{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where state = \"AR\" and year = 2021 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-braun-introduce-bill-to-curb-reliance-on-chinese-pharmaceuticals", "Cotton, Braun Introduce Bill to Curb Reliance on Chinese Pharmaceuticals", "2021-12-15", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 15, 2021\n\nCotton, Braun Introduce Bill to Curb Reliance on Chinese Pharmaceuticals\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Mike Braun (R-Indiana) today introduced the Anyone But China Safe Drugs Act, or the ABC Safe Drug Act, legislation to track active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), prohibit pharmaceutical purchases from China, and create transparency within the medical supply chain. Bill text may be found here.\n\n\u201cShortages in the medical supply chain are a matter of life and death, and we cannot rely on China for our citizens\u2019 survival. Our bill will encourage pharmaceutical production in friendly countries and end dependency on the Chinese Communist Party,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated why we cannot continue to rely so heavily on communist China for lifesaving medications. I am proud to join Senator Cotton on this legislation that will ban the use of federal funds for the purchase of drugs manufactured in China and add more much-needed transparency to our drug supply chain,\u201d said Braun.\n\nThe ABC Safe Drug Act would:\n\nRequire the Food and Drug Administration to create a registry of all drugs and corresponding APIs that are produced outside the United States and are determined to be critical to the health and safety of Americans.\n\nRequire that the Department of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and all other federally qualified health facilities purchase pharmaceutical products that have no APIs produced in China.\n\nThis requirement will be phased in over two years. The FDA may issue waivers if the APIs are only available in China, however, no waivers may be issued after 2027.\n\nRequire drug companies to list the APIs and their countries of origin on the labels of imported and domestically produced finished drug products.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-passage-of-the-ndaa", "Cotton Statement on Passage of the NDAA", "2021-12-15", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 15, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Passage of the NDAA\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement on the National Defense Authorization Act:\n\n\u201cDemocrats tried to use this defense bill to draft America\u2019s daughters and force their radical social ideologies onto our troops. Thankfully, they failed, and this year\u2019s defense bill largely does what it should: support and strengthen our troops. By increasing our defense budget, fully funding our nuclear weapons, giving the troops a raise, and investing substantially in our Navy, this bill is an important step to providing our military with the resources it needs to protect the United States. But there\u2019s more work to do, and I\u2019ll stay dedicated to supporting our troops and not letting Democrats use the military for left-wing social engineering.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-reacts-to-devastation-caused-by-storm", "Rep. Crawford Reacts to Devastation Caused by Storm", "2021-12-11", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington \u2014 Today, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) released the following statement in response to news that several tornadoes hit Northeast Arkansas.\n\n\"Last night, vicious storms ravaged through many parts of the First District inflicting significant destruction and taking the lives of two innocent individuals in Monette. There are many reports of extensive damage across a multitude of areas, which will only become more clear as the sun rises today across the region.\n\nI want to thank the many first responders who courageously answered the numerous calls that were made last night. I also want to thank the team at KAIT led by Ryan Vaughan, who kept everyone safe and aware of the rapidly changing conditions. KAIT, along with many others, stayed on-air throughout making sure the public was informed and what to expect.\n\nMy office will continue to assist those who have experienced the worst of these storms in any way we can. I ask that each of us pray for the families who lost loved ones and also prayers of thankfulness for those who always answer the call for help every hour of every day in situations such as this,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-bidens-crushing-inflation", "Cotton Statement on Biden\u2019s Crushing Inflation", "2021-12-10", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 10, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Biden\u2019s Crushing Inflation\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding the growing inflation rate in the United States:\n\n\u201cPresident Biden promised never to raise taxes on middle class and working-class Americans\u2014President Biden lied. He allowed the cruelest tax of all, inflation, to skyrocket. Today, we learned that inflation is at the highest level in more than a generation. This is a direct result of President Biden\u2019s trillion dollar spending binges, his appointment of an inexperienced and absentee Transportation Secretary who mangled our supply chains, and his anti-energy policies that have driven up the price of gas. The President should immediately reverse course, apologize for his undeniable and unforced failures, and end his extreme agenda.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-reacts-to-announcement-of-riceland-expansion", "Rep. Crawford Reacts to Announcement of Riceland Expansion", "2021-12-08", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Jonesboro \u2014 Today, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) released the following statement in response to Riceland food's newly announced expansion in both their Jonesboro and Stuttgart plants. The $13.2 million extension is expected to create 80 new jobs.\n\n\"I could not be more proud to represent the farmers in Eastern Arkansas who work diligently to help feed the world. I applaud Riceland's ongoing innovation and expansion which is of vital importance to the continued success of the our state's rural economy and enables the next generation of farmers to prosper,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\nRep. Crawford currently serves as the vice ranking member on the House Agriculture Committee and was a Conferee for both the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills.\n\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\n######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ndaa-delivers-win-arkansas-fourth-district", "NDAA Delivers a Win for Arkansas' Fourth District", "2021-12-08", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON - Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) released the following statement.\n\n\"Yesterday, I voted for the updated National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA),\" said Congressman Westerman. \"As I anticipated, I'm happy to report that the harmful provisions creating Red Flag laws for members of our military and the inclusion of women in the draft were removed.\n\nThis final version of the NDAA reverses President Biden's dangerous cuts to our defense spending, invests in overdue cybersecurity improvements to protect the Pentagon from foreign actors such as China, Russia, and North Korea, modernizes our military capabilities, including the nuclear triad, and decreases our reliance on China. It holds the Biden Administration accountable for its disastrous handling of our withdrawal from Afghanistan, requires an investigation into the CCP's involvement in the birth of COVID-19, holds China accountable for its human rights violations, and protects servicemembers who decide against taking the COVID-19 vaccine.\n\nThis bill is a win for democracy and a wonderful example of bipartisanship at work. Our Fourth District neighbors who work in national defense industries, including the thousands of people who work in Camden and its surrounding businesses, will benefit from the 2021 NDAA, and I couldn't be prouder of my vote in favor of it.\"\n\nBackground\n\nThe NDAA:\n\nFully funds the modernization of our nuclear triad, including the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, for which the supply chain will go through Camden Highland Industrial Park.\n\nInvests in cybersecurity and advanced software for the Pentagon that is long overdue to protect from cyberattacks by malign actors such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.\n\nDecreases our reliance on Chinese products and technology. The NDAA addresses this by phasing out the use of Chinese printed circuit boards in DoD-acquired equipment, preventing DoD from acquiring PPE from China, and requiring DoD to prioritize domestic production of critical minerals and pharmaceutical ingredients\n\nEstablishes the policy of the U.S. to maintain the ability to resist Chinese efforts to seize control of Taiwan.\n\nRequires DoD and DNI to assess the involvement of the CCP in the origins of COVID-19.\n\nProhibits DoD purchases of goods made by Uyghurs in Chinese forced labor camps.\n\nIncludes funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which provides support and assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is increasingly important as Russia escalates its aggression toward and harassment of Ukraine, with the stated intent to invade and occupy.\n\nInvests in hypersonic missile development, of which we lag behind China and Russia, both of which are testing hypersonic missiles.\n\nProhibits DoD from providing any financial support to the Taliban.\n\nEstablishes an independent commission to review the entirety of the Afghanistan War, including the disastrous withdrawal. These findings and recommendations will be presented to Congress\n\nRetains prohibition on dishonorable discharges for servicemembers who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. This will retroactively apply to the date of the DoD COVID-19 vaccine order.\n\nRequires uniform standards under which servicemembers may be exempted from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine for administrative, medical, or religious reasons.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-statement-on-rep-devin-nunes", "Rep. Crawford Statement on Rep. Devin Nunes", "2021-12-06", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington \u2014 Today, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) released the following statement in response to Ranking Member Nunes' retirement from Congress:\n\n\"Devin Nunes is a patriot who always put America's national security first, and who consistently delivered for his constituents. He is also a friend and something of a mentor to me.\n\nOn the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I saw firsthand how Devin conducted vigorous oversight of our Intelligence Community, and held Democrats to task when they politicized that important body. He monitored threats to our nation and developed effective policies to combat them.\n\nI wish him luck as he battles the Big Tech Monopolies that carry water for the Left in America.