Congressional Recap: Defense, Trade And Government Waste

The schedule in the nation’s capital this week was hectic as lawmakers dealt with national security, defense, trade and government waste among other issues. The following is a recap of activity.

SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES EPA OVERREACH BILL
The Senate Environment and Public Works committee approved a bill Wednesday that would seek to push back on a “power-grab” by the Obama administration, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said.

Boozman, who is on the committee, voted to approve legislation involving the “Waters of the United States,” sending it to the full Senate.

The bill seeks to rein in Environmental Protection Agency overreach and gives the agency direction to write a rule that protects waterways without eroding the rights of landowners, Boozman said.

“WOTUS is an attack on property rights of all landowners that EPA touts as environmental protection. It is nothing more than overly burdensome and costly regulatory power-grab by Washington,” Boozman said. “Our bill protects Americans from the EPA’s gross overreach and requires the agency to write a rule that protects our waters while preserving the rights of landowners.”

Under the bill, agencies would be required to review the current proposal and follow certain principles, Boozman said.

The bill requires the agencies to revise its current proposal and adhere to the following principles that the Waters of the US should include:

“EPA wants Americans to think that the only way we can protect our environment is by giving Washington wide-ranging power to control our water and air. The reality is Arkansans know better than those in our nation’s capital. We take great pride in being called the Natural State, work hard at the state and local level to maintain that and we don’t need bureaucrats in Washington to protect our resources for us,” Boozman said.

HILL GIVES FIRST GOLDEN FLEECE AWARD
The Veterans Administration Medical Center in Little Rock received an award from Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, that takes a look at wasteful government spending.

The first recipient of the Golden Fleece Award was given by Hill this week.

Hill sent a letter Wednesday to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald to present the award. In the letter, Hill said the award “highlights the excessive, unnecessary and costly government projects and regulations that are wasting hardworking taxpayer dollars and hindering the growth (of) our economy.”

“Today’s Golden Fleece is awarded to the VA for the mishandling of the $8 million solar panel project at the Little Rock Veterans Affairs Medical Center,” the letter from Hill to McDonald read. “The VA has been plagued with costly construction projects over the years, and in February 2012, the VA received and designated an $8 million grant to build a 1.8 megawatt solar photovoltaic system in the parking lot of the Little Rock VAMC.”

The award was first created in the 1970s by then-Sen. William Proxmire, D-Wisc., to highlight waste in government. Read more at this link.

HOUSE APPROVES DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL
The House on Thursday overwhelmingly voted to approve the Defense Department budget with all four members of the U.S. House from the state voting yes.

The bill, which passed 278-149, would appropriate $490.1 billion for discretionary spending and $88.4 billion for the Global War on Terror.

Both Reps. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, and French Hill, R-Little Rock, said the bill will provide needed funding in a dangerous world.

“From ISIL to Boko Haram, America faces new and growing threats daily. Now is not the time to weaken our military. That is why I am proud to support this thoughtful, well-crafted piece of legislation, which provides our troops with the equipment and training they require and the benefits and services they deserve, while also contributing to the GWOT account and providing our combatant commanders with the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities they need to fight the ongoing war on terror and keep Americans safe at home,” Womack said.

“Earlier this week, the President said he doesn’t have a full strategy in place to train Iraqi soldiers to fight ISIS. This is indicative of a leader who isn’t committed to defeating dangerous enemies. Today’s vote to fund the Department of Defense for FY 16 is a signal to the President that Congress is serious about protecting the people’s national security interests and that it’s time he follow our lead by putting forth the plans needed to defeat ISIS and similar terrorist organizations,” Hill said. “In addition to fully funding our military operations around the globe, this bill also increases pay and benefits for service members and their families. I am proud to support it, and I will continue to work on behalf of Arkansans to ensure the entire government maintains its commitment to our national defense.”

COTTON SPEAKS AT COMMUNISM MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, DISCUSSES CUBA
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., this week gave a speech talking about communism and its possible resurgence around the world.

During the speech, Cotton said the ideology was defeated because of people “who understand that the triumph of liberty depends on the extraordinary bravery of ordinary people.”

“Vigilance is important in these times. The Communism that posed such a threat in the last century is little more than a rusted relic today, with a handful of ideological holdouts. But the free world faces new and evolving challenges that borrow from Communism’s legacy, and echo the same disdain for human dignity that cast a shadow over half the world at the height of the Cold War,” Cotton said.

Cotton also spoke about communism in the western hemisphere.

“I want to take a moment to speak specifically about the situation in Cuba. Last week, I co-sponsored a sanctions bill to prevent the Castro regime’s military and security services from reaping any economic rewards from President Obama’s recent policy shifts toward Cuba. I did so because I believe the United States must oppose a regime that sponsors terrorism and harbors fugitives from American justice,” Cotton said. “I believe we must not abet a regime that undermines our efforts in the Americas to combat crime, drugs, and the destruction of whole communities. And I believe we must stand squarely on the side of the Cuban people. It is my duty as a Senator and as an American to take every possible action to weaken the brutal rule of the Castro regime and hold it accountable for its past crimes and misdeeds.”

“I will push for passage of the sanctions bill, but it will by no means be sufficient to repair the damage done by President Obama’s push toward normalization of relations with the Castro brothers. I do not oppose normalization. I oppose normalization given in exchange for no improvement on democracy, no lasting change on the arrest of political dissidents, no turn away from partnerships with the world’s worst actors, and no fundamental economic reforms that would pave the way for true free trade between our peoples. I believe the struggle against the Castro brothers has been made harder by President Obama’s misguided policies. But those policies have not made the struggle impossible. It will continue in the brave activism of dissidents like Dr. Farinas, and I and many other Americans will continue to support their efforts.”

TRADE VOTE MAKES FOR BUSY FRIDAY
Arkansas’ four U.S. representatives voted Friday to approve Trade Promotion Authority for the President, as the U.S. House voted down a key first part of the overall trade package.

The House voted 219-212 in favor of the second part of the trade package (Trade Promotion Authority), with Reps. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, French Hill, R-Little Rock, Steve Womack, R-Rogers, and Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, voting yes on the bill.

The vote was just minutes after the House overwhelmingly defeated a bill involving so-called Trade Adjustment Assistance by a 302-126 margin.

Crawford, Hill, Womack and Westerman each voted no on the Trade Adjustment Assistance bill, which is expected to go back before the House next week.

The trade adjustment assistance bill must be passed before the trade package can be signed into law, officials said Friday. On the assistance bill, 158 Republicans and 144 Democrats voted no while 86 Republicans and 40 Democrats voted yes.