Congressional Digest: Prisoner swaps, refugees and forest fire liability

With the House out of town this week, U.S. Senators had a busy week in the nation’s capital discussing and voting on issues ranging from Iran and Syria, to summer meals.

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

IRAN PRISONER SWAP
The reasons for the swap of four Americans held by the Iranians in exchange for seven Iranians held on violating trade sanctions law needs to be uncovered, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Saturday (Jan. 16).

According to the Washington Post, its Tehran correspondent, Jason Rezaian; Pastor Saaed Abedini; Amir Hekmati and Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari were released Saturday morning. A fifth person, Matthew Trevithick, was also released, officials said.

The newspaper reported that Nima Golestaneh, Nader Modanlou, Bahran Mechanic, Khosrow Ghahreman, Touraj Faridi and Ali Sabounchi were released by the United States in exchange. The newspaper also reported that Golestaneh pleaded guilty in Dec. 2015 to cyberhacking a U.S. defense firm in 2012. In the story, Obama administration officials called the swap a “one-time situation.”

In a statement, Cotton said the release of the Americans was important but also is the reasons behind it.

“But in our elation over their safe return we must be careful not to forget the dangerous circumstances of their release. President Obama has appeased Iran’s terror-sponsoring ayatollahs, this time with a ‘prisoner’ swap to secure the overdue release of four innocent American hostages in return for which Iran gets seven lawfully convicted terrorists and criminals, fourteen terrorism prosecutions halted, $100 billion in sanctions relief, and an industrial-scale nuclear program—and Iran gets to keep Americans Siamak Namazi and Robert Levinson to extract future concessions. While we exult in the return of American hostages, one must also wonder how many more Americans will be taken hostage in the future as a result of President Obama’s shameful decision to negotiate with these terrorists.”

However, Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday (Jan. 16) that the negotiations had no impact on an agreement approved last year dealing with nuclear weapons.

“The President will have more to say about their release later. But I can tell you one thing: While the two tracks of negotiations were not directly related – and they were not – there is no question that the pace and the progress of the humanitarian talks accelerated in light of the relationships forged and the diplomatic channels unlocked over the course of the nuclear talks. And certainly in the time since we reached an agreement last July, there was a significant pickup in that dialogue,” Kerry said.

SPORTSMEN LEGISLATION, BOOZMAN AMENDMENT
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works approved the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015, including an amendment from U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark.

Boozman’s amendment seeks to strengthen partnerships between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and community groups that want to improve and reinvest in Corps parks, recreation sites and facilities.

“By allowing communities and non-profit groups to reinvest resources at Corps facilities, we can improve the quality of services offered to Arkansans and help keep more sites open and operating,” Boozman said.

The amendment is identical to the Corps of Engineers Cooperative Joint Management Restoration Act, legislation Boozman introduced during the 113th Congress. Also, the bill updates existing programs to increase hunting and fishing access and improve opportunities for outdoor recreation users on federal lands, Boozman said.

BOOZMAN, COTTON VOTE TO BLOCK REFUGEES
The Senate fell five votes short of breaking cloture on a bill to require that supplemental certifications and background checks be completed prior to allowing refugees from Syria and Iraq to enter the United States.

The Senate voted 55-43 Wednesday – short of the 60 votes needed, to proceed to debate on H.R. 4038. The bill passed the House last year. U.S. Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., voted yes on the bill. In a statement, Boozman said while the United States has supported people seeking freedom, security is also a concern.

“The United States has a long history of providing sanctuary to refugees fleeing from persecution and war-torn countries like Syria. However, Arkansans are rightfully concerned that the Obama administration does not have an effective plan to protect Americans from radical Islamic extremism here at home. The confidence in security officials’ ability to root out terrorists trying to exploit our good graces to carry out attacks simply does not exist. It is a very legitimate concern – both in the intelligence community and in our communities at home – that the Obama Administration is flat-out ignoring,” Boozman said.

BOOZMAN SUMMER MEAL AMENDMENT
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee this week approved a bill to reauthorize funding for child nutrition programs, including an amendment by U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., to reform the nation’s summer meals program.

