Keep up aid to Ukraine, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tells forum in Bentonville

Former top U.S. envoy one of many leaders at forum

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2020, file photo, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks to reporters in Little Rock, Ark. Hutchinson isn't on the ballot in Tuesday's election but he's still a major player in it. The governor has appeared in an ad for fellow Republican Rep. French Hill, who's in an unexpectedly tight reelection fight. (AP Photo/Andrew Demillo, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2020, file photo, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks to reporters in Little Rock, Ark. Hutchinson isn't on the ballot in Tuesday's election but he's still a major player in it. The governor has appeared in an ad for fellow Republican Rep. French Hill, who's in an unexpectedly tight reelection fight. (AP Photo/Andrew Demillo, File)

BENTONVILLE -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, speaking at a forum hosted by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, warned Wednesday against scaling back military aid to Ukraine.

"To our friends in the House, ask yourselves: What would Ronald Reagan think?" Rice said. Republican House leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Tuesday that the current level of support Ukraine receives from the United States could be harder to get through Congress if Republicans gain a majority in the House in this year's election.

Rice was the first guest speaker at Wednesday's "America Leads: An Ideas Summit" organized by Hutchinson's national policy political action committee, America Strong and Free PAC Inc. of Little Rock. Guests included Rice, former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona, former Govs. Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Bill Haslam of Tennessee and Republican nominee for Arkansas governor Sarah Sanders. Those guests plus business leaders and policy experts discussed topics including education reform, inflation, foreign affairs, energy policy, race relations, immigration and encouraging entrepreneurship.

An estimated 300 people attended at least some portion of the meeting, held at the Momentary arts center in Bentonville, with standing-room only at times in the center's auditorium. The event exceeded his expectations in both attendance and the value of the discussion, Hutchinson said.

"I'm thrilled with it," he said.

Ducey signed a bill in July expanding Arizona educational savings accounts. The law now allows parents to choose where to spend public money allocated to their children.

Ducey pushed for such a bill when he first took office almost eight years ago, he told the crowd Wednesday. The tide turned in his favor to pass the bill when he met with the Black pastors of his state, he said.

"Not a one of them was a Republican, as they constantly reminded me," he said. They supported his bill because they felt minority students were trapped in substandard schools, he said.

DeVos told the gathering the covid pandemic "laid bare" the problems with the traditional model of schools because parents saw what schools were teaching during remote learning and how school systems reacted to the crisis. The opportunity for change is greater now, she said, than ever before.

Sanders also spent much of her time at the event discussing education with Hutchinson. She reiterated her priority of improving reading scores. She also emphasized that there is a need for greater emphasis on vocational training -- an alternative to four-year colleges and universities -- for older students.

Hutchinson replied: "Sarah, everyone will be in agreement on enhancing vocational education, but they'll have 135 different ideas on how to do it." There are 100 state House members and 35 state senators.

Sanders is opposed by Democratic nominee Chris Jones, Libertarian candidate Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. and four write-in candidates.

Hutchinson said Sanders, if elected, will be the first Republican elected to succeed another Republican as governor in the state's history.

"We didn't have that even during the Reconstruction era, I believe," Hutchinson said.

According the the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, his claim appears correct. The state's first Republican governor, Powell Clayton, resigned in March 1871 after his election to the U.S. Senate. His successor served as acting governor and did not run for reelection. The next Republican governor, Elisha Baxter, was the last from that party until the election of Winthrop Rockefeller in 1966. Neither Rockefeller, Frank White nor Sander's father, Mike Huckabee, were succeeded by a fellow Republican after their times in the office.

Rice spent much of her time in the opening session of the summit discussing the rising strength of China and its threat to overrun Taiwan, turning later to the war caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

She said open conflict between China and the United States is avoidable but will require effort. For instance, China appears more likely to use a "strangulation strategy," she said, to cut off sea lanes to Taiwan than a major amphibious invasion. Keeping the sea lanes open will require strength.

Ukrainians are showing "extraordinary bravery and extraordinary skill," Rice said. "Look at what people will do to keep what we already have," she said.

"We're doing the right things, but we need to be doing them faster," she said of military assistance to Ukraine. Hutchinson, Rice and other foreign policy experts at Wednesday's forum credited President Joe Biden's administration's efforts in assisting Ukraine, although each pointed out some things they believe the administration either should not have done or should have done better.

Terri Trotter, chief executive of The Jones Center in Springdale, said the forum provided valuable insights.

"It was good to hear a bigger picture and a lot of different perspectives," she said.

Mayor Greg Hines of Rogers also attended.

"In the political world it's hard to be inspired," he said. "The panelists here were not only inspiring but hopeful."

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