\"\n\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\n######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-bill-targeting-palestinian-terror-payments", "Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill Targeting Palestinian Terror Payments", "2021-12-06", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 6, 2021\n\nCotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill Targeting Palestinian Terror Payments\n\nClick Here to View Senator Cotton\u2019s Remarks in Full.\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), along with twelve of his Senate colleagues, today introduced the Taylor Force Martyr Payment Prevention Act, legislation aimed at eliminating Palestinian \u201cmartyr payments.\u201d The bill would deter foreign banks from making these payments by putting at risk their access to the United States financial system. A one-pager about the bill may be found here. Bill text may be found here.\n\nThis evening, Senator Cotton and Senators Steve Daines (R-Montana), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) held a press conference on the bill. They were joined by Stuart and Robbi Force, whose son Taylor Force was murdered by Palestinian terrorists during a trip to Israel. A video of the press conference may be found here.\n\n\u201cRadical Islamic terrorists shouldn\u2019t be rewarded for killing innocent people, and banks should be held responsible for processing any sort of \u2018martyr payments.\u2019 Our bill will build upon the Taylor Force Act to ensure Palestinian terrorists don\u2019t benefit financially for committing these senseless murders,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cThe 2018 Taylor Force Act was an important first step toward ending the Palestinian Authority\u2018s outrageous \u2018pay-for-slay\u2019 system that incentivizes deadly terrorist attacks against Israelis and Americans. Senator Cotton's bill will make important progress toward this goal by targeting the financial institutions that facilitate these so-called \u2018martyr payments,\u2019\u201d said Republican Jewish Coalition National Chairman Norm Coleman.\n\nJoining Senator Cotton on the bill are Senators Steve Daines (R-Montana), Todd Young (R-Indiana), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina).\n\nThe Taylor Force Martyr Payment Prevention Act is supported by the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), and Christians United for Israel (CUFI).\n\nBackground:\n\nIn March 2016, a member of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas murdered U.S. Army veteran Taylor Force in Tel Aviv, Israel. The terrorist that stabbed Taylor also severely wounded ten others before being killed by Israeli police. Soon thereafter, the terrorist\u2019s family started receiving \u201cmartyr payments\u201d from the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a reward for his actions.\n\nIn 2018, Congress passed the bipartisan Taylor Force Act, which significantly restricts non-humanitarian U.S. aid to the PA until it ends its \u201cpay to slay\u201d program. The Taylor Force Act recognized the fact that money is fungible and that U.S. aid, even if restricted towards good governance programs, frees up money for the PA to spend more on martyr payments. Although this act penalized the PA for its use of martyr payments, further action is required.\n\nRecent reporting reveals that Palestinian banks and other banks in the Middle East continue to knowingly process these martyr payments, sometimes in U.S. dollar-denominated transactions. These banks flout U.S. anti-terrorism financial regulations but escape sanctions by avoiding an official U.S. presence while maintaining correspondent accounts in the United States. This untenable status quo offers a lifeline to the PA \u201cpay to slay\u201d program.\n\nThe Taylor Force Martyr Payment Prevention Act would:\n\nStrengthen the Treasury Department\u2019s existing anti-terrorism financing authorities by giving Treasury the additional authority to designate foreign banks as institutions of primary money laundering concern and to forbid them from holding or using correspondent accounts in the United States if:\n\nThe banks are used to facilitate or promote martyr payments to terrorists.\n\nThe banks knowingly provide financial services to Hamas.\n\nEstablish the sense of Congress urging Treasury to find foreign financial institutions that flout anti-terrorism financial regulations to be of primary money laundering concern and to prohibit them from holding or using correspondent accounts in the United States.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-diplomatic-boycott-of-the-2022-winter-olympics", "Cotton Statement on Diplomatic Boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics", "2021-12-06", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 6, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Diplomatic Boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding President Biden\u2019s announcement of a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing:\n\n\u201cToday, the Biden administration announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. The President has once again opted for a half measure, when bold leadership was required. The United States should fully boycott the Genocide Games in Beijing. American businesses should not financially support the Chinese Communist Party and we must not expose Team USA to the dangers of a repugnant authoritarian regime that disappears its own athletes.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-voices-support-for-overturn-of-roe-v-wade", "Rep. Crawford Voices Support for Overturn of Roe v. Wade", "2021-12-02", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington \u2014 Yesterday, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) gave remarks on the House floor in support of overturning Roe v. Wade. This week, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for Dobbs v. Jackson, which challenges Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban and could reverse the Supreme Court's past decision on the topic.\n\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-action-from-doj-following-attack-in-waukesha", "Cotton Demands Action from DOJ Following Attack in Waukesha", "2021-12-01", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 1, 2021\n\nCotton Demands Action from DOJ Following Attack in Waukesha\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding answers about how the Department of Justice will respond to the mass-murder attack in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where a career criminal was arrested for driving an SUV through a Christmas parade.\n\nIn part, Senator Cotton wrote, \u201cIn October, you issued a memorandum to all United States Attorneys and to the FBI, directing them to bring a federal law enforcement presence to local school board meetings all across the country, despite a lack of any apparent federal crime or national outbreak of violence.\u201d\n\n\u201cYet, while you seemed to have no hesitation to prioritize chilling free speech from concerned parents, neither you nor the Department of Justice appear to have even issued a public statement about the mass murder in Waukesha. You have also issued no statements about the lenient bail policies that appear to have allowed this attack to take place,\u201d he continued.\n\nText of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nDear Attorney General Garland,\n\nI am writing regarding the recent mass-murder attack in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in which law enforcement arrested a career criminal for allegedly driving an SUV through a Christmas parade, killing at least six and injuring more than 60 others. The defendant in this case has spent more than two decades committing crimes, including a number of violent and sexual felonies, and had also reportedly shared anti-Semitic posts and called for violence against white people. Just three weeks before the attack in Waukesha, the same defendant was reportedly arrested for attacking his ex-girlfriend and running over her with his car, but he was released on bail of just $1,000. He was still out on bail at the time of the attack.\n\nIn October, you issued a memorandum to all United States Attorneys and to the FBI, directing them to bring a federal law enforcement presence to local school board meetings all across the country, despite a lack of any apparent federal crime or national outbreak of violence. Yet, while you seemed to have no hesitation to prioritize chilling free speech from concerned parents, neither you nor the Department of Justice appear to have even issued a public statement about the mass murder in Waukesha. You have also issued no statements about the lenient bail policies that appear to have allowed this attack to take place.\n\nPlease respond to the following questions no later than 5:00 P.M. on Monday, December 6:\n\nWhat is the Department doing to investigate or assist in the investigation in Waukesha, Wisconsin?\n\nIs the Civil Rights Division investigating the racist postings allegedly made by the defendant in this case?\n\nHave you directed federal prosecutors and the FBI to take any actions to fill gaps in the criminal justice system left by soft-on-crime policies like the weakening or elimination of cash bail?\n\nI look forward to your prompt response regarding this important matter.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/11/25/2021/cotton-statement-on-thanksgiving", "Cotton Statement on Thanksgiving", "2021-11-25", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 25, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Thanksgiving\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement on Thanksgiving:\n\n\u201c400 years ago, our Pilgrim Fathers, who battled sorrow and starvation for the promise of freedom in a New World, joined together with the Wampanoag tribe for a celebration, which we know as the first Thanksgiving. That hardscrabble colony of brave and devout Christians has grown into a great continental nation that stretches from sea to shining sea and that has ascended into the heavens. This year, like every year, our exceptional nation has much for which to be grateful. From the Cotton family to yours, we wish you and your loved ones a happy Thanksgiving.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-rick-crawford-reacts-to-highway-63-addition-to-i-555", "Rep. Rick Crawford Reacts to Highway 63 Addition to I-555", "2021-11-23", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sarah Robertson (sara.robertson2@mail.house.gov), Destiny Robertson (Destiny.Robertson@mail.house.gov)\n\nPhone: 202.225.4076, 870.203.0540\n\nRep. Rick Crawford Reacts to Highway 63 Addition to I-555\n\n11/23/2021\n\nJonesboro, AR \u2013 Today, Rep. Rick Crawford issued the following statement reacting to the Federal Highway Works Administration, along with Arkansas Department of Transportation, designating a portion of Highway 63 in Jonesboro as being a part of Interstate 555. This 4.5 mile segment will connection Highway 49 South/Southwest Drive and Highway 91/Dan Avenue to Interstate 55 and Memphis:\n\n\"It's great to see another portion of I-555 completed and designated as interstate. I appreciate ARDOT and our local stakeholders coming together in 2015 to help me draft legislation to provide full Interstate designation for what was then US 63. This vital Interstate corridor plays a critical role in the economic prosperity of Craighead, Greene, and Poinsett Counties in Northeast Arkansas.