Fourth District Hopefuls Follow Party Line On Federal Budget Impasse

In the race to replace Cong. Tom Cotton (R) in the Fourth District, a successor is likely to act upon party lines in the current debate on the federal government shutdown.

Our content partner, the Arkansas News Bureau, contacted the announced Republican and Democratic candidates in the Fourth District Congressional race for their positions on the federal budget impasse.

From the Arkansas News Bureau:

The two announced Republicans and one Democrat seeking to succeed U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Dardanelle, said Thursday they would be seeking solutions to the partisan impasse over defunding or delay of the federal Affordable Care Act. But none would break ranks with members of his or her party in the partisan standoff.

“If I were in Congress, I would be working hard to find solutions, as I think the House has done. The House has offered some solutions that the Senate and the president are rejecting,” said state Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, one of the Legislature’s most vocal opponents of the law known as Obamacare.

Asked if efforts to restrict the three-year-old health care law was worth shutting down the federal government over, Westerman said said it was “worth coming to the table for negotiation.”

“I think the House is doing the right thing by standing strong to at least have a discussion,” he said.

GOP candidate Tommy Moll, also of Hot Springs, said he was committed to doing everything he could to fight against the health care overhaul, which he said threatens both the quality of health care and the fragile state of the nation’s economy.

“A vote to fund Obamacare is a vote against the more than 25,000 people in the 4th District who are looking for work but cannot find a job,” Moll said. “While Congress should work to pass a balanced budget, in the short term I support keeping the federal government open with a continuing resolution that defunds Obamacare.”

“I don’t believe they are negotiating in good faith. I could not in good faith give in to more demands that are unreasonable. When reason has left the table, why stay there and get knocked around?” said Democratic hopeful Janice Percefull. “Please, can we not do a clean bill for a continuing resolution?”

You can read the full article here.