Congressional Digest: Remembering Bumpers, President Obama’s final State of the Union

Arkansas’ congressional delegation was busy this week, saying goodbye to a political giant, responding to the last State of the Union address by President Obama and voting on legislation.

The following is the week that was in the nation’s Capital.

BUMPERS REMEMBERED
The First United Methodist Church in Little Rock was the scene Sunday as lawmakers and former officeholders paid tribute to former Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark.

Bumpers, who also served as governor, died Jan. 1 at the age of 90. The funeral service included speeches from former President Bill Clinton and former Sen. David Pryor. The state’s last four governors – Republicans Mike Huckabee and Asa Hutchinson and Democrats Mike Beebe and Jim Guy Tucker – also attended the service.

Clinton said Bumpers worked to build his case on any specific issue based on information.

“What was special about him is, he never wanted people to act on emotion alone,” Clinton said. “He never stopped challenging us to think or to learn. … He would tug at our heartstrings, and then he would ask us to think, and if we didn’t know something, he used humor so people would listen to him so he could impart information.”

Pryor said Bumpers also needed a “podium and a parade every Saturday.”

“He believed that speech should be not a speech,” Pryor said. “He believed that every speech should be a performance, and he believed it and he practiced it and he made it work. He used logic, and he used the power of words to make us think.”

STATE OF THE UNION REACTION
A State of the Union address from President Barack Obama Tuesday night drew condemnation from the state’s Congressional delegation.

In the 5,452-word speech in the House chamber, Obama spoke about the economy and national security among several issues.

“America has been through big changes before – wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights. Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future; who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control. And each time, we overcame those fears,” Obama said. “We did not, in the words of Lincoln, adhere to the ‘dogmas of the quiet past.’ Instead we thought anew, and acted anew. We made change work for us, always extending America’s promise outward, to the next frontier, to more and more people. And because we did – because we saw opportunity where others saw only peril – we emerged stronger and better than before.”

U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said the President’s policies are an example of a major problem.

“The President’s policies of the last seven years have increased regulations, left Americans with skyrocketing health insurance premiums and led to shrinking middle class. The executive actions that skirt Congress have failed the American people who expect Congress and the White House to create solutions. Our country is facing many domestic and international challenges and Americans are losing trust in the government’s actions. Instead of concentrating on his legacy, the President should be focused on how he will work with Congress to create a future of hope and promise by reigning in federal spending, improving economic security for hardworking families and fighting global terrorism.”

COTTON CRITICAL OF U.S. SAILOR DETENTION
Earlier this week, the Iranian navy detained 10 U.S. sailors after the Iranian government said the boats that the sailors were on trespassed near an Iranian naval base. However, both Defense and State department officials said one of the boats had mechanical problems. The sailors were released Wednesday.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., criticized the detention as well as the Obama administration’s handling of the situation.

“The administration’s statements today regarding Iran’s actions at sea are disappointing, but not surprising. Before we thank the Iranian naval forces and attempt to defend and normalize their behavior, as Vice President Biden and Secretaries Kerry and Carter appear inclined to do, we should demand answers to certain questions about their behavior,” Cotton said.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest countered that the administration followed procedure.

WOTUS PASSES HOUSE
The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to approve a joint resolution, criticizing a government regulation that opponents say is burdensome. The 253-166 vote on SJRes22 dealt with the disapproval of the “Waters of the United States” rule.

The rule was from the Environmental Protection Agency. Supporters have said the rule would help create a cleaner environment while opponents have said it would add to the costs of business operating. In a statement, U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, said the vote pushed against government overreach.

“At last night’s State of the Union address, the president made a point to characterize too much regulation out of Washington as being burdensome on the American people. The WOTUS rule is a prime example of the overregulation, to which President Obama alluded last night. The law never intended for the federal micromanaging of streams and ponds on private lands and farms in Arkansas, and this would be a great opportunity for the president to put his money where his mouth is and prevent this vast overreach by the EPA,” Hill said.

AND THE WINNER IS …
On Thursday, U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, awarded his Golden Fleece to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services “for wasting $1.23 billion on Obamacare’s failing Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans.” In a letter to acting administrator Andrew Slavitt, Hill outlined the issue.

“In an age of tight fiscal challenges, this loss of $1.23 billion and hundreds of thousands of health care plans is inexcusable,” Hill said. “CMS has awarded over $2.4 billion in federal loans to 23 CO-Ops. A recent report has revealed that of these CO-Ops, 12 have collapsed – eight in the last three months alone. Over 500,000 Americans have lost health care coverage as a direct result of these failures and may face higher costs for ‘affordable’ health care in a plan they may not have otherwise chosen.”

Hill also said the issue has created other issues.

“This grievous misuse of taxpayer dollars comes from the more than $1 billion in federal loans awarded to these failed CO-Ops, and CMS continued investing in CO-OPs even when their financial distress was apparent. Due to inequality in premium revenue and medical expenses, much of this money has been lost. Once again, our country’s taxpayers suffer from the President’s ill-conceived and failed health care law.”

KEY VOTES DURING THE WEEK
HR 1644: STREAM Act
Passed: 235-188
Republicans: 231-10
Democrats: 4-178
Not voting: 10
H.R. 1644 would prohibit the Department of the Interior (DOI) from issuing any rule regarding prohibited surface mining areas near streams until a year after the National Academy of Science (NAS) has submitted an evaluative report of the current rule to Congress. It gives two years for NAS to submit the report, meaning DOI would be prevented from issuing further rules for up to three years. The White House has said it will veto the bill if approved by Congress.

HR 598: Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act
Passed: 413-0
Republicans: 236-0
Democrats: 177-0
Not voting: 20
The Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act (H.R. 598) would direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to post on its website a description of each federal program, including the program’s funding level, the number of people served by or benefiting from the program, and number of federal employees and contract staff involved.

HR 3231: Federal Intern Protection Act of 2015
Passed: 414-0
Republicans: 235-0
Democrats: 179-0
Not voting: 19
Current law does not grant unpaid federal government interns certain protections that employees have. H.R. 3231 would expand employee protection against race, gender, age, and other forms of discrimination to include federal unpaid interns.