\"\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-responds-to-house-passage-of-the-build-back-better-bill", "Rep. Crawford Responds to House Passage of the \"Build Back Better\u201d Bill", "2021-11-19", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (\n\nSara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov\n\n)\n\nRep. Crawford Responds to House Passage of the \"Build Back Better\" Bill\n\n11/19/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Today, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) released the following statement in response to the passage of the Biden-Harris Build Back Better (BBB) legislation, a 2,000 page bill no one has read and was written in secret.\n\n\"The passage of this budget busting boondoggle means higher prices at the pump and supermarket, ugly utility bills this winter, and half a trillion dollars thrown at Bernie Sanders' Green New Deal, even as working families feel America is headed in the wrong direction. Congressional Democrats' fear of Nancy Pelosi clearly outweighs their concern for their own constituents. Biden and Harris promised us quiet competence, but have only delivered failure, socialism, and a weaker America.\"\n\nThe BBB includes:\n\n$285 billion in tax cuts for millionaire homeowners\n\n$80 billion in new IRS funding to sic IRS investigators on American families\n\nHigher taxes on natural gas, hurting poultry producers and raising utility bills\n\nMass amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants\n\nEnds work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients\n\n$400 billion in small business tax hikes\n\nBillions in \"green\" handouts for products made in communist China\n\n$12,000 to each wealthy consumer buying electric vehicles costing up to $70,000\n\nExcludes the Hyde Amendment which is a historically bipartisan provision barring tax-payer funded abortions", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-reacts-passage-president-bidens-build-back-better-agenda", "Westerman Reacts to the Passage of President Biden's Build Back Better Agenda", "2021-11-19", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON - Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5376, also known as President Biden's \"Build Back Better\" agenda. Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) released the following statement:\n\n\"Today, Democrats in the House of Representatives passed President Biden's multi-trillion-dollar reconciliation bill designed to remake America in their image, giving the government control of American lives from the cradle to the grave,\"said Congressman Westerman. \"The last-minute Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score estimates this bill will increase the deficit by over $350 billion, but even more damaging are the threats to the foundations of our freedom by this bill's radical leftist policies. Joe Biden may consider this bill the hallmark of his presidency, but I consider it a black mark and a sad day for the American people. This bill will result in government intrusion, more taxes, higher prices, empty shelves, and wasted opportunities. Democrats are choosing to ignore the CBO's score, spending money we do not have to create programs the American people do not want, much less need.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-hinson-introduce-bill-to-provide-parental-leave-and-compensation-for-miscarriages-and-stillbirths", "Cotton, Hinson Introduce Bill to Provide Parental Leave and Compensation for Miscarriages and Stillbirths", "2021-11-18", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 18, 2021\n\nCotton, Hinson Introduce Bill to Provide Parental Leave and Compensation for Miscarriages and Stillbirths\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Representative Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) today introduced the Helping with Equal Access to Leave and Investing in Needs for Grieving for Mothers and Fathers Act, or HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act, to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to include the spontaneous loss of an unborn child as a qualifying medical condition for FMLA leave. The bill would also establish a tax credit for a woman that suffers the loss of a child in the womb. More information about the bill may be found here. Bill text may be found here.\n\n\u201cNo amount of money can heal the unexpected loss of a child, but parents must be given time to mourn. Our bill will ensure families are given the resources and support they need to recover,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cExpecting parents who endure a stillbirth, the loss of a baby after 20 weeks or more through a pregnancy, should be able to mourn their baby without the added stress of expensive medical bills. Our legislation will give families the time and resources to help them through this unimaginable loss,\u201d said Hinson.\n\nThe HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act mirrors a similar bill in Arkansas introduced by State Representative Les Eaves called Paisley\u2019s Law, named in honor of his late granddaughter, Paisley, which was signed into law earlier this year.\n\nThe Susan B. Anthony List and National Right to Life Committee support this bill.\n\nThe HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act would:\n\nAmend the FMLA to include spontaneous loss of an unborn child as a qualified medical condition for FMLA leave and civil service employee leave.\n\nWomen and their spouses would be entitled to take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for loss of an unborn child.\n\nSpontaneous loss of an unborn child is defined in the bill as \u2018the loss of a child in the womb that is unplanned and not resulting from a purposeful act.\u2019\n\nAll requirements related to certification, notice, flexibility and leave substitution are consistent with current standards for claiming FMLA leave.\n\nEstablish a $3,600 refundable tax credit for any mother, or couple, who suffers a stillbirth.\n\nStillbirth is defined as \u201cthe delivery of a child where there was a spontaneous death, not induced by any purposeful act, before the complete delivery from the child\u2019s mother.\u201d\n\nA family would be eligible for the tax credit if a stillbirth certificate, under applicable state law, has been issued for the child.\n\nThese funds could not be used for any abortion procedure\n\nProhibit Title X funds from going to abortion providers.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delta-heritage-trail-awarded-20-million-dot-grant-arkansas-leaders", "Delta Heritage Trail Awarded $20 Million DOT Grant - Arkansas Leaders Applaud Award", "2021-11-17", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Congressmen Bruce Westerman (AR-04) and Rick Crawford (AR-01) along with U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson applauded federal investment to complete the Delta Heritage Trail. The members released the following statements:\n\n\"I am elated to help deliver this vital grant to the Arkansas Delta. These funds will complete the final stretch of the Delta Heritage Trail, encouraging economic growth by creating tourism opportunities for our delta communities. I am grateful to the Department of Transportation for awarding this significant grant to our state,\" said Westerman.\n\n\"Our rich heritage and scenic landscapes make Arkansas the \"Natural State\" and draw lovers of the outdoors from across the nation. The Delta Heritage Trail provides a safe pathway for folks to enjoy the unique wildlife that can only be experienced in southeast Arkansas. This grant is critical to completing this long-awaited project and will further stimulate the local economy,\" Crawford said.\n\n\"This investment in southeast Arkansas will connect communities, provide recreational opportunities, spark tourism and build economic momentum in the area. Thanks to the decades of dedication by local and state leaders, we were able to demonstrate the importance of this project that will greatly benefit communities in southeast Arkansas,\" Boozman said.\n\n\"Completing the Delta Heritage Trail will both help preserve the important history of the Natural State and bring new jobs and opportunities to the Delta. I'm glad to see Arkansas receive such a meaningful investment in rural America,\" said Cotton.\n\n\"This grant will achieve a goal 30-years in the making. The completion of the Delta Heritage trail will provide bikers and hikers yet another beautiful view of the Natural State and will highlight the beauty of The Delta. I appreciate the advocacy of our federal delegation in winning this grant. This is another great project to enhance tourism in southeast Arkansas,\" said Governor Asa Hutchinson\n\n\"At a time when outdoor recreational opportunities are more vital than ever, this grant will enable Arkansas State Parks to complete the construction of the entire 87-mile length of Delta Heritage Trail State Park by 2025. This grant will enable State Parks to leverage the previous commitment from the Walton Family Foundation to generate new recreational and tourism opportunities from Lexa to Arkansas City, making a significant impact on the economy, quality of life and well-being of the Arkansas Delta,\" said Secretary of Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Stacy Hurst.\n\nBackground\n\nThe U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $20,482,208 to the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism (ADPHT) to construct the final 13.4-mile section of the southeast Arkansas trail through its Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant Program.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-announces-2021-congressional-app-challenge-winners", "Westerman Announces 2021 Congressional App Challenge Winners", "2021-11-16", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON - Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) hosted a virtual reception announcing the winners of the Congressional App Challenge. Westerman issued the following statement:\n\n\"Each year, I look forward to the annual Congressional App Challenge as a showcase of the incredible talent and creativity of the Fourth District's students,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"This year's Challenge did not disappoint! Each app was an impressive display of ingenuity and I am confident that these students have bright futures ahead as they work to make their communities a better place. Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all who participated.\"\n\nBackground\n\nWatch the full reception here.\n\nThe Congressional App Challenge is an annual event in which middle and high school students across the country design and code their own original apps. The winning team from each congressional district is normally honored at an event in Washington, D.C., where they present their apps to attendees.\n\nThis year, the Fourth District received 20 submissions from 50 students, and the winners were announced yesterday evening during a virtual event held on Zoom, due to COVID-19 restrictions\n\nThe winners were chosen by a panel of 5 judges.\n\nThe 2021 Fourth District top five teams are:\n\nFirst Place: Anna Womack and MacKenzie Bisswanger, from Harmony Grove High School, with their app, \"Do Gooders.\"\n\nSecond Place (tie): Landon Weaver, Carson Ford, and Seth Harper, from Dardanelle High School, with their app, \"Helping Hands.