Washington news in brief
Arkansas catfish fried up on the Hill
WASHINGTON — The Catfish Farmers of America held a fish fry Tuesday on Capitol Hill, welcoming hundreds of guests from Arkansas and other Southern states.
Carter Harrison did the cooking, hauling his equipment all the way from Carlisle. He was joined by his wife, Debbye, who breaded the fillets before they were lowered into the boiling oil.
Brad Graham, Arkansas’ Catfish Farmer of the Year in 2013, also made the journey and had nothing but praise for the chef.
“It’s about the best fried catfish you can eat. You can go to any restaurant and compare [it] to what he does. He just knows what he’s doing,” the Ashley County resident said.
Members of the state congressional delegation sampled fish and all the fixings, pausing to praise the quality of the cuisine.
“I come every year. This is something I look forward to,” U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Rogers said.
“I’ve heard several people here say this is the best reception in D.C. all year long,” U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs said.
“This catfish is imported from Arkansas. It’s not imported from Vietnam. That’s how you know it’s good,” U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Jonesboro said.
Pastors join effort to help ‘Dreamers’
The Rev. Ronnie Floyd, pastor of Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas, has signed a statement calling on lawmakers to go to the aid of so-called Dreamers: thousands of people who grew up in the U.S. but are in the country illegally.
The statement was signed by many leading evangelical leaders, including Conway native the Rev. Jack Graham. Graham and Floyd are both former presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
Dreamers, the declaration states, belong to a “special category of immigrants who are not legally culpable, who in most cases have no home other than the United States, and who are a blessing to their communities and to their churches.”
Congress should “provide a legal remedy for the subset of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children by their parents. … We believe it is unjust to punish children for offenses they did not commit. We recognize that Dreamers are a special category of immigrants because they broke no law and committed no offense.”
Treatment of those people isn’t just a political issue — it’s also a moral issue, they stated, adding, “We believe Dreamers deserve to be recognized as our fellow Americans.”
Westerman honors designer of quarter
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman honored Dortha Scott, a Mount Ida resident who designed the official state quarter.
The Republican from Hot Springs placed his tribute in the Congressional Record late last month, ensuring that the words would remain in the official record.
Scott’s design, which features rice stalks, a diamond, water, forest and a mallard duck in flight, was selected by Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2002.
Westerman said the coin “showcased the best of the Natural State.”
The coin, one in a series highlighting the 50 states, was released in late 2003. Nearly a half-billion of the Arkansas quarters were produced, Westerman noted.
Cotton aide weds, will take new name
Caroline Rabbitt, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton’s communications director, married Andrew Tabler on Sept. 23.
The pair exchanged vows in Avalon, N.J. An article about the nuptials appeared the next day in The New York Times.
The bridegroom, 33, is from Kentucky and works at the Pentagon.
They met in 2014 at a Washington charitable event that benefits wounded warriors, the wedding announcement said.
The bride, 30, is adopting her spouse’s last name, she said.
Trusted adviser now Boozman staff chief
Toni-Marie Higgins, who works as U.S. Sen. John Boozman’s legislative director, has been promoted to chief of staff, the lawmaker announced Friday.
The Ringwood, N.J., native has worked on Capitol Hill for 12 years, including a decade with Boozman.
She starts her new post Oct. 23.
Higgins, a graduate of the University of Maryland, joined Boozman’s staff in 2007, when the Republican was representing Arkansas’ 3rd Congressional District. She stayed on when he moved to the Senate.
In a news release, Boozman called Higgins “a trusted [adviser] who has experience on a wide range of policy issues important to our state.”
“I am pleased that she will serve as my top aide and continue to work on behalf of the people of Arkansas in this new role,” he added.
Hill legislative aide gets job of director
U.S. Rep. French Hill has named Dylan Frost as his new legislative director.
Frost was working as a legislative staff member for U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, a Little Rock Republican who opted not to seek a third term. When Hill, another Little Rock Republican, won the open seat, he offered Frost a job as his senior legislative assistant.
Originally from Little Rock, Frost graduated from Central High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville with a focus on political science and Middle East and Islamic studies.
In a news release, Hill said Frost “brings to bear a deep knowledge of the legislative process and the issues affecting central Arkansas families.”
Planning to visit the nation’s capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (202) 662-7690 or flockwood@arkansasonline.com. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Washington bureau? It’s available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank