How Arkansas’ congressional delegation voted

HOUSE Seeking courts’ help to enforce subpoenas.

Adopted 229-191 a resolution (HRes430) authorizing committees to ask federal courts to enforce committee subpoenas for documents and testimony from President Donald Trump’s administration and its current and former officials. The action came in response to the administration’s refusals to comply with House Democrats’ requests for information and witness appearances in more than a dozen areas of inquiry, including Russian interference in U.S. elections, the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census, an administration-backed lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act and the separation of migrant families on the Southwest border. Democrats say the subpoenas embody Congress’ constitutional duty to oversee the executive branch, while Trump has cited executive privilege to block testimony of his current and former advisers and thwart legislative-branch scrutiny. On a related track, the Judiciary Committee on May 8 approved civil contempt-of-Congress charges against Attorney General William Barr for not complying with its subpoena for the entire unredacted report by special counsel Robert Mueller and underlying materials. The full House has delayed a vote on citing Barr pending the outcome of negotiations to obtain his voluntary cooperation.

A yes vote was to adopt the resolution, which took effect immediately.

Rick Crawford (R) French Hill (R)

Steve Womack (R) Bruce Westerman (R)

Public education about vaccines.

Approved 341-83 a measure to increase spending by $5 million next fiscal year on a government program to educate the public about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. The amendment was intended to combat misinformation being spread about vaccinations on social media. The vote occurred during debate on a bill (HR2740) appropriating $99.4 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services in fiscal 2020 that remained in debate.

Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said, “The scientific and medical communities are in overwhelming consensus that vaccines are both effective and safe. There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines cause life-threatening or disabling diseases, and the dissemination of unfounded or debunked theories about the dangers of vaccination pose a great risk to the public health.”

No member spoke against the amendment.

A yes vote was to increase spending on vaccine education. Crawford (R)

Hill (R)

Womack (R) Westerman (R)

“Conscience rule” for denying health care.

Disapproved 230-192 the affirmation of a proposed Trump administration rule under which doctors and workers at hospitals, clinics and other health facilities could deny care to patients that conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs. Scheduled to take effect July 22, the so-called conscience rule would override existing laws and policies that strike a balance between protecting the religious convictions of providers and delivering care in areas including reproductive services. On this vote, the House defeated a GOP-sponsored attempt to fund the rule as part of HR2740 (above).

Phil Roe, R-Tenn., said, “We have a First Amendment right to practice our religion in America, and the government forcing someone to act in a way that violates those beliefs is in direct opposition to the very foundation of our Constitution.”

“Under this Trump rule, a pharmacist could refuse to fill a prescription for birth control, a receptionist could refuse to schedule an abortion for a child rape victim, an ambulance driver could refuse to take a patient suffering from miscarriage to the hospital, all based upon their personal beliefs, not the patient’s welfare,” said Lois Frankel, D-Fla.

A yes vote was to allow the rule to take effect next month. Crawford (R)

Hill (R)

Womack (R) Westerman (R)

Clampdown on fetal tissue research.

Blocked 225-193 funding to implement a newly announced clampdown by the Trump administration on federal support of fetal tissue research. The vote occurred during debate on HR2740 (above). In part, the policy would prohibit National Institutes of Health scientists from conducting such research while subjecting academic scientists to an additional layer of ethics and bureaucratic review when they apply for institute research grants. Under a 1993 law, the National Institutes of Health last year funded more than 150 projects by university scientists using fetal tissue donated after elective abortions to pursue treatments and cures for diseases including Alzheimer’s, ALS and Parkinson’s.

Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said the administration’s new policy puts “personal ideology ahead of public health.”

Andy Harris, R-Md., said additional ethics review is warranted for “one of the most controversial areas of research.”

A yes vote was to adopt the amendment in support of fetal tissue research.

Crawford (R)

Hill (R)

Womack (R) Westerman (R)

Reporting deaths of migrant children.

Adopted 355-68 an amendment to HR2740 (above) requiring the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the Department of Health and Human Services to promptly inform Congress and the public when migrant children die while in the custody of U.S. immigration officials.

Sponsor Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said that in September 2018, “a young 10-year-old girl died. This Congress and the American people were not told for seven or eight months about that young girl’s death.”

Andy Harris, R-Md., called the amendment “make-believe” because “this administration reports the deaths” of migrant children. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.

Crawford (R)

Hill (R)

Womack (R) Westerman (R)

SENATE

$300 million in arms for Bahrain.

Rejected 56-43 a measure (SJRes20) that sought to block the administration’s planned sale of $300 million in U.S. arms to Bahrain. The package consists mainly of surface-to-surface missiles and mobile rocket launching units along with American technical support. Bahrain, which belongs to a Saudi-led coalition waging war in Yemen, is host to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. Backers called this a proxy vote against American involvement in Yemen’s civil war, while advocates of the arms sale said it would benefit a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. A yes vote was to advance a measure blocking the arms sale.

John Boozman (R)

Tom Cotton (R)