Boozman applauds
Trump press aide
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. John Boozman heaped praise on presidential spokesman Sarah Huckabee Sanders after a bill-signing ceremony Friday at the White House.
The two Arkansans have been in the political trenches together: Sanders helped the Rogers Republican unseat Democratic incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln in 2010, serving as his campaign manager.
Sanders, who once labored in obscurity, is now Trump's principal deputy press secretary.
Standing with Sanders in the White House Entrance Hall, Boozman said she deserves the credit for his landslide victory, adding, "I wouldn't be here without Sarah's master work."
Asked whether Trump would be visiting Arkansas, Sanders said, "I sure hope so. If he does, I will definitely make sure I get to be on that trip."
Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, said she'd welcome a chance to "come back home to God's country and call the Hogs and eat a little bit of barbecue."
Cotton champions
protecting patents
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton is co-sponsoring legislation that he said will protect patent holders and inventors.
The legislation will "make it easier and less costly for patent holders to enforce their patents," Cotton and other lawmakers said in a news release Wednesday.
The bill also will ensure that patent application fees remain with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office instead of being diverted to other government programs.
The money will help the office modernize its operations, supporters say.
"Strong rights in property -- whether intellectual or tangible -- have been a key driver behind U.S. economic might. Eroding such rights would imperil innovation and job growth, so we need to maintain strong patent protections if we want our economy to grow at full speed," Cotton said in a written statement.
Cotton, a Republican from Dardanelle, and U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., also wrote an op-ed piece for CNBC promoting the legislation.
Westerman tours
near-Canada mine
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman traveled to northern Minnesota last week and visited mining operations near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Weeks before leaving office, the Obama administration blocked plans for a new copper and nickel mine, saying the mining would pose a threat to nearby lakes and streams.
The site, near the border with Canada, is remote and sparsely populated. Twin Metals is offering to invest $5 billion on the project, The New York Times reported.
In a news release, the Hot Springs Republican said the mining company would "pump billions of dollars into the local economy, create thousands of jobs, and provide funding for K-12 education in Minnesota while maintaining the highest levels of environmental stewardship and sustainability."
He urged the Trump administration to remove the Obama-era rules and allow the project to proceed.
Crawford topics Net
neutrality, privacy
U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford discussed Net neutrality and privacy issues Tuesday with members of the Arkansas Cable Telecommunications Association. On Thursday, Crawford or his staff met with Arkansas FFA students, representatives of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Arkansas, a contingent from Cabot Middle School North, officials with the Arkansas Optometric Association and others.
The Jonesboro Republican, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, was on hand Wednesday when it questioned former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson about Russian interference in the 2016 elections.
On Friday, Crawford and other members of the House Agriculture Committee headed to Gainesville, Fla. The committee was to hold a "Farm Bill Listening Session" at the University of Florida on Saturday morning.
Hill aide takes job
in his family store
Michael Siegel, U.S. Rep. French Hill's communications director, is leaving after more than six years on Capitol Hill.
Caroline Thorman, deputy communications director to U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., has been hired to replace him.
Siegel was one of Hill's early hires and joined the Little Rock congressman's office early in 2015. Before that, he worked for the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Starting next month, he'll be going to work at W.S. Jenks & Son, his family's hardware store.
In business for 151 years, W.S. Jenks predates telephones and was once the backdrop for a 1993 forum on health care featuring then-President Bill Clinton.
The company, which recently moved to a new location in northeast Washington, is the city's oldest hardware store, its website states.
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 06/25/2017