\"\n\nSecond Place (tie): Bao Pham and Thanh Tran, from Hot Springs Junior Academy, with her app, \"HSSD Student HQ.\"\n\nThird Place: Lizbeth Flores-Fuentes, Leslie Mendez, and Dulce Gomez, from Dardanelle High School, with their app, \"Munch Up.\"\n\nFourth Place (tie): Gabriel Avila, Madyson Johnson, and Seth Felux, from Dardanelle High School, with their app, \"TherAppy.\"\n\nFourth Place (tie): Marcela Sierra, Nadia Alonso, and Anna Carranza, from Dardanelle High School, with their app, \"Keeping Up.\"\n\nFifth Place (tie): Madison Mitchell and JadeAnn Wilson, from Lake Hamilton Junior High School, with their app, \"Funky Friend Finder.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-call-on-secretary-raimondo-to-blacklist-companies-that-provide-ai-technology-to-the-chinese-military", "Cotton, Colleagues Call on Secretary Raimondo to Blacklist Companies that Provide AI Technology to the Chinese Military", "2021-11-16", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 16, 2021\n\nCotton, Colleagues Call on Secretary Raimondo to Blacklist Companies that Provide AI Technology to the Chinese Military\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urging the Department of Commerce to blacklist Chinese Artificial Intelligence companies that help arm the People\u2019s Liberation Army.\n\nIn part, the senators wrote, \u201cDespite the pressing need to restrict the PLA\u2019s advancement in key technology areas, our government has done little to impede the flow of U.S. exports and investment to Chinese AI companies with PLA ties.\u201d\n\n\u201cGiven these troubling gaps in the United States\u2019 strategy to protect its core technologies, we urge BIS to emulate the Intelligence Community by identifying key American technologies that need to be safeguarded from the Chinese Communist Party,\u201d the senators continued.\n\nText of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nThe Honorable Gina Raimondo\n\nSecretary\n\nDepartment of Commerce\n\n1401 Constitution Ave NW\n\nWashington, DC 20230\n\nDear Secretary Raimondo,\n\nWe write to urge the Department of Commerce\u2019s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to follow the examples set by other U.S. government entities and identify core technologies essential to U.S. national security. We further urge BIS to take all steps necessary to prevent key technologies from falling into the hands of the People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA).\n\nAs you may be aware, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) recently identified five technology areas key to America\u2019s strategic competition with China: artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, semiconductors, biotechnology, and autonomous systems. NCSC is using this framework to guide its efforts to prevent U.S. adversaries like China from acquiring technologies necessary for America\u2019s future economic growth and military advantage.\n\nDespite the pressing need to restrict the PLA\u2019s advancement in key technology areas, our government has done little to impede the flow of U.S. exports and investment to Chinese AI companies with PLA ties. These Chinese companies with PLA ties have been readily identified through open-source analysis. A recent report from Georgetown University\u2019s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) revealed that only eight percent of the 273 companies that supply AI equipment to the PLA are on the Department of Commerce\u2019s Entity List. The remaining 92% of Chinese AI companies are free to purchase key U.S. technology for use in military applications.\n\nGiven these troubling gaps in the United States\u2019 strategy to protect its core technologies, we urge BIS to emulate the Intelligence Community by identifying key American technologies that need to be safeguarded from the Chinese Communist Party. Congress has already mandated the creation of such lists in the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA). We further urge BIS to expeditiously review and then add all the PLA AI suppliers listed in the CSET report to the Entity List. Both of these actions will help bolster our national security and assure Congress that the Department of Commerce takes its duties seriously.\n\nWith these concerns in mind, we request that you answer the following questions:\n\nIf the intelligence community can identify core technologies vital to the United States\u2019 competition with China, why has BIS failed to identify foundational technologies and a comprehensive range of emerging technologies, as required by law?\n\nWhy weren\u2019t all of the PLA\u2019s 273 AI suppliers listed in the CSET report already on the Entity List, given that these companies\u2019 ties to the PLA were apparently open-source information?\n\nNow that these PLA AI supplier firms have been identified, will BIS add these Chinese AI companies to the Entity List?\n\nThank you for your attention to this matter of national security. We look forward to hearing from you.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-garland-after-doj-raids-journalists-home", "Cotton Demands Answers from Garland after DOJ Raids Journalist\u2019s Home", "2021-11-15", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 15, 2021\n\nCotton Demands Answers from Garland after DOJ Raids Journalist\u2019s Home\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding answers about the Department of Justice\u2019s investigation into the disappearance of Ashley Biden\u2019s diary.\n\nIn part, Senator Cotton wrote, \u201cThe Department of Justice follows rules and regulations when investigating members of the news media. The regulations state the Department of Justice \u2018views the use of certain law enforcement tools, including . . . search warrants to seek information from, or records of, non-consenting members of the news media as extraordinary measures, not standard investigatory practices.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cGiven the execution of these search warrants were not \u2018standard investigatory practices,\u2019 I have concerns about the origins of this investigation, the motivations of the investigations, and tactics used by your Department,\u201d he continued.\n\nText of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nThe Honorable Merrick Garland\n\nU.S. Department of Justice\n\n950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\n\nWashington, DC 20530-0001\n\nDear Attorney General Garland,\n\nI am writing regarding recent reports of search warrants executed by the FBI on members of the news media in the course of investigating the alleged theft of Ashley Biden\u2019s diary. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that the FBI had executed search warrants on the homes of several individuals connected to media outlet Project Veritas, including its founder, journalist James O\u2019Keefe.\n\nThe Department of Justice follows rules and regulations when investigating members of the news media. The regulations state the Department of Justice \u201cviews the use of certain law enforcement tools, including . . . search warrants to seek information from, or records of, non-consenting members of the news media as extraordinary measures, not standard investigatory practices.\u201d\n\nGiven the execution of these search warrants were not \u201cstandard investigatory practices,\u201d I have concerns about the origins of this investigation, the motivations of the investigations, and tactics used by your Department.\n\nPlease respond to the following questions and requests by November 19, 2021:\n\n1. According to court filings, the crimes predicating the search warrants fall primarily under the National Stolen Property Act (NSPA), which, inter alia, criminalizes the transport of stolen property across state lines.\n\nPlease provide any case where federal prosecutors charged conspiracy to transport stolen goods and/or receipt of stolen goods with respect to a journalist receiving information from a source and describe how that comports with the First Amendment protections articulated in Bartnicki v. Vopper.\n\nPlease provide all cases where federal prosecutors charged NSPA where a personal effect such as a diary had been stolen in an isolated incident.\n\nPlease provide the search warrants for any cellphones collected from O\u2019Keefe and his associates as well as the supporting applications.\n\nPlease provide all federal prosecutions where prosecutors charged transportation of stolen property where a good had been abandoned by the complaining owner.\n\nThe NSPA has a jurisdictional requirement that the property stolen have a value of $5,000 or more. Please provide the process in which you assessed Ashley Biden\u2019s diary as having a fair market value of $5,000 or more.\n\n2. Please provide a detailed description of the steps you took to comply with the Department of Justice regulations governing obtaining information from journalists, including steps taken to comply with your July memo broadly prohibiting acquiring journalists\u2019 records through compulsory process. If such regulations were not followed, please provide a detailed description about why you failed to follow these procedures.\n\n3. Court records show that reporters from the New York Times contacted James O\u2019Keefe for comments very shortly after federal agents searched the home of an associate and O\u2019Keefe\u2019s home. Please provide all communications between employees of the Department of Justice and the New York Time concerning the investigation into the disappearance of Ashley Biden\u2019s diary. Please describe any actions the Department has taken to investigate the leaks from the Department of Justice to the New York Times.\n\n4. Please provide all communications between officials from the Department of Justice and the White House concerning the investigation into the disappearance of Ashley Biden\u2019s diary. Did anyone at the White House have advance notice of the search warrants for the cellphones of journalists affiliated with Project Veritas?\n\nI look forward to your prompt response regarding this important matter.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-service-academy-session-canceled", "Rep. Crawford: Service Academy Session Canceled", "2021-11-12", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Destiny Robertson (Destiny.Robertson@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford: Service Academy Session Canceled\n\n11/12/2021\n\nJonesboro \u2014 Due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts requiring him to be in Washington D.C., Representative Rick Crawford is CANCELING his annual military service academy session that was scheduled for Monday, November 29th, 2021, at the Jacksonport State Park Visitor's Center, at 111 Avenue in Newport.\n\nFor further information about being nominated for the Service Academies, you can call Sherrie Mitchell in the Jonesboro office at 870-203-0540.\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/11/11/2021/cotton-statement-on-veterans-day", "Cotton Statement on Veterans Day", "2021-11-11", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 11, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Veterans Day\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement in observance of Veterans Day:\n\n\u201cFew titles are more prized or noble than that of veteran of the United States. The sacrifice of these exceptional men and women has ensured our nation\u2019s strength, security, and success from one generation to the next. Our veterans deserve our unending gratitude and reverence. Today, we pay special tribute to their remarkable service.