WASHINGTON NEWS IN BRIEF

Hill joins panel on terror funds

Task force to delve into how U.S. can cut off groups’ cash

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., has been named to the Financial Service Committee's Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing. The temporary group, created March 20, has the task of updating what the country's financial system does to disrupt financing for terrorism groups.

"Along with military and diplomatic strategies, it is essential we shut down the economic backing of ISIL and other terrorist organizations around the world. For too long, the financiers and sympathizers of terrorist groups have hidden deep in the fabric of global business, financial, and nonprofit networks. This task force will identify the ways and means to infiltrate and eliminate these dangerous groups as we continue our war against terrorism," Hill said in a statement that uses an acronym for the Islamic State group.

MORNING SHOW

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is to appear today on CBS' Face the Nation.

The show is to air at 9:30 a.m. on KTHV in central Arkansas, on KFSM in Northwest Arkansas and on WREG in Memphis.

FISH FRY

U.S. Sen. John Boozman's annual fish fry is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 2 in Ward Nail Park at 801 McClure Ave. in Lowell, according to the Arkansas Republican's office.

IN THE DISTRICT

Congress is on a two-week break and is to return April 13.

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., is to host a town hall event in Harrison at 5 p.m. Wednesday in North Arkansas College's Durand Center at 303 N. Main St.

Womack is to hold a town hall event in Springdale at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Jones Center Chapel at 922 E. Emma Ave.

U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., is to attend the Miracle League of Jonesboro's Weiner pig roast at Weiner High School on Saturday.

On April 6, he is to tour the Pine Bluff Arsenal with Hill. On April 8, he is to attend the Maya Angelou special-stamp dedication ceremony in Stamps.

Hill is to tour the U.S.-Mexico border with other House members Thursday.

ON THE HILL

On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Boozman each met with staff members from the Economic Development Alliance of Jefferson County.

Cotton also met Tuesday with National Association of State Boards of Education board member Jay Barth and with members of the Arkansas American Podiatric Medical Association: Drs. Mark Reiner of Jonesboro, Brooke Bisbee of Rogers, and David Keisling and Alex Dellinger, both of Little Rock.

Cotton and Westerman spoke Wednesday with Arkansas Cattlemen's Association members Adam McClung of El Paso, Kirk Ross of Little Rock, Marcus Creasy of Heber Springs, Jerry Christie of Nashville, Rob Campbell of Hector and Phillip DeSalvo of Center Ridge.

On Tuesday, Westerman met with Arthritis Foundation representatives Phillip Ruth and Shelly Fedor of Hot Springs.

Boozman spoke Tuesday with members of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas Bankers Association and Arkansas' Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation chapter. On Wednesday, he met with representatives of the Golden Triangle Economic Development Council, Central Arkansas Development Council, Arkansas Humanities Council and Disability Rights Arkansas.

U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., held his first hearing as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management on Thursday to look at implementation of the 2014 farm bill.

Crawford also spoke on the House floor Wednesday to recognize Cleburne County Baptist Church Pastor Tim Crumpton from Heber Springs, who gave the chamber's opening prayer.

On Tuesday, Hill spoke about the Arkansas Run for the Fallen on the House floor. That day he also met with the state treasurer's office Chief of Staff Jim Harris. On Thursday, he spoke with Arkansas' American Legion Oratorical Contest first-place winner Adrianne Owings, a junior at Episcopal Collegiate School.

ROTUNDA CLOSED

The U.S. Capitol's rotunda will be closed for six weeks this summer so workers can install scaffolding as part of the $60 million restoration of the Capitol dome, Roll Call reported Friday.

It will be closed from July 25 through Labor Day on Sept. 7, peak tourism season for the nation's capital. The scaffolding is so workers can repair damage to the dome that has caused water to leak through more than 1,000 cracks into the rotunda.

The dome restoration project is to be complete by the 2017 presidential inauguration.

Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Contact us at (202) 662-7690 or swire@arkansasonline.com.

SundayMonday on 03/29/2015

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