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.
KEY: ☑ FOR 🅇 AGAINST ☐ NOT VOTING ⇧ PASSED ⇩ DEFEATED
Targeted News Service (founded 2004) features non-partisan 'edited journalism' news briefs and information for news organizations, public policy groups and other organizations.
HOUSE
⇧ Bosnia peace accords. Passed 365-30, the Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act (H.R. 4723). The bill would require sanctions against foreigners deemed to be threatening the peace, stability or territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the Bosnian War of the 1990s.
Bill sponsor Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., said: “As a guarantor of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the United States must use its economic toolkit to deter corruption, obstructionism and secessionism in Bosnia and promote its accession to Euro-Atlantic institutions.”
☑ Rick Crawford (R)
☑ French Hill (R)
☑ Bruce Westerman (R)
☑ Steve Womack (R)
⇧ Ukrainian children and Russia. Passed 390-9, a resolution (H. Res. 149) declaring that Russian abduction and forcible transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia in the past 2 years amounts to genocide.
Resolution sponsor Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., said: “The Russian objective is clear: to eradicate the young generations of the Ukrainians by attempting to destroy their sense of national and cultural identity.”
☑ Crawford (R)
☑ Hill (R)
☑ Westerman (R)
☑ Womack (R)
⇧ Selling data to U.S. adversaries. Passed 414-0, the Protecting Americans Data from Foreign Adversaries Act (H.R. 7520) to make it illegal for data brokers to send data on U.S. residents to North Korea, Russia, China or Iran, with the Federal Trade Commission to enforce the prohibition. Bill sponsor Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said: Without the bill, data brokers would continue to be able to “aggregate information with vast amounts of Americans’ sensitive data and sell it to the highest bidder, including foreign adversaries.”
☑ Crawford (R)
☑ Hill (R)
☑ Westerman (R)
☑ Womack (R)
⇧ Oil, gas drilling on federal lands. Passed 216-200, the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act (H.R. 6009) to require the withdrawal of a Bureau of Land Management rule that would increase fees for oil and natural gas production leases on federal lands. Bill sponsor Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said: The increase was unnecessary and “will ultimately harm returns and reduce revenues to state and local governments by disincentivizing development on federal lands.” Opponent Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., said: “We need to require any energy developer, including Big Oil, to fully cover the cost of cleanup and reclamation of their extraction.”
☑ Crawford (R)
☑ Hill (R)
☑ Westerman (R)
☑ Womack (R)
⇧ Hydrocarbon fracking. Passed 229-188, the Protecting American Energy Production Act (H.R. 1121) to bar an executive order by the president banning hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of oil and natural gas wells without Congressional authorization, and say that states should continue to be the primary regulators of fracking.
Supporter Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., said: State governments have “comprehensive laws and regulations to provide for safe operations, to protect drinking water sources, and to have trained personnel effectively regulating oil and gas exploration and production.” Opponent Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., called it extreme legislation that “would limit the president’s ability to respond to public health, environmental and climate risks.”
☑ Crawford (R)
☑ Hill (R)
☑ Westerman (R)
☑ Womack (R)
⇧ Biden energy policies. Passed 217-200, a resolution (H. Res. 987) to denounce the energy and federal land policies of the Biden administration as harmful and unpredictable, and promote domestic production of reliable and affordable energy. Resolution sponsor Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., said: “The result of this failed track record has been higher prices for consumers – we all know that – and increased dependency on our adversaries like Russia, China and Venezuela for our energy needs.” Opponent Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said: The administration was increasing production of oil and natural gas and renewable resources while “making sure that our economy grows, that gas prices don’t increase and addressing the climate crisis.”
☑ Crawford (R)
☑ Hill (R)
☑ Westerman (R)
☑ Womack (R)
⇧ Carbon emissions tax. Passed 222-196, a resolution (H. Con. Res. 86) expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon dioxide emissions tax would harm the U.S. economy. Resolution sponsor Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., said: “A carbon tax makes America less competitive” with energy supplying rivals such as China and Russia, and increases costs for U.S. families. Opponent Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said: The resolution was “ignoring the cost of climate change to communities hit hardest by flooding, wildfires and other climate catastrophes.”
