Congressional Digest: Iran, Planned Parenthood And Energy

Lawmakers dealt with a final vote on Iran in the Senate, while the House votes to defund Planned Parenthood, energy and forests.

The following is a breakdown of the week that was in the nation’s capital.

IRAN VOTE
A pair of votes Thursday on the Iran deal had the approval of the state’s two United States Senators, but was a few votes shy of approval.

Senators voted 56-42 on a bill against a nuclear deal with Iran; and 53-45 on a bill to “prohibit the President from waiving, suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran.”

Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark. and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., voted yes on both bills, which failed to pass due to 60 votes needed to break cloture.

Both Boozman and Cotton said the decision to continue cloture will reverberate for some time.

“I’ve said from the onset that a nuclear Iran would be devastating for America and our allies. Our goal then must be to prevent that from happening. If Minority Leader Reid is so confident that this deal is the answer, then he should be working to get it through the Senate instead of denying Americans a vote. This agreement is not the right answer. It’s a bad deal,” Boozman said.

Cotton said, “That a partisan minority of legislators would obstruct a vote on a grave issue of national security is unconscionable, and out of step with the proud traditions of the Senate. It illustrates that 42 Senate Democrats care more about protecting the political fortunes of a lame-duck president than they do about exercising their duties as representatives of the people.”

PLANNED PARENTHOOD VOTE
Arkansas’ four United States Representatives voted with the majority Friday to defund Planned Parenthood for at least a year while congressional committees look into questions involving the use of fetus tissue.

The House voted 241-187 on HR 3134, the defunding bill, which now heads to the Senate.

The House also approved a bill by a 248-177 margin on the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The bill, HR 3504, would also tighten restrictions on abortion doctors who break the law on the protection of infants, The Hill reported Friday.

Each of the four House members – Reps. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, French Hill, R-Little Rock, Steve Womack, R-Rogers, and Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, voted yes on both bills.

Meanwhile, a federal judge late Friday granted a 14-day stay to block the cancellation of the state’s Medicaid contract with Planned Parenthood.

The overall issue drew a stinging rebuke from Womack.

“Unborn lives matter, and I am frankly disgusted by Planned Parenthood’s unethical actions and continuously callous tone. As the House continues to investigate this egregious, potentially illegal behavior, we should not provide federal funds to such an organization. As a staunch defender of life, I am also proud to support stronger legal protections for children who are born alive having survived an abortion. I will continue to fight to protect the most vulnerable among us – the unborn,” Womack said.

CLEAN LINE ENERGY
The state’s congressional delegation – Sens. Boozman, Cotton and Reps. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, French Hill, R-Little Rock, Steve Womack, R-Rogers, and Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs – earlier this week stated their opposition to a proposed renewable energy project.

The project – the Plains & Eastern Clean Line Transmission – has drawn opposition from landowners statewide. However, supporters have said the project would provide clean energy in a cost effective manner to consumers.

In a letter to Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, the delegation expressed their trepidation over the issue.

“Again, we believe the project does not meet the statutory requirements of Section 1222, and state-level reviews of many serious concerns are necessary. Therefore, in our federal lawmaking and oversight role, we oppose the use of Section 1222 in this context and we urge you to disapprove it,” the delegation wrote in the letter.

“We recognize that in many contexts the development of new electric transmission infrastructure is necessary despite costs and adverse impacts. We are not taking a position on whether this Project or any other should move forward under non-federal authorities.”

More coverage of the issue is reported here.

WESTERMAN HOSTS SPECIAL ORDERS
On Thursday night, Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, held a special orders speech in the House on the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015.

The bill, which passed the House in July, would help with wildfire prevention and funding.

“Recent headlines show that our forests are in terrible shape – 8.8 million acres have burned this year,” Westerman said. “… Emergency fire spending has already topped $700 million this year and it is still growing. We have a problem that is greatly decreasing and impairing the value of the forests for the next generation. I worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass House Resolution 2647, the Resilient Federal Forests Act back in July. This bill was supported from Maine to Alaska by Democrats and Republicans. This bill ends the destructive practice of fire borrowing in a fiscally responsible manner.”

Westerman also asked the Senate to pass the bill.

“The House has acted. It’s time for the Senate to act. It’s time for the administration to stop playing politics with wildfires. It’s time to make House Resolution 2647 the law of the land.”

BOOZMAN VISITS JONESBORO
Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark. traveled to Northeast Arkansas Friday to meet with chamber officials as well as see the unveiling of a stamp honoring Elvis Presley.

Boozman, who spoke to the Jonesboro Chamber Friday morning, said the trip was educational and that the goal was to support groups that help improve the quality of life for residents.

He said officials with the East Arkansas Planning and Development District are working to develop a statistics-centered system that will help people learn more about Northeast Arkansas.

As for the Elvis stamp, Boozman said he was honored to be a part of the event in Walnut Ridge. Boozman, who saw Elvis Presley perform in Memphis and Pine Bluff, said Presley’s music along with Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis helped to influence countless musicians.