Press Releases

Little Rock, Ark. — Recently, Rep. French Hill (AR-02) joined Michael Thorning and Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11) on the Bipartisan Policy Center Action's Podcast, Under the Dome to discuss the educational, economic, and cultural importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in central Arkansas, the pride that Arkansans have for Little Rock Central High School, and the CARES Act Congressional Oversight Commission. 

To listen to the full interview with Rep. Hill, Michael Thorning, and Rep. Connolly, click HERE or on the image below. 


Rep. Hill on HBCUs in central Arkansas: 

"We're home to not one, not two, but three Historically Black Colleges and Universities. That's why I know [they are a] super important economic [and] educational driver in our community. We have one of the only two-year private HBCUs in the whole country, Shorter College, there in the district."

"I've been the Vice-Chairman of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus. We have almost 90 members … on that bipartisan caucus. We worked in a mighty way together to build the financial resources and private sector support for our HBCUs across the country." 

Rep. Hill on Little Rock Central High School:

"Certainly expanding the Central High School National Park in Little Rock, Arkansas, my hometown, with Representative John Lewis, a civil rights pioneer, was a touching moment. John Lewis told me on the House floor as we passed the expansion of the civil rights site at Little Rock Central High's park that before he became famous, before he marched, before Selma, he was inspired by the young people in 1957 that integrated Central High. So that was a terrific moment on the House floor, one I'll never forget." 

Rep. Hill on the CARES Act Congressional Oversight Commission: 

"The first line of oversight is always the oversight committees of the Congress. I'm sure that just as Secretary Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary, and Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell both testified before the Senate Banking Committee in recent days, they will have ample opportunity to testify before their authorizing and appropriating committees in the Congress."

"On behalf of the Oversight Commission, our job is really to oversee the Treasury and the Fed and their use of the exchange stabilization fund and some $500 billion that was appropriated to be leveraged by the Fed and Treasury for their economic preservation program."