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.

Curbs on Federal Trade

Commission. Passed 235-171, a GOP-drafted bill (HR2745) that would strip the Federal Trade Commission of its 102-year-old authority to use in-house administrative judges for determining whether proposed mergers and acquisitions violate antitrust laws. Under the bill, the FTC could pursue antitrust litigation only in federal courts rather than in both federal courts and its own administrative-law tribunals as is now the case. This would align FTC procedures with those at the Department of Justice, which uses only federal courts to adjudicate proposed mergers. The FTC and Justice Department are the two agencies that enforce federal antitrust laws. The bill was backed by business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which often see the Justice Department as easier to deal with in antitrust matters. The bill was opposed by groups such as the Consumers Union on grounds that it would weaken FTC defenses against monopolistic business practices. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, said: “As you go through a merger and you draw the short straw and end up in front of the FTC, you have got another spool of red tape [to] get rolled up in. I don’t think that is fair, and I don’t think the American people think that is fair.” Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said a vote for the bill “is a vote for concentrated, private economic power. At a time of increased consolidation in key industries, we can’t afford more Republican attacks on government, which is what [this] is, plain and simple.” A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. Rick Crawford (R) French Hill (R) Steve Womack (R) Bruce Westerman (R)

Corporate mergers, rising

drug costs. Defeated 174-235, a Democratic motion to prevent HR2745 (above) from applying to proposed corporate mergers that would lead to unreasonable increases in the cost of prescription drugs. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, said “if Republicans won’t recognize how endangered so many Americans are by prescription price-gouging, we ought not to go backwards, and that is what I fear this bill would do.” Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said “because of Obamacare and government regulation, the cost of prescription drugs is going up. … We definitely need to reform our health care system … but that is not what this legislation is about today.” A yes vote was to adopt the Democratic motion. Crawford (R) Hill (R) Womack (R) Westerman (R)

Border-security mandate

on U.S. allies. Passed 371-2, a bill (HR4314) that would require U.S. allies to either meet border-security standards set by the United States or lose any U.S. financial assistance they receive. The bill also would require the departments of State and Homeland Security to compile annual nation-by-nation scorecards on border security overseas. The members voting against the bill were Reps. Justin Amash, R-Mich., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., said: “Foreign-fighter movement” requires “improved border security around the world and better information sharing between governments.” A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. Crawford (R) Hill (R) Womack (R) Westerman (R) SENATE

The Senate was in recess.