Dear Friends,

I have listened closely as you have shared ideas with me. My video series “Your Ideas” highlights some of the ideas that started with you right here in Arkansas that I have put into action in Congress.

To this day, an accurate account of the tragic loss of life that took place during the 1919 Elaine Massacre in Eastern Arkansas remains widely unknown.

Last year, we commemorated the centennial of this tragedy, unveiling of memorials in Helena and in Little Rock.

Elaine Massacre Memorial in Helena, Arkansas.

One of the heroic stories that emerged from the ashes of the Elaine Massacre was that of Scipio Africanus Jones, one of the great lawyers in Arkansas’s history. Jones' skillful legal defense saved the lives of 12 unfairly charged black sharecroppers who were originally sentenced to death after being convicted of murder by an Arkansas state court in the aftermath of the massacre.

One of our leaders here in Arkansas who has researched extensively on both the Elaine Massacre and the life of Scipio Jones is Dr. Brian Mitchell, historian and professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Little Rock attorney and historian John Gill recommended that a portrait of Jones grace the lobby in the Little Rock post office that bears Jones’ name. Gill found out that it would take a literal act of Congress to make this happen.

Gill contacted me, explaining that he could not display a portrait honoring Scipio Jones, so I introduced H.R. 3317, Scipio Jones Post Office Portrait Act to authorize a portrait of Jones to be displayed at the Scipio A. Jones U.S. Post Office Building on Main Street in Little Rock. This garnered the support of the entire Arkansas delegation and passed on the floor of the U.S. House in February by voice vote.

I am proud to report that earlier this week, the U.S. Senate passed the Scipio Jones Post Office Portrait Act, and it is my sincere hope that it is signed into law soon.

Scipio Jones’ fight for civil rights and equality is an important part of Arkansas’s story and is something we are deeply proud of in our state.

Thank you to Dr. Brian Mitchell and John Gill for your invaluable partnership in this legislation and for making this honor for Scipio Jones a reality.

Operation warp speed bearing fruit

Working to Bring a Safe and Effective COVID-19 Vaccine to You

I am encouraged by the news of another potential COVID-19 vaccine.

With a safe and effective vaccine, we can:

Get Arkansans back to work.
Re-open local and small businesses.
Safely educate our children in school.

The United States is committed to producing a safe and effective vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has already taken steps to prepare for the rapid distribution of a vaccine once it becomes available.

Our nation’s best scientists, doctors, and medical manufacturers are working around the clock through Operation Warp Speed to develop safe and effective vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 – and they have made tremendous progress in record time.

Demanding covid-19 relief for Arkansans

Urging Speaker Pelosi to Put People Before Politics

Central Arkansans have displayed their resiliency while weathering the storm of COVID-19 but are in critical need of additional support. Congress needs bipartisan leadership to provide this essential relief to our constituents, and House Democrats, led by Nancy Pelosi, are not rising to this challenge.

This week, I took to the House floor to urge Speaker Pelosi to put politics aside and put people first.

Our primary objectives must be helping workers as the holidays approach by expanding and extending the Paycheck Protection Program, implementing PPP forgiveness, and providing pandemic unemployment payments that help families, while also encouraging work.

We must also increase spending flexibility for states for funding from the CARES Act including moving the deadline for spending these funds from December 31, 2020, to a date in 2021.

We cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good. I hope Speaker Pelosi and Democratic Leadership listen to the urgency of our citizens’ needs and call focused relief legislation to the House floor without any further partisan delay.

My Vote Against Limits on Job Opportunities for Arkansans

We Need Bipartisan Action on Apprenticeship Programs

As an active proponent of apprenticeship programs in Arkansas and across the country, I am deeply disappointed that H.R. 8294 fails to include House Republicans’ push for employer-driven innovation and new models for apprenticeship programs.

In its current form, the National Apprenticeship Act limits job growth by injecting bureaucratic hurdles into the apprenticeship process. While both Democrats and Republicans agree that we need to provide good jobs to the American people, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leadership have refused to consider common-sense reforms to the registered apprenticeship program. This type of partisan showmanship has greatly limited the momentum towards a solution and as a result, Arkansas families are paying the price.

To address the flaws of the current system, Republicans built on the framework of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and have proposed new, dynamic programs that promote employer-driven innovation. I urge my Democratic colleagues to reconsider their partisan stance and embrace this opportunity to provide lasting benefits to all Americans.

Read my full thoughts in my op-ed in the Washington Examiner.

EPA Administrator Wheeler Visits Central Arkansas

Building Towards a Cleaner Natural State

This week, my team helped welcome U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler when he came to visit Little Rock. Also joining Administrator Wheeler were Arkansas Rep. Jack Ladyman, Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment Secretary Becky Keogh, and Arkansas Sen. Missy Thomas Irvin.

From left to right: Arkansas Sen. Missy Irvin, EPA Region 6 Administrator Ken McQueen, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment Secretary Becky Keogh, and Arkansas Rep. Jack Ladyman at Heifer International in Little Rock.

The group visited Heifer Village and Urban Farm, which strives to implement fresh food, water, and shelter in impoverished communities worldwide. They also visited and discussed the Pulaski County Brownfields, including rain drains installed in downtown Little Rock.

By supporting initiatives such as these, we can take steps to beautify both Arkansas and the globe.

OPEN HEALTH INSURANCE ENROLLMENT

Both Federal and Private Insurance Enrollment Period

Right now, you can enroll in or change your 2021 Marketplace health insurance. The Open Enrollment Period runs from November 1, 2020 - December 15, 2020. Plans purchased during this period will start on January 1, 2021.

If you do not complete your enrollment by Tuesday, December 15^th, you cannot get 2021 coverage unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

• Create an account HERE

• Update your application and compare plans for 2021 HERE

• Preview 2021 plans with estimates based on income HERE

The open enrollment period is also underway for Medicare and will continue until December 7, 2020. Medicare beneficiaries can review their 2021 Medicare and prescription drug plan options and change plans if they choose. Any changes will take effect on January 1, 2021.

To compare plans or select a new one, please visit HERE or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

For more information about your current plan’s costs, benefits, and rules for 2021, please visit HERE

If you are currently covered by Medicare Advantage and/or Medicare Part D, please review the Annual Notice of Change and/or Evidence of Coverage forms that you have received from your plan.

It is important to note that open enrollment is also occurring for private and employer-based insurance and that there may be more changes than usual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am proud to have a dedicated team in Arkansas who can assist you with matters involving the federal government. If you have any questions about Social Security benefits, the Internal Revenue Service, or federal healthcare programs, please contact my office at (501) 324-5941.

It is my honor to represent you in Congress.

Please contact me at (501) 324-5941 or Hill.House.Gov if I may be of service to you.

Sincerely,

Representative French Hill