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

There were no votes in the House this week.

SENATE

DConfirming Ratcliffe as intelligence chief. Confirmed 49-44, Rep. John L. Ratcliffe, R-Texas, as the nation’s top intelligence official. He becomes the sixth director of national intelligence since the office was created after 9/11 to improve coordination among the 17 U.S. civilian and military intelligence agencies. Ratcliffe, 54, ardently defended President Donald Trump during House impeachment hearings last year, prompting Democratic senators to question whether he would independently oversee the American spy apparatus or, instead, shape intelligence to please the White House. But Republicans said his membership on the House Select Committee on Intelligence and background as a federal prosecutor qualify him to become intelligence director, and they pointed to his pledge of independence during Senate confirmation hearings. During brief debate before the confirmation vote, no GOP supporter cited Ratcliffe’s qualifications for the position.

Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said: “With this new position comes great responsibility. [Ratcliffe] will have tremendous power to do good and to be transparent. I would like to remind [him] [that] transparency brings accountability, and the public’s business ought to be public. In conclusion, please, Congressman Ratcliffe and, please, the greater intelligence community, remember you were created by statute, but Congress was created by the

Constitution.”

Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said: “With Donald Trump as president and William Barr as attorney general, the leadership of the intelligence community is one of democracy’s last lines of defense. That is why the American people need a [director of national intelligence] who understands how the law protects their rights. … Nothing that John Ratcliffe has said during his confirmation process or throughout his career provides a glimmer of hope that he is a person who would speak truth to power and stand up

for the rights of Americans.”

A yes vote was to confirm the nominee. h✔ John Boozman (R) h✔ Tom Cotton (R) Confirming Trainor as election commissioner. Confirmed 49-43, James E. Trainor III of Austin, Texas, for a seat on the Federal Election Commission, a post-Watergate panel in charge of enforcing campaign-finance laws in federal contests. The FEC discloses candidates’ campaign-finance data to the public, enforces rules for campaign contributions and spending, and supervises the public funding of presidential elections. An attorney specializing in election law, Trainor advised Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. He becomes the fourth member of the six-member FEC, giving it a quorum for conducting business for the first time since late August. There was no Senate floor debate on Trainor’s nomination.

A yes vote was to confirm the nominee. h✔ Boozman (R) h Cotton (R)