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-statement-infrastructure-bill-vote", "Westerman Statement on Infrastructure Bill Vote", "2021-11-06", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Last night, the House passed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. Congressman Bruce Westerman issued the following statement:\n\n\"House Republicans have been ready to work across the aisle on much needed infrastructure development, but we were stonewalled at every turn,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"The $1.2 trillion so-called Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, the largest such bill in history\u2014 even dwarfing an inflation adjusted FDR New Deal price tag\u2014 never had a hearing or a mark-up in a House committee. If it had, Americans might have found out that only about half of the bill has anything to do with infrastructure. The rest is wasteful spending on the Green New Deal and leftist priorities. Speaker Pelosi prohibited all 435 members of the House from making a single change to the bill. That's ridiculous. 435 members of Congress were elected to serve their constituents, not rubber stamp the $1.2 trillion whim of the Senate. Moreover, the passage of this bill is directly tied to the massive socialist spending bill that will be voted on in the upcoming days. These spending bills do not 'build back better' as Democrats have promoted. They will tear down our country and devastate our economy. I proudly voted no.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-introduces-legislation-to-prevent-taxpayer-funded-payments-to-illegal-immigrants", "Rep. Crawford Introduces Legislation to Prevent Taxpayer Funded Payments to Illegal Immigrants", "2021-11-05", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (\n\nSara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov\n\n)\n\nRep. Crawford Introduces Legislation to Prevent Taxpayer Funded Payments to Illegal Immigrants\n\n11/5/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Today, Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-01) introduced legislation to prevent payments from the federal Judgement Fund from going to immigrants who illegally crossed the southern border. The Ending Payments to Non-American Citizens Act responds to multiple reports that the Biden administration intends to pay individuals who were separated from their family at the southern border upwards of $450,000 each. While President Biden rebuked the idea, Justice Department officials and lawyers representing many of these illegal immigrant litigants have contradicted the President's denouncement. Additionally, the President's spokesperson said that he is \"perfectly comfortable\" making settlement payments to these individuals who broke our laws.\n\n\"This outrageous proposal is another example of the Biden Administration putting Americans last and incentivizing criminal behavior. Instead of dealing with the largest border crisis in American history, the President is determined to reward those who broke our nation's laws. American taxpayers do not want their money used to subsidize an apology for Obama-era policies,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-khanna-colleagues-lead-bipartisan-effort-to-support-taiwans-standing-in-global-health-community", "Cotton, Khanna, Colleagues Lead Bipartisan Effort to Support Taiwan\u2019s Standing in Global Health Community", "2021-11-05", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 5, 2021\n\nCotton, Khanna, Colleagues Lead Bipartisan Effort to Support Taiwan\u2019s Standing in Global Health Community\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-California) introduced the U.S.-Taiwan Public Health Protection Act to establish a U.S.-Taiwan Infectious Disease Monitoring Center within the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) to partner with Taiwan\u2019s Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Representative Michael Waltz (R-Florida) are co-sponsors of the bill. Bill text may be found here.\n\n\u201cBeijing\u2019s efforts to exclude Taiwan from the global health community have had deadly consequences. Our bill will ensure the United States has the resources it needs to monitor health threats emerging in the Indo-Pacific and will allow Taiwan to share its knowledge with the world,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cFor too long, the United States has been myopically focused on traditional national security issues and it has hurt our ability to promptly respond to new threats like the COVID-19 pandemic. We must learn from countries like Taiwan that grasped the dangers of this pandemic early on and had success in suppressing it,\u201d said Khanna. \u201cBy establishing a U.S.-Taiwan Infectious Disease Monitoring Center, Congress can help prevent future pandemics and ensure important knowledge sharing can take place between the U.S. and Taiwan.\u201d\n\n\u201cTaiwan\u2019s response to the pandemic has been incredibly successful, and it is unacceptable that the Chinese government is excluding them from global efforts to combat infectious diseases,\u201d said Cortez Masto. \u201cThis legislation will allow the U.S. to partner with Taiwan to safely monitor health threats and help prevent future pandemics.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe should not be surprised that the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s genocidal regime has willingly withheld information on the COVID-19 pandemic, causing devastating effects around the world,\u201d said Rubio. \u201cWe need a reliable and transparent partner in the Indo-Pacific that will provide us with accurate information in order to prevent and mitigate future health crises. Taipei has a comparative advantage in global health and is a trustworthy democratic ally and a valued friend. I am glad to support this effort, which will strengthen U.S.-Taiwan relations and benefit global health.\u201d\n\n\u201cTaiwan has been a global leader in monitoring infectious diseases and developed one of the most successful responses in fighting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic,\u201d said Waltz. \u201cBy establishing a joint disease monitoring center with Taiwan, we can safely monitor the impacts of infectious diseases, share best practices, and develop responses so we can effectively combat the next global pandemic.\u201d\n\nThe bill is supported by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) and Taiwan\u2019s CDC.\n\nThe U.S.-Taiwan Public Health Protection Act would:\n\nEstablish a U.S.-Taiwan Infectious Disease Monitoring Center within the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) to partner with Taiwan\u2019s Centers for Disease Control.\n\nThe center would monitor infectious diseases originating in the region, engage in people-to-people contacts with medical and health officials in the region, and provide expertise on health threats to the U.S. and Taiwanese governments.\n\nThe center will be staffed by U.S. government detailees, including at least three Health and Human Services (HHS) infectious disease experts and at least one staffer from other federal departments, and may employ local Taiwanese staff and employees of Taiwan\u2019s Centers for Disease Control (CDC).\n\nRequire a one-year study and report to Congress to determine the Center\u2019s funding and staffing needs and its level of cooperation with Taiwanese health authorities.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-klobuchar-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-competition-and-consumer-choice-online", "Cotton, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Competition and Consumer Choice Online", "2021-11-05", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 5, 2021\n\nCotton, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Competition and Consumer Choice Online\n\nThe Platform Competition and Opportunity Act will help stop anticompetitive mergers and acquisitions by dominant online platforms\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent monopolistic big tech firms from making killer acquisitions that harm competition and eliminate consumer choice. Bill text may be found here. A one-pager about the bill may be found here.\n\n\u201cBig tech firms have bought up rivals to crush their competition, expand their monopolistic market share, and to harm working Americans. That\u2019s bad for America. Under this bill, the largest tech monopolies will have the burden of proving that further acquisitions are lawful and good for the American people,\u201dsaid Cotton.\n\n\u201cCompetition is critical to protecting workers and consumers and spurring innovation. But today, we\u2019re increasingly seeing companies choose to buy their rivals rather than compete,\u201d said Klobuchar. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation will put an end to those anticompetitive acquisitions by making it more difficult for dominant digital platforms to eliminate their competitors and enhance the platform\u2019s market power. It\u2019s past time to address our nation\u2019s monopoly problem and modernize our antitrust laws for the digital economy.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor years, American Principles Project has been urging Congress to do everything in its power to rein in the power of Big Tech. We are thrilled that Senator Cotton has taken the lead on this important issue. This bill will make it more difficult for these Big Tech companies to engage in predatory mergers and acquisitions, which will help promote a free and fair market where consumers benefit because innovation and competition are finally allowed to flourish. We encourage Republicans in both the House and Senate to take a serious look at this bill and consider providing support,\u201d said Jon Schweppe, Director of Policy and Government Affairs, American Principles Project.\n\n\u201cFree markets only work if there\u2019s competition. Trillion-dollar Big Tech monopolists like Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple use their staggering market power to buy start-ups that could threaten their dominance. This unfair and abusive practice prevents competition, crushes small businesses, harms consumers and leads to a decline in innovation. The Internet Accountability Project applauds the leadership of Senators Cotton and Klobuchar for their bipartisan legislation to put the burden on Big Tech to prove their acquisitions won't strengthen their monopolistic market share while still allowing for due process and a day in court,\u201d said Mike Davis, President and Founder, Internet Accountability Project.\n\n\u201cIf Facebook hadn\u2019t been able to acquire WhatsApp, consumers would still be able to choose between WhatsApp\u2019s privacy-first, 99-cents-a-year subscription service and Facebook\u2019s personal data collection and exploitation-based service. This bill would make it more likely that consumers have access to diverse innovative services that challenge Big Tech\u2019s way of doing business. The bill would require corporations running the largest online platforms to justify big acquisitions, making it harder for them to simply buy and neuter competitors, and further raise entry barriers,\u201d said Sumit Sharma, Senior Researcher, Tech Competition at Consumer Reports.