House delegation weighs in on issues

The entire Arkansas House delegation participated in a television townhall-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 flockwood@arkansasonline.com. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s

Washington bureau? It’s available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank.