U.S. Congressman French Hill (R-Ark.) (pictured above, right) and U.S. Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. (D-Calif.) attended a dinner Thursday night in Little Rock, sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC).
Batesville native Johnny Mitchum (pictured above, left, with Hill), a member of the Arkansas Economic Development Council (AEDC), attended the dinner, along with fellow native Stephanie Isaacs (pictured below), the director of the AEDC Office of Skills Development. Isaacs was also a major presenter at the dinner.
The Bipartisan Policy Center brought Rep. Bera (pictured below) to Little Rock as part of the American Congressional Exchange program, where members of Congress visit each other’s districts to build relationships of trust, define common problems, and illuminate shared interests between lawmakers.
Mitchum said the meeting highlighted the importance of focusing on essential academic subjects in schools rather than social engineering.
“The meeting reminded me of the need for our schools to focus on teaching math, science, engineering, and English and not be involved in social engineering and teaching our youth what to think instead of teaching them how to think,” he said.
The BPC, a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., strives to ensure bipartisan cooperation among policymakers.
Images: Johnny Mitchum, AEDC
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