Weekly Columns
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
There’s no denying it: these have been hard weeks for Arkansas. I’ve traveled all along the Arkansas River to assess flood damage, speak with the Arkansas National Guard and lend a helping hand to struggling communities, but the work is just beginning.