Arkansas delegation split 3-1 on spending bill to keep federal government open
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Congress passed a spending resolution Friday that could avert a government shutdown with mixed support from Republicans in the House and within the Arkansas delegation.
Rep. French Hill (AR-02), Rep. Rick Crawford (AR-01) and Rep. Steve Womack (AR-03) all voted in favor of the legislation, which passed the house 286-134. Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04) opposed its passage.
The 1,012-page legislation provided $1.2 trillion to avoid a government shutdown through 2024.
Hill spoke about the fiscal responsibility behind the legislation’s passage.
“Two weeks ago, House Republicans locked in the first overall cut to non-defense spending in almost a decade, keeping the first group of appropriations bills in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) – saving hardworking Americans $2.6 trillion over the next ten years,” Hill said. “Today, we passed the second group of bills which cut wasteful spending while strongly funding our national defense.”
Hill also pointed to the bill’s provision for F-35 training in Fort Smith and its estimated annual economic impact of $1 billion for Arkansas.
Crawford pointed to the legislation’s support for the hot-button-topic of border security.
“While much more is needed to achieve operational control of the border, this bill includes key border-security policy changes that I feel are critical and time sensitive,” Crawford said, adding, “We must focus our undivided attention on the additional changes required to secure the border.”
The congressman said the legislation included provisions for new border agents and additional beds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Womack indicated keeping government open was a major goal of his vote in favor of the resolution.
“I supported the package today because I refuse to turn my back on strengthening national security, improving border security, and additional funding for Fort Smith’s critical pilot training program—all while avoiding a painful government shutdown,” Womack said. “Although the package is far from perfect, I’m proud of the GOP’s work to secure conservative wins.”
Womack added that the legislation included more than $200 million for the Ft. Smith National Guard airbase.
In contrast to his fellow Natural State lawmakers, Westerman said his no vote was made due to fiscal responsibility and social issues concerns.
“I am committed to working in good faith with my colleagues to restore fiscal sanity and secure the southern border,” Westerman said. “Because of that, I could not, in good conscience, vote for a bill that provided millions in funding for abortion clinics and child transgender programs through Senate Democrat earmarks while the bill included zero policy provisions to address immediate concerns and secure the southern border.”
Westerman also said the legislation needed to do more to close the southern border.
The bill was brought to the House floor by Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04) under a rules suspension that kept hardliners from blocking the bill’s passage on procedural grounds.
Shortly after its passage, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), an outspoken hardliner, filed a motion to oust Johnson in circumstances similar to the ouster of then-speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA-20) last October.
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