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. D F KEY: h✔ FOR h✖ AGAINST h NOT VOTING PASSED DEFEATED

HOUSE Tax-favored savings accounts. Passed 240-177, a bill (HR6757) that would create a new type of tax-favored savings account — Universal Savings Accounts — to which individuals could contribute up to $2,500 annually. USAs would be similar to Roth IRAs in that contributions would not be tax deductible. But withdrawals would be tax-free, as would growth in account balances from dividends, capital gains and interest. There would be no income limits for USA participation, tax-free withdrawals could be made before retirement and the “required minimum distribution” for senior citizens would be waived for accounts below certain balances. The bill also would loosen rules governing Section 529 tax-advantaged education accounts and employer-provided retirement plans. The legislation is projected to cost the Treasury $21 billion in lost revenue over 10 years.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Rick Crawford (R)

French Hill (R)

Steve Womack (R) Bruce Westerman (R)

Violence Against Women

Approved 230-188, blocking a Democratic bid to call up for debate a bill (HR6545) now in committee that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act through fiscal 2023. The vote occurred during consideration of ground rules for debating an appropriations bill (HR6157, below) that would, in part, extend the law until Dec. 7, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate a longterm extension. The 1994 law is designed to prevent domestic and dating violence, stalking and sexual assaults, and to help victims repair their lives after those crimes occur. The Democratic bill would increase the law’s funding while giving it more teeth to address a wide range of offenses, including ones against immigrants and tribal members.

Tom Cole, R-Okla., said that while the Violence Against Women Act should be extended, the Democratic motion would derail the spending package, which includes a short-term extension as well as money for domestic violence programs.

Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, said: “the [Judge Brett] Kavanaugh confirmation hearings and the allegations that have been made by Dr. [Christine Blasey] Ford and others raise a sense of urgency for the passage of the Violence Against Women Act.”

A yes vote was in opposition to allowing debate on the Democratic bill.

Crawford (R)

Hill (R)

Womack (R) Westerman (R)

$864 billion spending

bill for 2019. Approved 361-61, the conference report on a bill (HR6157) that would appropriate $854 billion for the departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Education and Labor in fiscal 2019. In addition, the bill would fund stopgap budgets through Dec. 7 for departments and agencies that await regular 2019 appropriations. The bill would fund a 2.6 percent pay raise for those in uniform while providing $68.1 billion for combat operations abroad. In addition, it would appropriate $3.7 billion for addressing opioid addiction; $2.3 billion for Alzheimer’s research; $445 million for charter schools; and $95 million in grants to help K-12 schools prevent and recover from classroom shootings.

A yes vote was to send the conference report to President Donald Trump.

Crawford (R)

Hill (R)

Womack (R) Westerman (R) Aviation programs, disaster

aid, FEMA. Passed 398-23, a measure (HRes1082) that would authorize federal aviation programs and the Federal Emergency Management Agency through September 2023 while requiring FEMA to allocate a larger share of its resources to mitigating damage from disasters. The bill would authorize $1.68 billion in disaster relief to victims of Hurricane Florence and western wildfires this year. In addition, the bill would fund capital improvements at airports; subsidize passenger service to smaller cities; require minimal leg-room and width dimensions for passenger seats; prohibit the bumping of passengers who have already boarded; bar the use of cellphones for in-flight calls and upgrade in-fight accommodations for handicapped passengers. A yes vote was to pass the bill. Crawford (R)

Hill (R)

Womack (R) Westerman (R) Republican tax cuts 2.0. Passed 220-191, a bill (HR6760) that would make permanent several key elements of the 2017 GOP tax-cut law that would otherwise expire after 2025. The provisions include the law’s tax rates for individuals, increased standard deduction, expanded child tax credit, caps on deductions of state and local tax payments and increased deductions for pass-through entities such as limited-liability and S corporations. The legislation would cost the Treasury $631 billion in foregone revenue over its first 10 years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. That would be on top of more than $1.5 trillion in new debt over 10 years attributable to the 2017 round of individual and business cuts.

Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said that because of the 2017 tax cuts, “a new energy abounded in this country, and it is called optimism and opportunity and success and redevelopment of ideas to bring the American spirit back to the top. And that is how you save Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, by working today and protecting American jobs.”

Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said Republicans “claim that they want to protect Medicare and Social Security. But don’t believe them. Don’t be fooled. Right after their [2017] tax law exploded the deficit, what did the president’s chief economic adviser do? He called for new cuts to Medicare and Social Security.”

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Crawford (R)

Hill (R)

Womack (R) Westerman (R)

Steps to protect Robert Mueller. Approved 227-189, blocking a Democratic bid to call up for debate a bill (HR5476) now in committee that would prohibit President Donald Trump from arbitrarily firing special counsel Robert Mueller III. The bill stipulates that special counsels can be removed only for “misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest or other good cause” by the attorney general or other, most-senior Senate-confirmed Department of Justice official. In addition, the special counsel must receive written notice that states the reasons for the removal and be allowed up to 10 days to challenge the action in court. The vote occurred during consideration of ground rules for debating HR6760 (above). Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said that to bring up this bill “changes the discussion to something that is extraneous from how successful this tax bill has been. The way you save this great democracy is by making it economically sound and powerful.”

Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said: “Today may be our last chance to avoid the constitutional crisis that will come should this president fire Mueller or [Deputy Attorney General Rod] Rosenstein or otherwise act to obstruct justice while we are in recess. This is our opportunity, our responsibility, to uphold the rule of law.”

A yes vote was in opposition to debating a Democratic bill to protect Mueller.

Crawford (R)

Hill (R)

Womack (R) Westerman (R)

Programs to combat opioids scourge. Passed 393-8, a package of 70 bills that would authorize $500 million over three years for state and local programs to fight the nation’s growing addiction to illicit drugs including opioids. In part, the bill would increase the number of recovery facilities for drug addicts; expand government and private research into non-addictive pain therapies; expand telemedicine care in rural areas; allow Medicaid reimbursement for treating infants born with addictions; and set uniform hospital standards for spotting opiate addiction. In addition, the bill would require the postal service to develop technology for detecting substances, including fentanyl, in packages from abroad just as private carriers such as UPS and FedEx must do.

A yes vote was to send HR6 to Trump.

Crawford (R)

Hill (R)

Womack (R) Westerman (R)

Peter Feldman, consumer

product regulator. Confirmed 51-49, Peter A. Feldman, a staff member on the Senate Commerce Committee, for a seven-year term on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission starting Oct. 27, 2019. The nomination proved controversial because Feldman has been separately confirmed to fill out the unexpired term of a commissioner who resigned this year. Democrats called it wrong to confirm a sitting commissioner for a future vacancy. The commission is responsible for regulating the manufacture and safety of everyday products for infants, youths and adults. The addition of Feldman gives it a 3-2 Republican majority.

John Thune, R-S.D., said that while working in the Senate, Feldman was “instrumental in drafting and negotiating bipartisan legislation and conducting meaningful oversight of federal agencies related to consumer product safety.” Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said “confirming Mr. Feldman to a second, seven-year term today would undermine the CPSC’s independence and set a dangerous precedent for future nominations. We must do all we can to defend the agency from partisanship.”

A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.

John Boozman (R)

Tom Cotton (R)