Dear Friend,

Two weeks ago, I traveled to our southwest border.

In now seven trips to the border since coming to Congress, I have never seen our immigration system and national security this broken.

The humanitarian crisis on the border is a direct result of President Biden’s rolling back Trump-era border policies and having absolutely nothing to replace them with.

The Biden Border Crisis has jeopardized our borders, creating unimaginable overcrowding at migrant facilities paving the way for cartels to earn millions in fees through trafficking families and unaccompanied minors across the border.

Congress approved funding for over 100 miles of border wall along the Rio Grande Valley sector, and only 21 miles were completed.

President Biden halted construction, putting national security at risk, increasing flood risks, and disrupting agricultural irrigation inside the levee.

Today in the Rio Grande Valley, on average, there are 2,200 apprehensions per day. Compare this to my previous visit to the same location in April 2019, when officials called 1,000 apprehensions per day “a disaster”.

The Biden Border Crisis is out of control, and it’s time the Biden-Harris Administration start taking responsibility for their poor policy decisions.

As I discussed on Fox Business and C-SPAN, I will continue to fight for stronger borders and the restoration of some of the Trump-era border policies.

SUPPORTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS’S SMALL BUSINESSES: THE PRACTICAL ACT

Earlier this month, I announced plans at Taziki’s in Little Rock to introduce a bill to support Arkansas small businesses. On Thursday, I followed through on that promise, introducing the bipartisan PRACTICAL Act to provide targeted relief to businesses that need it most.

In Arkansas, more than 14,000 businesses have received over $4.6 billion through the program, the program has also helped save more than 375,000 Arkansas jobs. However, some small businesses are currently at a disadvantage with how the program is set up because of how a business must show its year over year revenue decrease. The PRACTICAL Act corrects this and allows small businesses to calculate their revenue based off a 90-day earning period rather than a set quarter calendar year.

The full text of my PRACTICAL Act can be found here. I will continue to fight for our small businesses and do what I can to get them the support they need. Small businesses are the lifeblood of Arkansas, and I am honored to be able to advocate for you in Washington, D.C.

MAY 4^TH: HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY JOB FAIR

For those of you looking for a job or were unable to attend my job fair earlier this month. There could be an opportunity waiting for you at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m on Tuesday, May 4^th. The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau will be hosting The Big on Little Rock Hospitality Industry Job Fair.

The event will host restaurants, hotels, attractions, and event venues, and all will be accepting applications for jobs such as accountants, administrators, managers, salesmen, security, housekeepers, bartenders, cooks and more. This will be a top opportunity for workers who lost their jobs in 2020 through the pandemic or otherwise, as well those Arkansans looking to enter the hospitality workforce.

REMINDER: SUBMISSIONS FOR 2021 CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION ARE DUE APRIL 23

It is that time of year again and I am excited to invite students to participate in the 2021 Congressional Art Competition! It is open to all 8th - 12th grade students residing in Arkansas’s Second Congressional District. The winning artwork of our competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.

Accepted mediums for artwork are as follows:

Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.

Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)

Collages: must be two dimensional

Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints

Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.

Computer-generated art

Photographs

To submit your artwork, please visit my website. The deadline to submit artwork is April 23. All of this year’s rules can be found here, and last year’s winners from Arkansas can be found here. I look forward to seeing the work of central Arkansas’s young artists.

THE EDUCATIONAL AWARD PROGRAM (EAP) IS KICKING OFF FOR THE 7^TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

I instituted the EAP in 2015 to recognize those students who have shown a strong commitment to high academic achievement. The award is available to one senior and one junior from each high school in the Second Congressional District as nominated by faculty and staff of those schools.

The students who receive the award should show significant commitment to academics, their schools, and their communities. I will present the award to students and will publicly recognize each student’s achievements. For more information please contact my Little Rock office at (501) 324-5941.

APRIL IS NATIONAL VOLUNTEER MONTH

April is National Volunteer Month and for organizations and communities this means thanking volunteers who work year-round to provide services that otherwise would not exist. For individuals this means you should consider volunteering or providing support to organizations you are interested in or volunteering with your community.

To celebrate, this weekend I spent time with Create Little Rock to support Well Fed Community Development Corporation with demolition and clean-up of their new warehouse space. Well Fed is a non-profit that focuses on bridging the gap on food security in Arkansas.

I encourage all of you to take part this month by volunteering with an organization in your town! Washington.

Sincerely,

Representative French Hill