Womack visits Siloam Springs Rotary Club
On August 23, Congressman Steve Womack spoke to the Siloam Springs Rotary Club about the state of the country and his feelings about both the past, present and future of elections.
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come in and spend a little time in Siloam Springs,” said Womack, an Arkansas native and former mayor of Rogers. “There’s just no place like home.”
Womack started by noting how important the Rotary Club is.
“I totally understand what this club is doing, and what it continues to do in improving the human condition,” he said. “I am eternally grateful for what Rotary has done for me personally.”
He continued, saying “I’ve come home, and I’m spending my time, the few weeks that I have away from Washington, to get back out and to get my thumb back on the pulse of the discerning American, because our country has a lot of challenges.”
Womack spoke a lot about the many different challenges facing the country today, and noted that because there are so many, everyone has a different focus.
“If we went around the room today and surveyed the people here about what is ever-present on their mind, what is causing them the greatest concern, it would probably be as different as the person we call on,” he said.
He used this time to critique the ability of the current legislation.
“Members of congress, people in government, across the spectrum, need to do a better job of listening, and hearing what’s on the minds of people who sent them to their respective capitals,” he said.
Womack says that he wanted his time in Washington to be spent looking at the policies that affect the country.
“We’re not short on our problems and our challenges,” he said. “Where we are short is on our solutions.”
Womack, who serves on the House Committee on Appropriations, said that the committee’s work was not completed when they went on break for the summer.
“This is where the whole United States government, in my opinion, begins to show its brokenness,” he said.
He continued, saying “When you can’t do something as simple or as basic as passing a budget, and get your appropriations ready to go before the beginning of the fiscal year, then what hope is there that you would ever be able to fix some of the more difficult problems facing our country?”
Womack largely placed the blame on national division, saying, “It is sad that the greatest country the world has ever known, in its legislative body, things are so divided that we can’t even do the most basic or functional responsibility.”
He eventually shifted his speech to discussing elections.
“Will the house flip? Will the senate flip? I think the house will flip, but I think it’s wishful thinking
for Republicans to think it’s going to flip in a big way. I’m not so sure about the senate,” said Womack.
He continued, saying, “We’re going to have the national election in less than 60 days, and my guess is that the people will speak, and probably in a very loud way. They’re going to try to cling back to the country they feel like they’re losing.”
Womack also commented on the 2020 presidential election.
“I believe that elections across our country, for the most part, are fair and equitable,” he said. “I do believe that, in the state of Arkansas, where I happen to be a voter, I am very satisfied with the process we have unfolding before us.”
“I don’t know if there was widespread fraud that went on in the last election,” he continued. “I don’t know if there was the kind of fraud or nefarious activity going on in any other states that would have been so significant it would’ve changed the outcome of an election.”
“This I do know,” he said. “On December 14 of 2020, the election was over, and Joe Biden became the president-elect of this country. The peaceful transfer of power in the country should have begun, and it should have been protected, and that’s, sadly, where the country got off track.”
Womack ended by emphasizing the importance of unity in the country.
“At some point in time,” he said, “we’ve got to get the country back to a position where the collective people believe that the election is going to be conducted in a fair and equitable way.”