednesday. Saline County Judge Jeff Arey set up the call with the congressman. Participants… Read more »

Small businesses struggle to hire their workers back NBC News 05/01/2020 WASHINGTON — The owners of The Crown Shop, a card and gift retail store in Little Rock, Arkansas, are planning a scaled-back reopening for Monday, but they are struggling with asking their employees to come back to work for less money than they are receiving in unemployment insurance. Complicating matters… Read more »

Oversight, Out of Mind U.S. News 05/01/2020 CONGRESS HAS BEEN sidelined for weeks by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, forcing a body steeped in tradition to quickly adapt to legislating from afar in order to pass much-needed relief for devastated businesses and families. But even as lawmakers shift to a more remote lifestyle, conventional congressional oversight has largely been… Read more »