WASHINGTON -- As Congress prepared to head home for the holidays, both Arkansas senators gave and received gifts in a bipartisan Senate-wide "secret Santa" gift exchange.
U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., gave Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a '60s, '70s and '80s trivia game that can be used as an icebreaker when hosting parties. U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., gave Boozman a bottle of whiskey and a book titled Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved Out an Empire in the New World in Their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedom -- and Revenge by Edward Kritzler.
U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., gave an Arkansas photo book and a pocket-size Bible to U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. Pryor received a camouflage hunting hat and a book on John F. Kennedy's time in the Senate from U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind.
National Journal reported that U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., who is Jewish, started the gift-giving tradition in 2011; gifts are supposed to cost $15 or less.
DELEGATION
On Wednesday, Pryor and Boozman had lunch with Arkansas' two Senate pages, Cogan Wade of Little Rock and Anthony Bennett of Ashdown, in the Members Dining Room.
On Monday, Boozman, a member of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy board of visitors, visited the academy in Great Neck, N.Y., for a board meeting, a tour of the facility and meetings with midshipmen.
U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., spoke at the 17th annual Industry Day at the National Guard Association of the United States on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he attended the National Conference of State Legislatures' conference to discuss marketplace fairness.
U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., spoke to the Heritage Foundation on Tuesday regarding his bill, HR3173, the Children's Consignment Event Recognition Act, which would help consignment sellers like Conway business-owner Rhea Lana Riner by stopping the Labor Department from requiring such companies to pay volunteers minimum wage.
On Friday, he was to attend the live Nativity hosted by Antioch Baptist Church in Conway with his family. He was to be marshal for the Ward annual Christmas Parade on Saturday and hand out parade awards and observe the lighting of the Christmas Tree at City Hall at the conclusion of the parade.
Today, Griffin is to speak to the Wounded Warriors at the Lightle Senior Center in Searcy during an appreciation dinner for a Purple Heart recipient.
Heather and Paul Braithwaite from Almyra visited U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford's office Thursday, and the Abby Feamster family from Austin visited Crawford, R-Ark., on Friday.
Last week, Crawford was named chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management. The committee has jurisdiction over implementation of the farm bill and farm commodities, including cotton, wheat, feed grains, soybeans, rice and dry beans.
U.S. Sen.-elect Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is to meet with Realtors on Monday and tour Camp Robinson Military Base in North Little Rock on Tuesday. Also Tuesday he is schedule to attend a barbecue in Rison.
CONSECUTIVE VOTES
Womack has now made 2,813 consecutive roll-call votes during his tenure in Congress, maintaining a perfect voting record and the longest continuous voting streak among current House members, his office announced.
NEW MEMBERS
U.S. Rep.-elect Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., announced new staff members Tuesday.
Jonathan Shuffield of Washington, D.C., will be Westerman's legislative director. He is currently the executive director of the Congressional Western Caucus and a legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M.
Michael Lambert of Conway will be a legislative assistant. A graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, Lambert was political director for Westerman's campaign.
Jefferson Deming of El Dorado will be a legislative assistant. Victoria Bell of Mena and J. Cody Burkham of Hope will be legislative correspondents, the employee who responds to constituents' calls, letters and emails.
U.S. Rep.-elect French Hill, R-Ark., announced Friday that he is keeping on several staff members currently working for his predecessor, Griffin.
In the Washington office, Holli Heiles of Star City will be a senior adviser, Dylan Frost of Little Rock will be senior legislative assistant and Jennie Caven of Houston will be communications director. In central Arkansas, Jill Cox of Maumelle will be deputy district director, Tom McNabb of Greenbrier will be senior district representative focusing on veterans and military issues, and Anushree Jumde of Conway and Josh Mesker of Shannon Hills will be district representatives.
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SundayMonday on 12/14/2014