Dear Friend, Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed the heroic efforts made by our nation’s public health officials and researchers to develop vaccines and therapeutics to fight the virus. I commend their hard work and dedication. I look forward to vaccines being made available to the public in the coming weeks. I commend the Trump Administration’s efforts to implement Operation Warp Speed, which has significantly improved the rate at which research and clinical trials have taken place to produce a vaccine. To date, several companies have applied to the FDA for emergency authorization to produce their vaccine. Several of these companies, Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, recently released data from their vaccine candidates, and all 3 reported an efficacy rate above 90% in phase three human clinical trials. As the White House announced in a press conference the week before Thanksgiving, these vaccine candidates must be approved as effective and safe by the FDA and given an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) before distribution to the American people, especially those at the greatest risk of infection, is possible. I’m grateful for the collaboration in Congress, from both sides of the aisle, to deliver bipartisan support through the CARES Act. This opened up money for our state governments and health officials to fight the virus and fund $10 billion for Operation Warp Speed. Through the hard work of our nation’s leaders, health care professionals, and researchers, America is on track to beat COVID-19, restore our health, and rebuild our economy.   Rep. Hill discusses Operation Warp Speed with OANN’s Stephanie Hamill

As we have witnessed over the past few years, China continues to flout international law regarding human rights, intellectual property theft, and military expansion.

I spoke on the House Floor to encourage the United States to enact targeted policies to prevent China’s aggression against our nation, our allies, and many nations around the globe.

In light of China’s infractions against international law, I commend Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans' Ranking Member Michael McCaul, and the entire China Task Force for taking essential steps to limit China’s threat to the global system.

After months of work, the Task Force has released 82 key findings and 430 associated recommendations to Congress, emphasizing the necessary work that we must do to limit China’s aggressiveness in East Asia and across the globe. 

Despite bipartisan support for these efforts to combat China’s destabilizing actions, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refuses to participate in these essential efforts to protect our national security. I urge my Democratic colleagues to work with House Republicans and form a comprehensive strategy to combat China's efforts to expand its influence.

We must come together in order to protect freedom and security, both for ourselves and for our allies around the globe.

Recently, I was interviewed by Erik Rosales from EWTN News Nightly, where we discussed my Catholic faith and how it informs my public service.

My faith is my foundation, and I recognize that it is my responsibility as your Congressman to defend the right to religious freedom, both here in the United States and abroad.

During this time of COVID-19, we discussed how it is important to ensure that our elected leaders support safe means for worshippers to practice their freedom of religion – both in person as well as remotely.

We also discussed that, while we in the United States have the freedom of religion written into our Constitution, many abroad are denied this freedom by their government. My resolution, H.Res. 49, which I introduced last year in Congress, would defend the Coptic Christians in Egypt, who are not only persecuted for their faith by terrorist groups, such as ISIS, but they are also persecuted by their own fellow Egyptians.

My resolution would require the Egyptian government to protect these Christians for their faith and to halt discrimination within local officials against the Coptic faith.

In our own Constitution, the Bill of Rights lists freedom of religion as the “first freedom” in the First Amendment. Allowing people to practice and believe as they wish is fundamental to protecting our human rights and religious freedom; it must be central in shaping U.S. foreign policy and priorities.

In a recent interview with Fox News, I discussed how the United States must continue to protect itself against the Iranian regime.

With the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh last week in an ambush, Iran’s foreign minister has shifted the blame upon our ally, Israel, accusing the nation of developing a ‘new method’ in order to kill the nuclear scientist.

These recent developments make it more than clear that President Trump did the right thing when he exited from the Iranian nuclear deal, added sanctions, and increased pressure upon the regime.

Throughout my five years of expert witness testimony before the Financial Services Committee, I have seen first-hand Iran’s support of international terrorism and disregard for international law. Iran poses a significant threat as a major developer of nuclear weapons, and our nation’s leaders cannot allow the regime to use this nuclear development as a threat against our nation, our allies, and the region.

With Iran as the biggest terrorist threat in the Middle East, the U.S. must stand with the Iranian people and continue to take concrete steps to press Iran for change and prevent exporting terror abroad and repression of their citizens at home.

This past week, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette published an op-ed that Congressman Rick Crawford, Congressman Steve Womack, Congressman Bruce Westerman, and I wrote about the importance of duck hunting, which is fundamental to our identity as Arkansans and our economy.

Duck hunting goes beyond a hobby or tradition. It is a way of life, firmly founded in Arkansas history, culture, and economy throughout generations.

Located in the heart of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Arkansas is a haven for waterfowl habitat, conservation, and duck hunting.

In addition, Arkansas remains a prime destination for not only local duck-hunters, but also for nearly 100,000 hunters, who travel to Arkansas to experience for themselves the joys of duck hunting in a rice field or flooded timber.

With more than 50,000 acres of greentree reservoir, some of which are in grave danger of loss, I commend Ducks Unlimited and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for launching a private-public partnership to restore the fortunes of these reservoirs. Just this past year, along with private and corporate partners, they have invested more than $4 million to begin repairing and replacing outdated water control infrastructure.

If you want to enroll in or change your 2021 Marketplace health insurance, you currently have two weeks until Tuesday, December 15^th, 2020 to make these changes. The Open Enrollment Period began November 1, 2020 and will end by December 15, 2020. Plans purchased during this period will begin on January 1, 2021.

If you do not complete your enrollment by 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 available for Medicare and will end by 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.

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 from your plan.

To compare plans or to 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.

It is important to note that open enrollment is also available for private and employer-based insurance. Please take note that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there may be more changes than usual this year when enrolling within these insurance plans.

Sincerely,
 
Representative French Hill