☑ Crawford (R)
☑ Hill (R)
☑ Westerman (R)
☑ Womack (R)
⇧ Marine shipping. Passed 393-24, the Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act (H.R. 1836). The bill would bar U.S. port authority agencies from using Chinese government-linked transportation data platforms, and require the Federal Maritime Commission to handle complaints about shipping exchanges while also increasing the commission’s authority to curtail market manipulation.
Bill sponsor Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., cited China’s attempt “to get coercive economic power over our country and, frankly, every other country in the world, and one of the primary tools of that push for coercive economic power is data” such as would be obtained through the transportation data platforms.
☑ Crawford (R)
☑ Hill (R)
☑ Westerman (R)
☑ Womack (R)
⇧ Federal water regulations. Passed 213-205, the Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act (H.R. 7023). The bill would change Clean Water Act regulations of water quality and water use permits, and require implementation of the Waters of the United States rule that complies with a Supreme Court ruling that limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory powers.
Bill sponsor Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., said: “This legislation will enable the law to be executed and enforced more effectively, save taxpayers money and provide more consistency for permit holders, seekers and writers.” Opponent Rep. Grace F. Napolitano, D-Calif., said: It “would increase levels of pollution in our water bodies, increase risk of downstream flooding and increase certainty that communities like mine cannot maintain sustainable sources of drinking water.”
☑ Crawford (R)
☑ Hill (R)
☑ Westerman (R)
☑ Womack (R)
SENATE
⇧ Appeals court judge. Confirmed 50-47, the nomination of Nicole Berner to be a judge on the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Berner has been a lawyer at the Service Employees International Union since 2006, after several years at Planned Parenthood and as a private practice lawyer.
Supporter Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., cited “her understanding of the importance of the independent judicial branch of government and protecting our rights, and her commitment to the values which are the strength of our nation.”
🅇 John Boozman (R)
🅇 Tom Cotton (R)
⇧ New Jersey judge. Confirmed 50-49, the nomination of Edward Kiel to be a judge on the U.S. district court for New Jersey. Kiel has been a federal magistrate judge in the state for 5 years; previously, he was a private practice lawyer for more than two decades. Supporter Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said: Kiel’s “two decades of litigation experience combined with his distinguished career on the bench prove he is ready to handle the demands of the District of New Jersey from day one.” The vote, on March 20, was 50 yeas to 49 nays.
🅇 Boozman (R)
🅇 Cotton (R)
⇧ California judge. Confirmed 50-49, the nomination of Eumi K. Lee to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. A county-level judge in the Bay Area since 2018, Lee was previously a law professor in San Francisco and a private practice lawyer. Supporter Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said of Lee: “In private practice, in the classroom, and in the courtroom, she has demonstrated the intellect and independent mind needed to serve on the Northern District with distinction.”
🅇 Boozman (R)
🅇 Cotton (R)
⇧ Assistant labor secretary. Confirmed 50-48, the nomination of Jose Javier Rodriguez to be the Labor Department’s Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training. Rodriguez was a Florida state legislator from 2013 through 2020; currently he is a lawyer, specializing in labor and pension law, at a Miami law firm.
🅇 Boozman (R)
🅇 Cotton (R)
⇧ Imports of Paraguay beef. Passed 70-25, a resolution (S.J. Res. 62) to disapprove of and void an Agriculture Department rule allowing imports of fresh beef from Paraguay. Imports had been disallowed due to concerns about foot-and-mouth virus being in the imported beef. Resolution sponsor Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., cited Paraguay’s history of foot-and-mouth disease in its cattle herds, and said it “does not currently meet the animal health standards that are in place to warrant access to our markets.”
🅇 Boozman (R)
🅇 Cotton (R)
For more information about Targeted News Service, please contact editor Myron Struck at editor@targetednews.com.