How Arkansas’ congressional delegation voted
Here is how Arkansas’ U.S. senators and U.S. representatives voted on major roll call votes during the week that ended Friday.
HOUSE Sanctuary cities, immigration enforcement. Passed 228-195, a GOP-sponsored bill (HR3003) that would deny law-enforcement and anti-terrorism grants to “sanctuary cities” that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Critics say these cities are legally required to comply with federal requests that they help locate and detain illegal aliens. In response, the cities say that to do so would undercut local policing efforts that depend on rapport with immigrant populations. There are more than 400 sanctuary cities nationwide.
Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, said the bill would “strengthen our nation’s immigration laws, hold sanctuary cities accountable and enhance public safety by requiring detention of criminal aliens.”
Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said the bill “is about telling communities how to police themselves and protect their people. It says: We here in D.C. know better than you do, local police, across the United States. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
h✔ Rick Crawford (R) h✔ French Hill (R)
h✔ Steve Womack (R) h✔ Bruce Westerman (R)
Exemption to protect public safety. Defeated 181-230, a Democratic bid to exempt from HR3003 (above) any sanctuary city where local authorities conclude that federal immigration mandates and financial penalties would impede their investigation of crimes, including sexual assault and domestic violence, and thereby undermine public safety.
A yes vote was to adopt the motion.
h✖ Crawford (R)
h✖ Hill (R)
h✖ Womack (R) h✖ Westerman (R)
Penalties for deportees
who return to the U.S. Passed 257-167, a bill (HR3004) that would toughen sentences on illegal aliens, including ones with criminal records, who are convicted of illegally re-entering or attempting to re-enter the U.S. after they have been deported. Republicans named the bill Kate’s Law in response to a 2015 murder in San Francisco, a sanctuary city, in which an illegal alien with felony convictions murdered Kathryn Steinle after city authorities released him from custody.
Lou Barletta, R-Pa., called the bill “a test of the willingness of Congress to stand for families across this country who have lost loved ones to crimes committed by criminals who had no business being in this country in the first place.” Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said: “Although most people who illegally re-enter the country do so to reunite with their families or to flee violence or persecution, this bill considers them all dangerous criminals who deserve lengthy prison sentences.”
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
Crawford (R)
Hill (R)
Womack (R) Westerman (R)
Treatment of sex-trafficking victims. Defeated 193232, a Democratic bid to protect against criminal prosecution under HR3004 (above) victims of sex trafficking who cross the U.S. border to seek protection at ports of entry. The exemption would apply to individuals who have been previously deported from or denied admission to the U.S.
Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said: “These are not individuals attempting to evade immigration agents. They are not trying to sneak into the United States. They are simply exercising the right to lawfully approach a U.S. port of entry to seek permission to enter.”
Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said that under existing law, “an alien who has been deported and who returns to the U.S. is subject to possible criminal prosecution.”
A yes vote backed an exemption for sex-trafficking victims. h✖ Crawford (R)
h✖ Hill (R)
h✖ Womack (R) h✖ Westerman (R)
Medical-malpractice
lawsuits. Passed 218-210, a GOP-sponsored bill (HR1215) to limit medical-malpractice lawsuits in federal and state courts. In part, the bill would cap noneconomic (punitive) damages at $250,000, limits plaintiffs’ lawyers’ contingency fees and narrow the window for filing suits. The bill places no caps on economic damages and does not pre-empt state laws that impose higher or lower medical-malpractice caps.
Ken Buck, R-Colo., said: “Trial lawyers too often stand between patients and their doctors. With the looming threat of excessive, unending lawsuits, health care providers have to worry more about the trial lawyer at their door than the patient in their office. [The bill] places important limits on these lawsuits so that the truly wronged are compensated without enriching trial lawyers at the same time.” Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., said: “Nearly half a million Americans die every year from preventable medical errors, and many more are permanently injured. This bill does nothing to solve that problem. Instead, it just takes away the right of the injured consumers. And if you believe that average Americans should not be barred from the justice system as they seek to hold wrongdoers accountable, then you must oppose this bill.” A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
h✔ Crawford (R)
h✔ Hill (R)
h✔ Womack (R) h✔ Westerman (R)
Malpractice with painkiller
prescriptions. Defeated 191-235, a Democratic motion to exempt from HR1215 (above) legal actions alleging gross negligence in prescribing the highly addictive pain medications known as opioids. U.S. doctors write hundreds of thousands of opioid prescriptions each day, and critics say over-prescription is driving a nationwide drug epidemic centered in rural areas in which opioid abuse spreads to heroin addiction and mortality. A yes vote was to adopt a motion concerning opioid prescriptions. h✖ Crawford (R)
h✖ Hill (R)
h✖ Womack (R) h✖ Westerman (R)
SENATE D Kristine Svinicki confirmation. Confirmed 88-9, Kristine L. Svinicki to her second five-year term on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where she is expected to continue to serve as chairman. Svinicki, 51, a nuclear engineer, held previous positions at the U.S. Department of Energy and on the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in charge of overseeing the licensing and operation of nuclear power plants in the U.S. and other areas of public health and safety related to nuclear energy. A yes vote was to confirm Svinicki. h✔ John Boozman (R)
h✔ Tom Cotton (R)