The Trump administration wants to cut funds for the Delta Regional Authority, a government agency that promotes economic development in eastern Arkansas and other portions of the Mississippi Delta. The move faces opposition from some members of the Arkansas congressional delegation. The Delta Regional Authority is one of 19 independent agencies marked for closure under a 2018 budget blueprint released Thursday by the White House Office of Management and Budget. If President Donald Trump's budget...
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This week, the House passed the following veterans bills: H.R. 1367, To improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to hire and retain physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. H.R. 1259, the VA Accountability First Act of 2017. H.R. 1259 would give the VA Secretary increased authority to remove, demote, or suspend any VA employee for poor performance or misconduct. Following passage of H.R. 1367 and H.R. 1259, Congressman ...
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Today, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) joined all twelve other members of the House of Representatives from Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas in writing a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to include public and private stakeholders from waterway systems in the president’s discussions and plans to improve our nation’s infrastructure. The twelve members stressed the importance of including the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) as part of infrastructure improvements. ...
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Today, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) awarded the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with its sixth Golden Fleece for missing yet another deadline the ongoing solar panel construction debacle at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock. VA’s continued mismanagement of taxpayer dollars resulted in this month’s version of the Golden Fleece Award being dubbed a “Platinum Fleece.” This is the first ever “Platinum Fleece” given out by Congressman Hill. Earlier this week, Sen...
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U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., joined with two Senate conservatives on Wednesday to back a proposal reforming Social Security disability benefits. Noting that disability benefits are consuming more Social Security funds, Rubio and U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, are co-sponsoring U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton’s, R-Ark., “Return to Work Act" which places new applicants who qualify for Social Security disability benefits in four groups based on whether medical improvement is expected, likely, possible or not e...
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Two Republican members of the Arkansas congressional delegation have introduced legislation that would make it harder for millions of people to indefinitely receive federal disability benefits. Under the Social Security Disability Insurance Return to Work Act, those qualifying for disability assistance would be placed in one of four categories: medical improvement expected; medical improvement likely; medical improvement possible; and medical improvement not expected. If improvement is expected,...
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Three $500 scholarships were awarded to local high school seniors, along with business and volunteer of the year honors during the annual Clinton Chamber of Commerce banquet last week. Former Clinton Chamber of Commerce president Darrell Moore presented the $500 scholarship certificates to Taylor Huggins from Clinton High School, Benton Barry from Shirley High School, and Madison Thorn from South Side Bee Branch High School. Steve Goode of Goode’s Cash Saver grocery accepted the Business of the ...
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Today, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) and Senator John Boozman (AR) sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin asking him to “swiftly resolve” the ongoing solar panel construction delays at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock. In April of 2015, local news reports uncovered that VA mishandled $8 million in federal grant money to construct solar panels at the VA hospital in Little Rock, only to have them torn down before they were eve...
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Today, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) introduced the Return to Work Act of 2017 in the House of Representatives. The bill would reform the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Program by modernizing the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) classification of disability beneficiaries and incentivizing returning to work for beneficiaries who have recovered. According to the Congressional Research Service, many disability insurance beneficiaries will never re-enter the workforce, and, in ...
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A new park complex expected to open in Benton on April 1 will offer numerous amenities, Hot Springs Village Property Owners’ Association governmental affairs committee heard during member reports at its March meeting. GAC member Paul Day said Benton Mayor David Mattingly recently briefed a Benton Area Chamber of Commerce committee on several major projects. The $50 million Riverside Park is anchored by the 87,000-square-foot River Center and its 5,200-seat arena. River Center will have basketbal...
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