\n\n\u201cRight on the heels of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, the Platform Competition and Opportunity Act of 2021 is another strong, bipartisan solution for addressing a piece of the Big Tech puzzle. Senators Klobuchar and Cotton should be applauded for this targeted bill to combat one of the major strategies Big Tech uses to entrench its dominance: mergers and acquisitions. With a bill like this in place, truly innovative ideas that are disruptive to the Big Tech status quo will have a chance to flourish. This bill is an important step towards a better internet for users and small businesses alike, free from Big Tech\u2019s control,\u201d said Charlotte Slaiman, Competition Policy Director at Public Knowledge.\n\n\u201cFor too long, the tech giants have been allowed to use predatory mergers to eliminate their competitors, seize control of pivotal new technologies, and expand their dominance. Big Tech\u2019s track record of unimpeded acquisitions offers one of the most glaring examples of how current antitrust policy has failed America\u2019s entrepreneurs and small businesses. We applaud this bi-partisan effort, led by Senators Klobuchar and Cotton, to stand up to Big Tech by introducing legislation that would end these anti-competitive acquisitions and help usher in a more dynamic and innovative economy. Together with other measures, including structural separation and the nondiscrimination legislation, the Platform Competition and Opportunity Act of 2021 will rein in the tech giants\u2019 monopoly power and safeguard the well-being of independent businesses, workers, and local communities,\u201d said Stacy Mitchell, Co-Director at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.\n\n\u201cWe applaud Sens. Klobuchar and Cotton for developing bi-partisan legislation that aims to prevent platform monopolists from cementing and augmenting their already dangerous levels of power. This bill is an important step toward ensuring that Big Tech platforms cannot continue to fortify and expand their dominance through acquisition, or to eliminate competitive threats simply by buying them. Absent congressional action, platform monopolists will continue to manipulate commerce and communications in ways that threaten our democracy and wreak havoc on the free press, workers, communities, and small businesses across the country. We look forward to working closely with Sen. Klobuchar and other partners to further strengthen this bill, and other legislative efforts to loosen Big Tech\u2019s concentrated control of America\u2019s critical infrastructure of speech and commerce,\u201d said Barry Lynn, Executive Director of the Open Markets Institute.\n\n\u201cBig Tech monopolies have shamelessly gobbled up hundreds of potential competitors over the last decade. Even when faced with historic antitrust enforcement, they have continued to pursue anticompetitive acquisitions. The answer is to make clear that predatory behavior \u2013 like Facebook\u2019s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp \u2013 will no longer be tolerated. This legislation will do just that and is an important step towards reining in the power of these companies that believe they should be above the law. We are encouraged by the bipartisan interest in this important issue and appreciate the leadership of Sen. Klobuchar to take on the Big Tech monopolies,\u201d said Alex Harman, Competition Policy Advocate at Public Citizen.\n\nA bipartisan group led by Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (D-Rhode Island), and Ranking Member Ken Buck (R-Colorado) introduced a similar version of the bill in the House, which was voted out of the House Judiciary Committee.\n\nAt a moment when the digital economy has become highly concentrated and prone to monopolization, the Platform Competition and Opportunity Act will halt further harmful consolidation by:\n\nGiving antitrust enforcers stronger authority to stop acquisitions by dominant platforms that primarily serve to kill competitive threats or enhance the platform\u2019s monopoly power, including acquisitions:\n\nOf direct competitors;\n\nThat reinforce or expand a platform\u2019s market position;\n\nOf potential competitors; and\n\nOf data that strengthen or expand a platform\u2019s dominance.\n\nShifting the burden in merger enforcement to dominant platforms to demonstrate the merger is not anticompetitive.\n\nStriking the appropriate balance for merger enforcement in digital markets by permitting dominant platforms to make acquisitions that do not threaten competition or enhance monopoly power.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-reacts-to-eu-tariff-announcement", "Rep. Crawford Reacts to EU Tariff Announcement", "2021-11-03", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Reacts to EU Tariff Announcement\n\n11/3/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 This week, the United States announced that a deal was reached with the EU to remove 25% retaliatory tariffs on US rice. The EU placed the tariffs on U.S. imports in retaliation to the U.S. implementing Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum to combat China's steel dumping practices. The U.S. agreed to provide a duty-free quota for EU steel and aluminum but will keep the Section 232 tariffs in place for any EU steel or aluminum in excess of the quota in order to maintain some level of protection for US steel and aluminum producers.\n\nIn response to the announcement, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) released the following statement.\n\n\"Manufacturing and agriculture are critical to our national security and play a vital role in keeping local rural economies alive. For far too long our nation's steel producers and farmers have been victims of unfair trade agreements that fail to protect their businesses from bad actors like China. I'm pleased to see that we were able to finalize a trade deal that will open new markets for our farmers while safeguarding the US steel sector.\"\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-announces-internships-for-state-offices", "Cotton Announces Internships for State Offices", "2021-10-29", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 29, 2021\n\nCotton Announces Internships for State Offices\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today announced he is seeking interns for his state offices in Little Rock and Rogers. Internships will be offered in two sessions: January 18 \u2013 March 8 and March 14 \u2013 May 2.\n\nInterns will have the opportunity to help with the daily operations of Senator Cotton's office. Depending on their college requirements, students may be able to receive academic credit for their service. Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to state_internships@cotton.senate.gov and specify their desired office location and session before November 19, 2021.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-delivers-remarks-unveiling-arkansas-quartz", "Westerman Delivers Remarks at the Unveiling of Arkansas Quartz", "2021-10-28", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Yesterday, Congressman Bruce Westerman attended the unveiling of the Berns Quartz in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the largest quartz crystal specimen ever to go on public display. It weighs more than 8,000 pounds and stands six and one-half feet tall. The quartz was discovered at the Coleman Mine in Arkansas' Ouachita Mountains in 2016.\n\n\"It is great to have a little piece of Arkansas in Washington, D.C. where visitors from all over the world can see the beauty of Arkansas and learn more about all our state has to offer,\" said Congressman Westerman.\"I am honored to witness the unveiling of such a magnificent specimen found right in our backyard. Arkansas is truly blessed with incredible resources. I know I speak for every Arkansan when I say I am so grateful to live in the Natural State!\"\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Berns Quartz is among the largest examples of quartz specimens on display in any museum in America. At nearly 7 feet tall and more than 8,000 pounds in weight, the gigantic cluster of thousands of sparkling crystals stands in the front gallery, adjacent to the museum's historic north entrance.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-biden-plan-to-give-illegal-immigrants-hundreds-of-millions-in-cash", "Cotton Statement on Biden Plan to Give Illegal Immigrants Hundreds of Millions in Cash", "2021-10-28", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 28, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Biden Plan to Give Illegal Immigrants Hundreds of Millions in Cash\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after reports that the Biden administration intends to give illegal immigrants nearly $450,000 each, for a total of at least $1 billion overall.\n\n\u201cIt would be unthinkable to pay damages to a burglar who broke into your home for the \u2018psychological trauma\u2019 they endured during the crime. And yet the Biden administration wants to reward migrants who illegally entered our country with up to $450,000 each for just that reason. The Biden administration\u2019s promises of citizenship and entitlement programs have already caused the worst border crisis in history\u2014a huge cash reward will make it even worse. This is the height of insanity.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/biden-administration-wrong-about-evacuation-numbers-must-do-more", "Biden Administration Wrong About Evacuation Numbers, Must Do More", "2021-10-22", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 22, 2021\n\nBiden Administration Wrong About Evacuation Numbers, Must Do More\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the statement below after the State Department said that 363 US citizens remain in Afghanistan, 176 of whom want to leave. Previously, the Biden administration said that only approximately 100 Americans remaining in Afghanistan wanted to evacuate.\n\n\u201cUnsurprisingly, the administration either miscalculated, didn\u2019t care, or outright lied about the number of Americans President Biden left behind in Afghanistan. Despite continued evacuations, even more Americans remain now than the Biden administration estimated months ago, along with countless Afghan allies. President Biden must do more to rescue Americans trapped in a disaster of his own making.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-cassidy-condemn-biden-administration-for-naming-chinese-run-tiktok-as-us-cyber-games-sponsor", "Cotton, Cassidy Condemn Biden Administration for Naming Chinese-Run TikTok as U.S. Cyber Games Sponsor", "2021-10-21", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 21, 2021\n\nCotton, Cassidy Condemn Biden Administration for Naming Chinese-Run TikTok as U.S. Cyber Games Sponsor\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-Louisiana) released the following statement condemning the Biden administration for allowing Chinese state-owned TikTok to be named the founding sponsor of the U.S. Cyber Games. As part of the deal, TikTok Chief Security Officer Roland Cloutier will join representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as members of the Cyber Games Advisory Board.