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.
VOTERAMA IN CONGRESS
HOUSE
The House was in recess.
SENATE
Agreeing to rules for impeachment trial. Approved 8911, rules (SRes47) agreed to by both parties to govern the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. In part, the framework allowed four hours’ debate on a Republican challenge (below) to the constitutionality of the trial.
A yes vote was to establish trial rules. ✔ John Boozman (R) ✔ Tom Cotton (R)
Rejecting constitutional objection. Approved 56-44, a motion that the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is constitutional. This dispensed with a Republican argument that Trump, who was impeached by the House while still in office, could not be tried by the Senate because he was a private citizen. Democrats said that under that logic, presidents could commit high crimes and misdemeanors in their last days in office and escape accountability. They noted that the presidential oath of office, which is written into the Constitution, forbids the commission of impeachable offenses on all days of a presidential term. The oath requires presidents to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Democrats also cited a letter debunking the GOP argument signed by more than 150 constitutional scholars and judges of all ideologies. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said: “President Trump may not know a lot about the Framers, but they certainly knew a lot about him. Given the Framers’ intense focus on danger to elections and the
peaceful transfer of power, it is inconceivable that they designed impeachment to be a dead letter in the president’s final days in office when opportunities to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power would be most tempting and most dangerous.”
David Schoen, counsel for Trump, said: “Presidents are impeachable because presidents are removable. Former presidents are not because they cannot be removed. The Constitution is clear: trial by the Senate sitting as a Court of Impeachment is reserved for the president … not a private citizen who used to be president of the United States. Just as clear, the judgment required upon conviction is removal from office, and a former president can no longer be removed from office.”
A yes vote was to establish the trial as constitutional. ✖ Boozman (R) ✖ Cotton (R)
Confirming Denis McDonough as veterans secretary. Confirmed 87-7, Denis R. McDonough, 51, as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, making him the second non-veteran to fill the post. He had been former President Barack Obama’s chief of staff and deputy national security adviser.
Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said McDonough has “promised to defend the VA health care system against efforts at privatization [and to] create a culture of zero tolerance toward sexual harassment and assault in the department,” while pledging “to make ending veteran homelessness a national priority.” No senator spoke against McDonough.
A yes vote was to confirm the nominee. ✔ Boozman (R) ✖ Cotton (R)