Hope boy singled out for aid to troops
WASHINGTON -- An Arkansas child who helps service personnel got a shout-out on C-SPAN last week.
In a speech on the House floor, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman told his colleagues about Huck Plyler, a 6-year-old from Hope who assembles care packages for troops overseas.
The youngster created what is now known as Huck's Military Care Package Project. With the help of like-minded friends, neighbors and the Hempstead County Farm Bureau, he has sent dozens of care packages to Arkansas National Guard members who are deployed in northeast Africa.
The list of care package items includes puzzles and protein bars. Gift cards and granola. Batteries and beef jerky.
Westerman, a Republican from Hot Springs, said Huck's "generosity has stirred the hearts, souls and patriotic spirits of people across my district and Arkansas."
The child's "kindness and thoughtfulness brings honor to himself, his parents Caleb and Briana Plyler, and to the benevolent people of Hempstead County and Arkansas," Westerman said.
Griffin extols pick for Army secretary
Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin gives high marks to the latest nominee to be secretary of the Army -- Raytheon lobbyist Mark Esper.
"He is a good friend. I've known him for a long time," the Republican from Little Rock said. "He has a lot of experience with military issues, defense issues. I think he's a fabulous choice."
President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Esper, a West Point graduate and retired Army lieutenant colonel with Capitol Hill and Pentagon experience. The president's two previous nominees had withdrawn from consideration.
Esper, who works for one of the nation's largest defense contractors, will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Griffin, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, was interviewed for the Pentagon post, meeting in February with White House and Defense Department officials.
"I was honored to be considered, but I've got a lot of other great things going on and I love my job," he said. "I'm blessed to be where I am."
King panel's exec lunches with Hill
Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission Executive Director DuShun Scarbrough and a group of commission interns traveled to Washington, D.C., last week, visiting Capitol Hill and stopping by the White House Visitors Center.
They were also lunch guests of Arkansas' U.S. Rep. French Hill, who joined them Thursday at Hill Country Barbecue Market.
"I'm really proud of the [King] commission in Arkansas and what they're doing to engage youth and create mentorship opportunities," said Hill, a Republican from Little Rock.
While in Washington, Scarbrough also attended the NextGen Silent Hero Award ceremony. It recognizes "a public service leader who has operated behind the scenes, silently working in a dedicated and committed fashion, without the limelight, who has laid the foundation for stellar public service results and community change."
NextGen is affiliated with GovLoop, which has been described as a "Facebook for feds."
Scarbrough said he was pleased to be one of the finalists for the honor. "It's a true blessing," he said.
House delegation weighs in on issues
The entire Arkansas House delegation participated in a television town-hall-style meeting last week, fielding questions from Drew Petrimoulx, the former host of Capitol View.
Since April, Petrimoulx has been a Washington correspondent for Nexstar Media Group, an Irving, Texas-based corporation that operates 170 stations nationwide.
On Wednesday, Petrimoulx asked the four Republican lawmakers about a number of topics, including health care, tax cuts and President Donald Trump's use of social media.
All four said they believe Trump's tweets are hurting his presidency.
"We need to be on offense with regard to our activity in the House, the things that we're doing, the legislation that we're trying to put forward," U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Jonesboro said. "When we have to defend certain statements, that takes away from our ability to communicate what it is we're doing on a day-to-day basis."
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs said he doesn't fixate on Trump's tweets.
"I try not to spend a lot of time defending the president's tweets," he said. "I try to stay focused on the job that I'm doing, focused on the work of the House."
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 07/30/2017