\n\n\u201cAllowing a Chinese state-sponsored data harvesting company to be the lead sponsor for the U.S. Cyber Games is another unbelievable demonstration of this administration\u2019s incompetence. TikTok is required by Chinese law to share U.S. user data with the Chinese Communist Party. They have no business being anywhere near this event and the Biden administration needs to pull their sponsorship,\u201d said the senators.\n\nBackground\n\nTik Tok is required by Chinese law to share its user data with the Chinese Communist Party. They are also currently the subject of a criminal investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a national security investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department and were recently fined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for violating the privacy of children.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-bill-to-prevent-schools-from-concealing-gender-transitions-from-parents", "Cotton Introduces Bill to Prevent Schools from Concealing Gender Transitions from Parents", "2021-10-21", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 21, 2021\n\nCotton Introduces Bill to Prevent Schools from Concealing Gender Transitions from Parents\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Empower Parents to Protect Their Kids Act, legislation that would prevent K-12 schools from performing a \u201cgender transition\u201d on children behind their parents\u2019 backs. This bill would also empower parents to sue schools that violate this Act by hiding or withholding information about their child\u2019s \u201ctransition.\u201d Bill text may be found here.\n\n\u201cSchools should never be allowed to impose radical, harmful ideologies on children\u2014especially without parents\u2019 knowledge and consent. My bill will protect students and ensure that parents are in control of their children\u2019s education. Schools must remain institutions of education, not indoctrination camps where minors are manipulated and brainwashed,\u201d said Cotton.\n\nThis bill would ensure that all federally funded elementary school and secondary school employees abide by the following requirements regarding minor students:\n\nReceive parental consent before facilitating a student\u2019s gender transition in any way.\n\nDo not withhold information from parents or coerce students to withhold information from their parents about their purported gender identity.\n\nDo not pressure parents or students to proceed with a gender transition.\n\nThe American Principles Project, Heritage Action, The Ethics and Public Policy Center, and Parents Defending Education Action support this bill.\n\nBackground:\n\nPublic schools have adopted radical policies to allow students of any age to change their name, pronouns, gender identity, and even sex-based accommodations (e.g. locker rooms) without telling parents. Schools are deliberately hiding these changes from parents. The following are examples of these egregious policies:\n\nNew Jersey\u2019s statewide policy: \u201cA school district shall accept a student\u2019s asserted gender identity; parental consent is not required.\u201d\n\nMadison, Wisconsin\u2019s district policy: \u201cSchool staff shall not disclose any information that may reveal a student\u2019s gender identity to others, including parents or guardians.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-signs-letter-to-department-of-education-opposing-a-federal-vaccine-mandate-on-schools", "Rep. Crawford Signs Letter to Department of Education Opposing a Federal Vaccine Mandate on Schools", "2021-10-20", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Signs Letter to Department of Education Opposing a Federal Vaccine Mandate on Schools\n\n10/20/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Today, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) along with Reps Hill (AR-02), Westerman (AR-04), and Womack (AR-03). Sent a letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona with the House Arkansas Delegation opposing a Federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate on public schools. The members released the following statements:\n\n\"Like many parents, I have seen firsthand how COVID-19 has been used as an excuse to infringe upon the freedom of parents to make decisions for their children,\" said Rep. Crawford. \"The needs of each child, family, and school district are different, and our leaders at the state and local level understand these nuances far better than federal bureaucrats. The administration's current plan is dismissive of these concerns and bulldozes the rights of state governments and individuals, creating more vaccine hesitancy as a result.\"\n\n\"For the duration of the pandemic, we have trusted parents, schools, and states to make the best decisions for the children in their care,\" said Rep. Westerman. \"A Federal vaccine mandate on schools is not only unnecessary, but it undermines the authority of parents and localities and risks further disruption of students' education. Arkansas has been an example to the nation on how to navigate this complex issue by prioritizing the safe reopening of schools while preserving patient privacy, parental rights, and individual liberty. I implore the Department of Education to honor the rights of parents and local school boards to make the decision that best suits their families and communities.\"\n\n\"Education policies are best handled at the local level \u2013 not by Washington bureaucrats,\" said Rep. Womack. \"We don't need the federal government inserting itself where it does not belong. Our school leaders and families are more than capable to work together and make choices that are best for students. Arkansas will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our children.\"\n\nSee the full text of the letter here.\n\n#########", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-brownley-introduce-national-dyslexia-awareness-month", "Westerman, Brownley Introduce National Dyslexia Awareness Month Resolution", "2021-10-20", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congressional Dyslexia Caucus Co- Chairs Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Julia Brownley (D-CA) introduced a resolution to designate October 2021 as National Dyslexia Awareness Month along with 16 original cosponsors. Westerman and Brownley released the following statements:\n\n\"As co-chair of the Congressional Dyslexia Caucus and spouse of a special education teacher, I understand how important dyslexia awareness and advocacy is to the students and families suffering from our nation's most common learning disability,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"By raising awareness of dyslexia's challenges, I hope to help students, teachers, and parents take full advantage of the resources available to them.\"\n\n\"I started my career in public service to help ensure that people with dyslexia, like my daughter, have the resources and support they need to succeed,\" said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. \"By recognizing October as Dyslexia Awareness Month, we are raising awareness and focusing more attention on how to best identify and address dyslexia, so that individuals with dyslexia have the tools they need to live up to their fullest potential. I am proud to continue working with Congressman Westerman and my colleagues of the Congressional Dyslexia Caucus to ensure dyslexia receives the attention it deserves.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nWhile many parents and educators have recognized October as National Dyslexia Awareness Month for years, it is important for Congress to formally designate the month each year. This resolution represents the dedication of members of both parties in Congress to recognize and address the significant educational implications of dyslexia that affect one in five people in America.\n\nSee the full text of the letter here.\n\nFull list of cosponsors:\n\nBruce Westerman (R-AR)\n\nJulia Brownley (D-CA)\n\nDebbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)\n\nH. Morgan Griffith (R-VA)\n\nAnn McLane Kuster (D-NH)\n\nLarry Bucshon (R-IN)\n\nChrissy Houlahan (D-PA)\n\nSteven M. Palazzo (R-MS)\n\nSeth Moulton (D-MA)\n\nEric Swalwell (D-CA)\n\nEarl L. \"Buddy\" Carter (R-GA)\n\nDerek Kilmer (D-WA)\n\nBrian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)\n\nJohn Yarmuth (D-KY)\n\nFrench Hill (R-AR)\n\nDavid McKinley (R-WV)\n\nSuzan DelBene (D-WA)", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-leads-letter-department-education-opposing-federal-vaccine", "Westerman Leads Letter to Department of Education Opposing a Federal Vaccine Mandate on Schools", "2021-10-20", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congressman Bruce Westerman led a letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona with the House Arkansas Delegation opposing a Federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate on public schools. The members released the following statements:\n\n\"For the duration of the pandemic, we have trusted parents, schools, and states to make the best decisions for the children in their care,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"A Federal vaccine mandate on schools is not only unnecessary, but it undermines the authority of parents and localities and risks further disruption of students' education. Arkansas has been an example to the nation on how to navigate this complex issue by prioritizing the safe reopening of schools while preserving patient privacy, parental rights, and individual liberty. I implore the Department of Education to honor the rights of parents and local school boards to make the decision that best suits their families and communities.\"\n\n\"Education policies are best handled at the local level \u2013 not by Washington bureaucrats,\"said Congressman Womack.\"We don't need the federal government inserting itself where it does not belong. Our school leaders and families are more than capable to work together and make choices that are best for students. Arkansas will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our children.\"\n\n\"Like many parents, I have seen firsthand how COVID-19 has been used as an excuse to infringe upon the freedom of parents to make decisions for their children,\" said Rep. Crawford.\"The needs of each child, family, and school district are different, and our leaders at the state and local level understand these nuances far better than federal bureaucrats. The administration's current plan is dismissive of these concerns and bulldozes the rights of state governments and individuals, creating more vaccine hesitancy as a result.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nSee the full text of the letter here.\n\nThe Biden Administration announced a series of COVID-19 vaccine mandates on federal government workers and private businesses on September 9, 2021. President Biden's six-pronged approach includes mandating the vaccine for all federal employees and contractors with a deadline of November 22, 2021, all businesses with over 100 employees, and over 17 million health care workers.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-blackburn-colleagues-fight-for-free-speech-on-college-campuses", "Cotton, Blackburn, Colleagues Fight For Free Speech On College Campuses", "2021-10-20", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 20, 2021\n\nCotton, Blackburn, Colleagues Fight For Free Speech On College Campuses\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) launched the Senate Campus Free Speech Caucus to defend the rights of students on college campuses. This caucus is part of a larger bicameral effort alongside the Young America\u2019s Foundation (YAF) to protect free speech. Cotton and Blackburn were joined by Senators Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), and John Boozman (R-Arkansas).