Dear Friends,

Last week, central Arkansas received more than 20 inches of snow. The winter weather may have tested our communities, but it didn’t test our resolve. Here are just some of the incredible stories from last week. 

The past year has been difficult for healthcare workers, and the snowstorm brought new challenges. I am proud of the teams at Baptist Health and UAMS, who housed over 200 healthcare workers last week to make sure patients were well cared for despite the inclement weather.

I am also extremely grateful for the many nonprofit organizations like The Van, Dorcas House, Jericho Way, Nehemiah House, and Union Rescue Mission who worked overtime to provide essential services to central Arkansans in need.

ALL EYES ON "GAMESTOP"

On Thursday, I questioned witnesses during the House Financial Services Committee hearing about GameStop. We had a very knowledgeable panel of witnesses which provided significant insight into the market volatility we have seen with select stocks, including GameStop, over the last few weeks.

During the hearing, I asked Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev about how the company communicates with their investors. Investors should be able to communicate with their brokerage firm in a timely and effective manner.

All Americans should have the ability to invest in the stock market. While I am glad that Robinhood has made trading readily available, investors should understand the risks associated with highly volatile and low-dollar publicly traded companies.

On Friday, I joined Bloomberg TV to discuss the hearing. Financial technology firms like Robinhood have made investing more accessible to everyday Americans, but they must ensure users know their responsibilities and have access to customer support and consumer education in order to make informed trading decisions.

On Wednesday, I held a virtual Veterans Advisory Council meeting with a group of nearly 30 veterans from Pulaski County. I appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from veterans about issues they are facing, including COVID-19 vaccines, delays in processing at the National Personnel Records Center, and their experiences with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

It is an honor to serve the more than 50,000 veterans living in central Arkansas. I am committed to ensuring the men and women who have served our country in uniform receive the highest quality of care and services.

STANDING UP FOR OUR NATION'S STUDENTS

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on all of us, I am especially worried about its impact on our children.  For many students across our nation, it has been nearly one year since they have seen the inside of a classroom. 

Arkansas has safely reopened schools in all districts, with 80% of students attending school in-person. Students who struggled with virtual learning are better able to learn in the classroom with face-to-face instruction and time to socialize with their peers. I hope the Biden administration will follow Arkansas's lead and safely reopen schools nationwide for in-person learning. 

On Sunday, the Log Cabin Democrat published my op-ed urging President Biden to put our nation's children first and get students back to in-person learning.

HIGHLIGHTING HBCU ACHIEVEMENTS

Congratulations to Philander Smith College in Little Rock on receiving a grant from the HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative to preserve their historic campus. I am proud of the work Philander Smith and the three other Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Arkansas do to educate our next generation of leaders. As co-chair of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus in Congress, I am committed to supporting HBCUs in Arkansas and nationwide in their mission to expand educational and economic opportunities for their students.

SUPPORTING THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW

On Saturday, I held my third 2020-2021 Future Leaders Council virtual meeting with a special guest, my predecessor, former Congressman Ed Bethune. I enjoyed visiting with Congressman Bethune and a fantastic group of central Arkansas students. Congressman Bethune represented the second district from 1974-1985.

We discussed how a bill becomes law, the committee process, and the path to become a Member of Congress. The students also wrote their own “bill” about nutrition in school and wanted to make sure all kids had access to healthy and affordable dining options. They also included in their legislation enough time for their fellow students to be able eat and enjoy exercise!

I am grateful to Congressman Bethune for joining us and to all our students who attended. I am proud of their curiosity and their commitment to exploring their interests.

DEBT REPAYMENT AND EVICTION SUSPENSIONS EXTENDED FOR VETERANS

On Thursday, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will continue the suspension of collection on all Veteran benefit overpayments and medical copayment debts incurred after April 1, 2020. The VA is suspending this debt collection to provide Veterans continued financial relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To assist veterans with making informed choices for their situation, VA will notify veterans of their current debt and available expansive relief options. These options include making payments, extending repayment plans, waivers, compromises, and temporary hardship suspensions.

Veterans and beneficiaries with questions regarding benefit overpayments can go to their website and view frequently asked questions and submit requests or call 800-827-0648. For health care co-payment debts, Veterans should contact the Health Resource Center at 866-400-1238..

In addition to the moratorium on debt collection, the VA has also announced it will extend the existing moratorium on evictions and foreclosures and extend VA loan forbearance requests to June 30, 2021.

Forbearance allows veterans time to resolve why they are unable to make regular monthly payments and get back on a monthly repayment schedule. Missed payments due at the end of a forbearance do not have to be made up in a single payment.

Veterans can call the HOPE Hotline, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (888) 995-4673 for personalized financial advice.

If you have questions or require assistance, please contact my Veterans Team at 501-324-5941.

Representative French Hill