Congressman visits Texarkana
RRAD, opioid epidemic among items discussed at event
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said he wants answers from the Army concerning whether Red River Army Depot will service the Armored MultiPurpose Vehicle.
Westerman attended the “Coffee with Congressman Westerman” on Monday at the Southwest Arkansas Electric Cooperative in Texarkana, Ark., sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.
Westerman discussed a variety of subjects, from Red River Army Depot to the opioid epidemic.
Westerman said that although about 900 RRAD employees will be out of work, he and fellow U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, have continued to support RRAD’s “ongoing importance in support of our nation’s warfighters.”
He said that area lawmakers have urged Gen. Gustave F. Perna, Army Materiel Command, to provide an update on whether RRAD will be chosen to service the AMPV.
Westerman said that in a letter to Perna, he and Ratcliffe supported RRAD’s selection because it offers the technical expertise, dedicated personnel, industry relationships and facility readiness required to successfully service the AMPV.
In the letter, Westerman said, “The men and women of the Red River Army
Depot have the skill, dedication, and professionalism which make the depot the ideal location for servicing the AMPV. I look forward to a swift decision that will keep the citizens of the Texarkana region serving our armed forces for years to come.”
Ratcliffe added, “For more than 75 years, the dedicated men and women at the depot have remained committed to providing the very best military equipment to our nation’s warfighters. Their history of award-winning excellence makes me confident the depot is the very best choice to service the AMPV, and I look forward to a swift decision on this matter.”
Cosigners of the letter sent to Perna were Reps. Mike Johnson, R-La., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla.
During the chamber event, Westerman said that so far he has received no response to the inquiry.
He also told the audience that some of the RRAD projects may be moved to other depots.
Westerman also discussed the opioid epidemic, noting that 400 people died in Arkansas in 2016 from overdoses.
So far this fiscal year, Border Patrol agents have seized more than 1,000 pounds of fentanyl. “That’s enough lethal doses of this synthetic opioid to kill half of the entire U.S. population,” Westerman said.