How Arkansas’ congressional delegation voted

HOUSE The House was in recess. SENATE

Brett Kavanaugh nomination.

Approved 51-49, a motion that would invoke cloture, or limit debate, on the nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, 53, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, as an associate justice on the Supreme Court. This advanced the nomination to a final vote Saturday after up to 30 hours of additional debate. David Perdue, R-Ga., said: “The presumption of innocence is sacred. An individual here is innocent until proven guilty. That is part of what makes our country so exceptional. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have become so far removed from getting to the truth that they will stop at nothing to delay this Supreme Court confirmation. That is all this week is about. It is another delay.”

Patty Murray, D-Wash., said: “Like so many people watching last week’s [Judiciary Committee] hearing, I was shocked by Judge Kavanaugh’s raw anger, his rage, disrespect, sense of entitlement and sneering condescension. I cannot imagine any senator seeing what we saw in that hearing, watching a nominee make a display like that, and thinking this person is fit to serve as an impartial judge on our nation’s highest court.”

A yes vote was to advance the Kavanaugh nomination.

John Boozman (R)

Tom Cotton (R)

Programs to combat opioids addiction. Approved 98-1, final congressional approval to a package of 70 bills that would authorize $500 million over three years for state and local programs to fight the growing national addiction to illicit drugs including opioids. The bill would require the postal service to develop technology for detecting substances including fentanyl in packages from abroad just as private carriers must do. In addition, the bill would increase the number of recovery facilities for drug addicts; allow up to 30 days’ Medicaid coverage of opioids addicts age 21-64 who are inpatients in mental institutions; expand government and private research into non-addictive pain therapies; allow Medicaid reimbursement for treating infants born with addictions; and expand telemedicine access in rural areas. The dissenting vote was cast by Mike Lee, R-Utah.

A yes vote was to send HR6 to President Donald Trump. Boozman (R)

Cotton (R)

Aviation programs, disaster aid, FEMA. Approved 93-6, a bill (HR302) that would budget $90 billion for aviation programs, including airport improvements over five years while reauthorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency through September 2023 and requiring it to allocate a larger share of its resources to mitigating damage from disasters. The bill also would authorize $1.68 billion in relief to victims of Hurricane Florence and western wildfires this year. In addition, the bill empowers security agencies, including the FBI to shoot down drones deemed a “credible threat” to individuals or federal facilities; requires airlines to grant attendants 10 hours’ rest between flights, up from eight at present; sets minimum dimensions for passenger seats; prohibits the bumping of passengers already on board; bars the use of cellphones for in-flight calls; subsidizes passenger service to smaller cities; and upgrades in-fight accommodations for handicapped passengers. A yes vote was to send the bill to Trump.

Boozman (R)

Cotton (R)