Crawford gathers bomb technicians
U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, a longtime member of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Caucus, hosted the sixth annual "EOD Day on the Hill" last week, an event welcoming bomb technicians from all four military branches to the capital.
The Jonesboro Republican served as an Army bomb disposal technician himself.
The nation first launched a bomb disposal program in April 1941, months before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and America's entrance into World War II.
EOD Day on the Hill draws men and women in uniform and civilians as well, spreading awareness of the dangerous duty and the servicemen and women who perform it.
Boozman speaks at broadband event
U.S. Sen. John Boozman delivered the keynote address Wednesday titled "Transforming Communities: Broadband Goals for 2017 and Beyond."
The event was held at Google's Washington, D.C., office and was organized by Next Century Cities, an organization that promotes "access to fast, reliable and affordable Internet."
Fayetteville is listed as one of its city members.
Boozman, a Republican from Rogers, serves as co-chairman of the Senate Broadband Caucus. Other guests included U.S. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent, and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat.
Also last week, Boozman participated in the American Red Cross' Holiday for Heroes program, signing cards for current and former servicemen and women and their families.
Friday, Boozman met with educators from the Academies of West Memphis, Marjorie Hunter, Laura Long and Gabriel Halliburton, who were in Washington for the 96th annual meeting of the National Council for the Social Studies.
Westerman Skypes with high schoolers
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman was interviewed for 15 minutes Thursday morning by sophomores at Waldron High School. During a Skype session, the Hot Springs Republican fielded questions about nuclear diplomacy and poverty.
Preventing nuclear proliferation is important, he said, telling the students, "We have to be a leader in making sure that nuclear weapons don't get in the hands of the wrong people."
Asked whether it was necessary for the United States to drop atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Westerman said that President Harry Truman had made the right call during the final days of World War II.
"That was a way to end the war quickly. It's terrible that it came to that but I think it was absolutely necessary and I hope that nuclear weapons never have to be used again," he said.
When he was asked whether poor people are lazy, Westerman replied: "I'm sure there are people who are rich that are lazy and there are people who are poor that are lazy and some days I feel lazy. But there are many people who are poor and they're facing tough times and they're very hard workers. I know people like that where I live. What we've got to help those people have are opportunities. ... At the end of the day, I think most people like to work and they find satisfaction in having a job and being able to go out and contribute in whatever they're doing."
For inauguration, Womack is contact
Want to request tickets to the Jan. 20 inauguration? U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., has set a cutoff date of Tuesday. Details are available at https://womack.house.gov/constituentservices/2017-presidential-inauguration.htm
Procrastinators who miss the deadline can try their luck with U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. He's accepting applications until Dec. 16. https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=form&id=2
Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (202) 662-7690 or [email protected]. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Washington bureau? It's available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank.
SundayMonday on 12/04/2016