Boozman’s bill would authorize summer electronic benefit transfer, or EBT, and providing families up to $30 per summer month to buy food; and would allow states to have the flexibility to choose to offer “summer meals without a centralized feeding site when certain conditions exist in rural and high poverty areas.”

“As a former school board member, I’ve seen first-hand that nutrition is critical to our children’s ability to thrive in and out of the classroom. For too many of our nation’s children, summer can be the hungriest time of the year. That’s why we need a summer meals program that works in urban, suburban and rural areas. The provisions included in this bill will give Arkansas and all states the flexibility they need to choose what makes the most sense in their communities, so that children in rural and hard to reach communities are getting the nutrition they need in the summer,” Boozman said at the committee hearing.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

WOTUS CLOTURE VOTE FAILS
Another cloture vote failed this week as senators voted 52-40 to override a veto on a bill to repeal a controversial environmental policy. U.S. Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., were among the 52 senators to vote yes on SJ Res. 22 voting on the Waters of the United States policy. Supporters have said the policy would help protect the environment while opponents have called the policy a power-grab by the federal government.

Boozman and Cotton said the veto, which needed 60 votes to break cloture and 67 votes to override the veto, was a political move.

“By vetoing this resolution, President Obama once again has ignored the will of the American people and put the interests of Washington bureaucrats before those of Arkansans. There is no denying that this costly and heavy-handed rule will take away the ability of Arkansas landowners to control and maintain their property. It is entirely unnecessary as we already protect water quality through long-standing provisions of the federal Clean Water Act, as well as initiatives at the state and local level and the efforts of private citizens. We don’t need Washington telling us how to protect our resources,” Boozman said.

LIABILITY CONCERNS FROM FOREST FIRES
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs on Wednesday (Jan. 20) joined nine House colleagues including the other three members of the state’s House delegation in demanding answers from the United States Department of Justice and Attorney General Loretta Lynch regarding potential federal liability resulting from a prescribed burn conducted on April 14, 2010.

The U.S. Forest Service conducted a controlled burn in Logan County, which “allegedly spread onto private land owned by Deltic Timber Corporation, damaging 174 acres of 2-3-year old pine trees” and $49,519 in property damage, Westerman said in a press release.

“On October 1, 2010, Deltic submitted Standard Form 95-108, as required under the Federal Tort Claims Act to receive compensation. More than five years later, Deltic has yet to receive a response from DOJ, and DOJ now allegedly refuses to even speak with Deltic about this matter,” Westerman said. “It is puzzling that DOJ can find the time and manpower to appeal a prison sentence for two individuals who damaged federal land when a prescribed burn crossed onto public land, but refuses to respond to my constituents over a five-year period when a similar federal liability is in question.”

In addition to U.S. Reps. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, French Hill, R-Little Rock and Steve Womack, R-Rogers, other lawmakers to sign a letter Wednesday on the issue were Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., Steve Pearce, R-NM, Dan Newhouse, R-Wash. and Cynthia Lummis, R-WY.

KEY VOTES DURING THE WEEK
SENATE
H.R. 4038 – THE SAFE ACT
Passed: 55-43, five votes short of invoking cloture
Republicans: 53-0
Democrats: 2-42
Independent: 0-1
Not Voting: 2
HR 4038 would require that supplemental certifications and background investigations be completed prior to the admission of certain aliens as refugees. The bill would also expand background checks on Iraqi and Syrian refugees hoping to enter the United States has moved quickly through congressional procedures.

S. 2422: The Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Veterans Affairs Seismic Safety and Construction Authorization Act
Passed by unanimous consent and no roll call vote taken.
The bill would authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out certain major medical facility projects, including seismic corrections to buildings, for fiscal year 2016.

SJ Res 22: Cloture Vote on WOTUS veto override
Cloture on S.J.Res. 22: A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the Waters of the United States rule.
Passed: 52-40, eight votes short of invoking cloture.
Republicans: 49-1
Democrats: 3-38
Independents: 0-1
Not Voting: 8