Washington news in brief
Vets bill reflects Boozman efforts
WASHINGTON — The Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, which passed in the Senate last week, reflects the work of U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.
The two lawmakers had teamed up to introduce the Deborah Sampson Act designed to remove obstacles to health care services that many women veterans encounter.
Language from the Boozman-Tester bill, first introduced in 2017, was included in the larger piece of legislation.
The bill had strong backing from veterans groups.
Arkansas has an estimated 19,000 women veterans, and Boozman said they deserve quality care.
“VA facilities need to be updated to accommodate the growing number of women veterans so we can meet their needs. Ensuring the VA has the capability to provide more equitable care and services is key to fulfilling our promise. Passage of this bill will enable us to better support women who answer the call to serve their nation in uniform,” he said in a written statement.
Tester said the nation has “a sacred duty” to provide better care for the nation’s nearly 2 million women veterans.
Currently, roughly one in 10 veterans are women. They’ll account for one in six veterans by 2045, according to one estimate.
The Deborah Sampson Act is named after a Massachusetts woman who disguised herself as a man so she could serve in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Wounded in battle, the U.S. Congress eventually awarded her a pension.
Hill touts legislation on China, criminals
Language in the National Defense Authorization Act reflected provisions that had been championed by 2nd Congressional District Rep. French Hill, the Republican from Little Rock said.
All four of the House members from Arkansas supported the legislation. It later passed in the Senate as well.
“My legislation, the Ensuring Chinese Debt Transparency Act, will ensure transparency in lending terms developing countries receive from the [Chinese Communist Party] and international financial institutions (IFIs) such as the IMF and World Bank,” he said.
“Another bill I introduced, the Cooperate with Law Enforcement Agencies and Watch (CLAW) Act, helps the financial services industry partner with law enforcement agencies to monitor the flow of cash associated with criminal activities,” he said.
Language in the National Defense Authorization Act “promotes cooperation between the two groups to allow law enforcement agencies to keep our financial system safe from criminals and terrorists while eliminating conflicting repercussions for the financial services industry,” Hill added.
Hill is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Delta Trust and Banking Corp., a Little Rock financial institution that he founded and led before its purchase in 2014 by Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff.
Fulmer makes D.C. trip, digs into work
Jonelle Fulmer has been busy since her election last weekend as Republican Party of Arkansas chairwoman.
“I got almost one full day of work in the office and then flew off that evening to D.C. and had a wonderful visit with our RNC [Republican National Convention] chairwoman and a delightful evening at the vice president’s residence and then jetted back home just as quick as we could and got back to work,” she said Friday.
During her meeting with Ronna McDaniel, the RNC chairwoman, President Donald Trump called and congratulated her on her election.
Fulmer is replacing Doyle Webb, whom she called “the most successful chairman that the Republican Party of Arkansas has ever had.”
The Fort Smith resident is no stranger to national party leaders. She had served as the state’s Republican National Committeewoman since 2012.
She is taking the reins of a statewide organization with its headquarters in Little Rock. That will mean a lengthy commute.
“I’m going to be here [in the capital] during the week, and I’ll go home and see my husband [Dane Fulmer] and my dog on the weekend,” she said.
The pet has no known political leanings.
“He’s an 85-pound lab pit [mix], and my grandchildren named him Fruffy.”
Planning to visit the nation’s capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (501) 908-5204 or flockwood@ adgnewsroom.com. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Washington bureau? It’s available on Twitter, @ LockwoodFrank.