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.
Readers can visit www.VoteFacts.com for additional information on top issues and individual voting records in the current 118th Congress and recent 117th Congress.
HOUSE
Speaker McCarthy fails to advance military budget. Defeated 214-212, a procedural measure allowing consideration of a bill (HR 4365) that would appropriate $826.5 billion for the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Five far-right Republicans voted to block the bill, demanding spending cuts in 2024 budget bills including this one. Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., could not afford that many defections because Democrats voted unanimously against the measure, objecting to the GOP-written spending bill’s abortion, climate and culture-war provisions. Two days later, McCarthy brought the procedural measure up for another vote but again suffered defeat when several members of his fractured caucus voted to prevent the spending bill from reaching the House floor. Supporter Tom Cole, R-Okla., said: The defense bill “ensures that the Biden administration cannot continue to put politics ahead of national security. It preserves … longstanding bipartisan bans on taxpayer funding for abortions. It also ensures that federal dollars cannot be used to indoctrinate our troops with progressive ideology like critical race theory training, and instead ensures that the Pentagon’s focus is … on military readiness and preparedness so that our warfighters can defeat aggression and defend freedom anywhere in the world.” Opponent Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., said: “Extreme MAGA Republicans are weakening our military readiness. In the Senate, Republicans are refusing to allow votes on flag officers, so we don’t have the generals, admirals and top military officers we need to lead our troops. Here in the House, instead of passing what should be and has historically been a bipartisan defense appropriations bill, extreme Republicans are inserting the kitchen sink of culture war issues that we have seen too often.”
A yes vote was to bring the military spending bill up for debate.
✔ Rick Crawford (R)
✔ French Hill (R)
✔ Steve Womack (R)
✔ Bruce Westerman (R)
SENATE
Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Joint Chiefs chairman. Confirmed 83-11, the appointment of Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., to a four-year term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a panel of top brass from all services that advises the president on national security policies and strategies. The first African-American to head a branch of the U.S. military, Brown, born in 1962, was most recently Air Force chief of staff. He has logged over 3,000 flight hours including 130 hours in combat.
This vote temporarily lifted a six-month blockade by Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., of promotions of 300 or more military officers. The Senate then confirmed Army and Marine Corps leaders (below). Tuberville said he would continue to obstruct military appointments to protest a Pentagon policy that enables servicewoman and family members to go out-of-state for abortions if the state where they are based has virtually or totally outlawed the procedure. One senator’s ability to freeze military promotions is rooted in a Senate rule requiring the consent of all senators for business to proceed without time-consuming debate and votes. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said: “We cannot allow Senator Tuberville to set us on a path that no senator wants to travel. We cannot allow Senator Tuberville to decide which of our dedicated and brave servicemembers get promoted and which get to languish, which military families are able to settle in their new posts and which must remain in limbo. We cannot and we should not allow that to be the case.” Tuberville said: “So to be clear, my hold is still in place. The hold will remain in place as long as the Pentagon’s illegal abortion policy remains in place. If the Pentagon lifts the policy, then I will lift my hold – easy as that. That has been my position from the very beginning.”
A yes vote was to confirm Gen. Brown as the nation’s top military adviser.
✔ John Boozman (R)
□ Tom Cotton (R)
Gen. Eric Smith, Marine Corps commandant. Confirmed 96-0, the appointment of Gen. Eric M. Smith, 58, as Marine Corps commandant. The four-star general had combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq and participated in operations in Liberia and Venezuela, among other overseas duty. A Marine for 36 years, Smith served most recently as assistant and then acting commandant of the corps. He has held top positions with the Marine Corps Combat Development Command and III Marine Expeditionary Force.
There was no debate on the appointment.
A yes vote was to confirm Gen. Smith to lead the Marines.
✔ Boozman (R)
✔ Cotton (R)
Gen. Randy George, Army chief of staff. Confirmed 96-1, the appointment of Gen. Randy George, 57, as chief of staff of the Army. The negative vote was cast by Mike Lee, R-Utah. George served most recently as Army vice chief of staff, and among earlier career assignments, he commanded the 4th Infantry Division. Twice awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, George served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. There was no debate on the appointment.
A yes vote was to confirm Gen. George to lead the Army.
✔ Boozman (R)
✔ Cotton (R)
VoteFacts.com News Reports is a nonpartisan, fact-based news service whose mission is to help civically engaged individuals and organizations track major actions in the U.S. House and Senate. Readers can visit www.VoteFacts.com for additional information on top issues and individual voting records in the current 118th Congress and recent 117th Congress.