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 past week.

SENATE

Confirming deputy secretary of energy. Confirmed 7916 against, Mark W. Menezes as deputy secretary of energy. His duties will include overseeing the $35 billion Department of Energy budget and helping to manage the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Menezes had served as an undersecretary of energy since 2017. Before that he was chief counsel on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and worked for the American Electric Power Co. and Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Menezes has been a leader in advancing renewable and nuclear energy, and defending America’s energy infrastructure against cybersecurity threats, and is well-qualified to guide the department through the covid-19 pandemic.

No senator spoke against Menezes.

A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.

Barring TikTok from government devices. Passed, in a non-record vote, a bill (S3455) that would require federal agencies to remove the Chinese social messaging app TikTok from government-issued smartphones and computers, as the Department of Defense already has done. TikTok, which is used to make music videos, is on more than 80 million devices in America, including some operated by federal workers. Critics say TikTok collects voluminous

personal data on users for potential or actual sharing with the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party. The company is exploring the possible sale of its operations in the United States and certain other countries to Microsoft.

Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said TikTok “is currently a major security risk, both to our data security and to our national security … at a time when we need to be clear-eyed about the threat from the Chinese Communist Party.”

No senator spoke against the bill, which is now before the House.