Cotton: Political elites out of touch
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton gave the keynote speech Monday at Hillsdale College's eighth annual Constitution Day celebration.
The private, liberal arts school commemorates the day that the Constitution's drafters finished their work and added their signatures.
The federal observance, officially known as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, was created by Congress in 2004.
In the speech, Cotton suggested that Americans no longer trust the nation's political elites.
Voters supported businessman Donald Trump, Cotton said, "because they've lost confidence in our governing class -- of both parties, in both its competence and its intentions."
"If you don't understand this, if last year's election came as a complete shock to you, then you truly need to spend more time outside of Washington, D.C.," he said. "The multiplying failures and arrogance of our governing class are what created the conditions for his victory."
The Dardanelle Republican argued that the nation's ruling elites are especially out of touch when it comes to immigration.
Trump won, in part, because he rejected "what's commonly called 'comprehensive immigration reform,' which is Washington code for amnesty, mass immigration and open borders in perpetuity," Cotton added.
Crawford talks up his Cuba trade bill
In an op-ed for The Hill, a Washington political news publication, U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford urged leaders to support the Cuba Agricultural Exports Act, which would allow American farmers to extend credit to Cuban customers.
The measure, which is sponsored by the Republican from Jonesboro, has 59 co-sponsors, including U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs.
Noting that Cuban President Raul Castro is to retire in February, Crawford said, "The time is right for Congress and the administration to make small changes to our current trade relationship by encouraging bilateral agribusiness trade. ... Measures taken now to build a stable, mutually beneficial US-Cuba trading relationship in agriculture will go a long way towards increasing American influence with Cuba's new generation of leaders, restoring prosperity for American farmers, and helping ordinary Cubans shape their country's future."
McLarty firm plans office in Brussels
McLarty Associates, the global consulting firm, is opening a new office in Brussels.
Hope native Mack McLarty and friends gathered in Georgetown in Washington, D.C., earlier this month to celebrate the launch of McLarty Europe.
Guests nibbled on mussels, fries, Brussels sprouts, Belgian waffles and Pierre Marcolini chocolates. They also received copies of Fractured Continent, a new book about Europe by Bill Drozdiak, McLarty Associates' senior adviser for Europe and Eurasia.
Another celebration will be held in Brussels in October.
McLarty, who was chief of staff in the Clinton administration, said McLarty Europe is being launched at a pivotal time.
Given recent developments, including Brexit, "Borders are thickening. You can almost hear the tectonic plates shifting," he said.
In addition to Brussels, McLarty Associates has offices in Washington and Beijing, with representatives working in countries around the world.
Hill joins in forum on Web, extremism
U.S. Rep. French Hill spoke last week at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York City. The event, which coincided with the U.N. General Assembly meeting, attracts heads of state, philanthropists, CEOs, Cabinet members and a Hollywood celebrity or two.
The Republican from Little Rock participated in three panel discussions, his spokesman said.
They included "Winning the Online Battle of Ideas," which focused on how the Internet is used to foment extremism and radicalization; "Disruptive Technology: The Future of the Workforce," which examined how robotics and artificial intelligence will help shape the economy; and "Strategic Post-Conflict Investment from Colombia to Cyprus," which addressed economic development in former war zones.
Hill was deputy assistant secretary of the treasury for corporate finance after the West won the Cold War. He helped design the U.S. assistance that the Treasury Department provided to the newly liberated eastern and central European states.
The Internet extremism discussion was hosted by Tony Blair, the former prime minister of Britain.
Westerman weighs in on forest policies
U.S. Reps. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., and Scott Tipton, R-Colo., co-wrote a guest editorial for The Durango (Colo.) Herald, calling for changes in the nation's forest management practices.
The article appeared at a time when forest fires were raging out west.
Westerman, the only congressman with a graduate degree in forestry, has sponsored the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017, which would change the way the nation funds its firefighting efforts. It would also make it harder for environmentalists to use drawn-out litigation to derail forestry plans.
The Hot Springs Republican said his legislation "allows the Forest Service to enact management plans to include commercial thinning, that is not only scientifically proven to maintain healthy forests, it also pays for itself. The legislation puts more power back in the hands of the foresters who know best how to maintain healthy forests and preserve the national forests we all love."
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
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