In the News

Arkansas lawmakers release statements on spending bill vote

By KATV

WASHINGTON D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released a statement Thursday, following following the Senate vote on the spending bill.

Cotton is one of 16 senators who voted against the bill.

“While I’m pleased this bill makes a down payment on border security, I can’t support its limits on the construction of physical barriers as well as law enforcement’s authority to detain and deport criminal illegal aliens. Congress must act to fully secure our border and stop the flow of illegal aliens and deadly drugs into our country.”

U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) released the following statement after voting for legislation to avoid another government shutdown and provide additional resources to secure our borders:

“While far from a perfect bill, passage of this legislation ends the uncertainty by fully funding the government while supporting additional resources to secure our nation’s borders.

The bill includes nearly $23 billion for overall border security. It provides an unprecedented level of funding for immigration enforcement agencies to ensure that our law enforcement officials have the resources they need to keep the American people safe, protects our ability to detain criminal illegal aliens and includes nearly $1.4 billion in funding for 55 new miles of physical barriers in the most needed areas along the southern border. This is an important step, considering the initial resistance on the part of Democrats to additional border security funding and their insistence that no money for a physical barrier would be provided.

More work remains to be done in order to achieve the level of border security that the American people are calling on Congress to deliver. My colleagues and I are committed to building on this down payment moving forward to resolve the crisis at our southwest border.”

U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) released the following statement in response to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019:

"In the words of Yogi Berra, this is déjà vu all over again: another massive spending bill with limited time to read it. Conference committee members had just one hour to review the provisions, the bill was filed after 1:00 this morning, and members are expected to comb through almost 1,200 pages of text in time for a vote at 9:00 tonight.

Although we don’t have time to digest everything that’s in the bill, we do know what’s not in it. Even with hundreds of pages and provisions, the bill somehow still fails to give President Trump the resources he requested to secure the Southern border. Not only that, but Democratic leadership has also waited three weeks to act on border funding, and in the eleventh hour -- as the government is on the brink of needlessly shutting down for the second time this year -- they negotiate a bill and attempt to force it through the legislative process.

I hoped it wouldn’t get to a point where the president contemplated declaring a national emergency, and for the sake of precedent, I hope he doesn’t have to do it. This is a failure of Congress, plain and simple. We must return to regular order and pass clean appropriations bills in a timely manner. Anything less is political gamesmanship and harmful to the American people."

U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) released the following statement after voting for legislation to avoid another government shutdown and provide additional resources to secure our borders:

“While far from a perfect bill, passage of this legislation ends the uncertainty by fully funding the government while supporting additional resources to secure our nation’s borders.

The bill includes nearly $23 billion for overall border security. It provides an unprecedented level of funding for immigration enforcement agencies to ensure that our law enforcement officials have the resources they need to keep the American people safe, protects our ability to detain criminal illegal aliens and includes nearly $1.4 billion in funding for 55 new miles of physical barriers in the most needed areas along the southern border. This is an important step, considering the initial resistance on the part of Democrats to additional border security funding and their insistence that no money for a physical barrier would be provided.

More work remains to be done in order to achieve the level of border security that the American people are calling on Congress to deliver. My colleagues and I are committed to building on this down payment moving forward to resolve the crisis at our southwest border.”

Congressman French Hill (AR-02) released the following statement after the House passed the Conference Report to accompany H.J.Res.31, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019:

"Over the past few months, Arkansans have made it clear that they want a secure southwest border and an operational government. The spending bill that passed the House today funds major border security improvements including $22.5 billion for overall border security, $1.4 billion for 55 new miles of physical barrier, and 139 additional immigration judge teams that the president requested. Compared to funding levels from the previous year, there is no question that this bill empowers the Department of Homeland Security to better protect our borders.

"This is a step in the right direction, however the job is not finished. Our border security experts agree that we still need more manpower on the border, reforms to our asylum laws, and increased interior enforcement. I will continue to work with the president and my Congressional colleagues to resolve the crisis on our southwest border and keep the country safe."