Weekly Columns
Are you a college student or recent graduate with an interest in government and policy? Come join my office as an intern! We are always looking for talented young people from Arkansas to join our team, both in the district and in D.C. offices.
It doesn't seem like that long ago that I was sworn in to this session of Congress, yet it's already August. The speed of politics shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon and that only makes time go faster. One of the hardest parts about being a congressman is having to spend so many days away from Arkansas, especially because talking with community leaders and local families is valuable as I serve you in Congress.
One of my favorite things about being a member of Congress is meeting with talented students from the Fourth District. I am always amazed at the variety of art, literature, community projects and research from young Arkansans. That's why I'm excited to announce that registration for the 2019 Congressional App Challenge is now open to any middle or high school student in my district.
Growing up in rural Arkansas, I've seen how important local pharmacies are to their communities. These pharmacies provide so much more than prescriptions – they often stock everything from soap to socks. Large-scale chain pharmacies just don't have the same appeal and can't offer the same level of personal service.
August is for Arkansas
By U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman
This summer has been nonstop in Washington. Voting on legislation, meeting with visiting groups, speaking at events and much more fill every day with activity. As much as I enjoy working on your behalf in D.C., I am really looking forward to time in Arkansas this August.
These days, turning on the news is nothing short of exhausting. Government leaders, talking heads on TV, social media users – everyone has an opinion, and everyone is voicing that opinion louder and louder. Just a few days ago, House Speaker Pelosi was formally reprimanded on the House floor because she couldn't even talk about President Trump without violating House rules of conduct.
You really can't make this stuff up. We are seeing uncharted political hostility. Media wars, fiery rhetoric and endless debating are only getting worse.
Serving in Congress and spending long amounts of time in Washington, D.C. makes it even more special when I get to enjoy Arkansas's natural beauty. Some of my fondest memories were made with family and friends fishing on Lake Ouachita or hunting the forests and fields of Arkansas. I grew up enjoying the outdoors around my childhood home in Garland County, have taken my children on many excursions to the Buffalo National River and hiked Hawksbill Crag in the fall.
My first exposure to public office was in 2006, when I ran for the Fountain Lake School Board. Since my wife was a special education teacher, I'd realized the need for proactive approaches – based on the latest science of reading – to teach children the fundamentals of reading and writing. I did my best to make some of these changes to our local schools, and Arkansas is taking great strides in implementing these approaches.
Late in the evening on June 25, President Trump signed the Blue Water Navy Act into law. This bill represents the bipartisan efforts of veterans, advocacy groups, Congress and the administration to give Vietnam-era veterans the VA benefits they need.
When the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced at the end of May that it would be closing nine Civilian Conservation Center (CCC) programs across the country, I was discouraged to learn that the Cass Center in Ozark was one of the nine. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton and I immediately wrote to the USDA and Department of Labor (DOL), expressing concern about the proposed closures, the lack of congressional notification and what that would mean for rural parts of our state.