\n\nIn addition to the Senate Campus Free Speech Caucus, Senators Cotton and Blackburn introduced the Campus Free Speech Resolution of 2021 and Campus Free Speech Restoration Act.\n\nThe Campus Free Speech Resolution of 2021 urges greater First Amendment protection at public universities. Senators Cotton and Blackburn introduced this legislation alongside Senators Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).\n\nThe Campus Free Speech Restoration Act would protect the First Amendment rights of students at public universities from improperly restrictive speech-codes. Senators Cotton and Blackburn introduced this legislation along with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), and Mike Braun (R-Indiana).\n\n\u201cUniversities should encourage a variety of viewpoints\u2014but today, colleges and students often silence classmates and faculty who disagree with ideas like Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project. Senator Blackburn and I started The Campus Free Speech Caucus to return free speech to higher education across the country,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cFree speech is under attack on college campuses,\u201d said Blackburn. \u201cWe must fight to ensure that our students are not silenced because of their political views. That is why I am spearheading multiple efforts alongside Senator Cotton and our colleagues to champion essential freedoms for students in Tennessee and across the nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe right to freedom of speech is our most fundamental right as Americans, and I\u2019m proud to join the Campus Free Speech Caucus to fight back against suppression of free speech on college campuses and ensure our students\u2019 First Amendment rights are not being trampled upon,\u201d said Braun.\n\n\u201cCollege campuses should be encouraging debate and for students to exchange political views\u2014not silencing and punishing those they disagree with. We must fight for this foundational right to free speech for our next generation, not give into the wokeness on college campuses,\u201d said Daines.\n\n\u201cFree speech is guaranteed in our Constitution. It should be revered on our college campuses. Sadly, this is where it\u2019s most at risk,\u201dYoung America\u2019s Foundation President Governor Scott Walker said. \u201cThe Campus Free Speech Caucus will help us fight back and ensure all voices can be heard on campus!\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nA 2020 Gallup-Knight Foundation study revealed that eighty-one percent of students support a campus environment where students are exposed to all types of speech, even if they may find it offensive.\n\nA 2019 poll conducted by Young America\u2019s Foundation revealed that of students stopped themselves from sharing their ideas in the classroom.\n\nRelated:\n\nSens. Cotton, Blackburn: Free speech is under fire on America's college campuses. Here's how we'll protect it", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-pays-tribute-to-stone-county-honor-guard", "Rep. Crawford Pays Tribute to Stone County Honor Guard", "2021-10-18", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Pays Tribute to Stone County Honor Guard\n\n10/18/2021\n\nImage\n\nMountain View, AR \u2014 This past weekend, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) paid a visit to Stone Bank in Mountain View to honor Stone County's Honor Guard. Every year, Stone Bank holds a ceremony to honor a select group of veterans in the local community. This year, 16 veterans, all from the Stone County Honor Guard, were chosen to be acknowledged at the celebration. All 16 veterans will be given flags flown above the U.S. Capitol. Rep. Crawford has attended the event and delivered flags every year with the exceptions of 2018 and 2020, when the ceremony was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\n\"Our veterans exemplify the best of our country, and their actions demonstrate the true meaning of sacrifice. It is an honor to be among their ranks and represent them in Washington DC. Ensuring our veterans are well cared for is the least we can do and should never be a political issue,\" said Crawford.\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-hagerty-demand-that-estevez-confirm-chinese-communist-party-threat", "Cotton, Hagerty Demand that Estevez Confirm Chinese Communist Party Threat", "2021-10-14", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 14, 2021\n\nCotton, Hagerty Demand that Estevez Confirm Chinese Communist Party Threat\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) today wrote to Alan Estevez, nominee to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, demanding answers about his commitment to address the threat the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses to the United States.\n\nThe senators wrote, \u201cAs your nomination proceeds for consideration before the entire United States Senate, we request that you provide written answers to the enclosed questions. Thank you for your attention to these important matters of national security. We look forward to hearing from you.\u201d\n\nText of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nMr. Alan F. Estevez\n\nUnder Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Designate\n\nUnited States Department of Commerce\n\n1401 Constitution Ave. NW\n\nWashington, DC 20230\n\nDear Mr. Estevez,\n\nAs your nomination proceeds for consideration before the entire United States Senate, we request that you provide written answers to the enclosed questions.\n\nThank you for your attention to these important matters of national security. We look forward to hearing from you.\n\nSincerely,\n\nQuestions for Mr. Alan Estevez\n\nNote: When asked to make a commitment, please begin your written response with either a \u201cYes\u201d or a \u201cNo.\u201d\n\n1. China threat briefings:\n\n(A)Prior to your possible confirmation, will you commit to receiving a briefing on China\u2019s overseas technology-acquisition strategy from think tank experts working on these issues? Our offices are happy to recommend nonpartisan scholars at Georgetown\u2019s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, the American Enterprise Institute, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Center for a New American Security, or other think tanks.\n\n(B)If confirmed, will you commit to ensuring that Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) officials processing People\u2019s Republic of China-related licensing requests are regularly briefed by both open-source and Intelligence Community experts on China\u2019s technology and Military-Civil Fusion plans?\n\n2. Accelerating emerging and foundational technology lists:\n\n(A)If confirmed, will you commit to accelerating the process at BIS to develop and publish a list of foundational technologies and to further develop BIS\u2019s incomplete list of emerging technologies?\n\n(B) If confirmed, will you commit to briefing Congress, including our offices, regularly regarding the ongoing, interagency process on emerging and foundational technologies set up by law?\n\n3. Controlling semiconductor design and production tools: If confirmed, will you commit to strengthening U.S. restrictions on the export of semiconductor software and tooling to the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and PRC end-users? This commitment would include a review of U.S. export control policies towards electronic design automation (EDA) software, extreme ultraviolet lithography (EULV) systems, and related tools.\n\n4. BIS use of classified systems: BIS is a national-security bureau. Based on your years of experience in government, is the BIS security infrastructure\u2014including access to SCIFs and use of classified networks\u2014comparable to other national security agencies? If confirmed, will you commit to reviewing BIS security practices, especially security practices used during export-control licensing and entity list deliberations?\n\n5. Foreign Direct Product Rule:\n\na. Do you believe the use of the Foreign Direct Product Rule on Huawei achieved a national security success with limited harm to U.S. industry?\n\nb. If your answer to 5A was \u201cYes,\u201d will you commit to conducting a review regarding the possible expansion of the foreign direct product rule to all entities on the Commerce Department\u2019s Entity List from the PRC that are related to the Chinese military or linked to the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s human rights violations?\n\n6. Huawei Cloud Services: Is the global spread of Huawei Cloud Services a data security and privacy concern for the United States?\n\n7. Honor (Huawei): Do you believe that Chinese smartphone-maker Honor should be placed on the Commerce Department\u2019s Entity List?\n\n8. Genocide against the Uyghurs: Do you believe that Chinese technology companies are actively assisting the Chinese government\u2014which is currently committing genocide\u2014in maintaining a surveillance system in Xinjiang used to track and suppress the Uyghur population?", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-alerts-ustr-of-chinese-influence-in-latin-america", "Rep. Crawford Alerts USTR of Chinese Influence in Latin America", "2021-10-13", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Alerts USTR of Chinese Influence in Latin America\n\n10/13/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Today, Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-01) along with 12 of his colleagues sent a letter to Ambassador Tai asking for immediate attention to the growing influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in both Latin America and Caribbean trade and economic development.\n\nChina has now surpassed the United States and is the largest non-continental trading partner for 54% of South America. This is a substantial increase from 20 years ago when China had few trade agreements in the region and little economic footprint.\n\nThis recent increase of engagement in the Western Hemisphere is great cause for concern given the CCP's publicized strategy of becoming a world superpower and dominating the economic stage. This heightened economic activity arrives parallel to China's Belt & Road Initiative, which is the CCP's long-term commitment to investing in large-scale infrastructure projects all over the world, as well as CCP-sponsored companies working to dominate the 5G and public security space. The rising threat of CCP espionage and intellectual property theft has always been cause for concern, and the Biden Administration can no longer take for granted its sphere of influence \u2013 even within our borders.\n\n\"We believe that it is of the highest priority for the U.S. to keep its relationships strong with our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere. Before long, China will be significantly positioned to completely dominate Western Hemisphere economics, as China is already the top trading partner for practically all of Asia, Oceania, Eastern Europe, Africa, and, as stated, most of South America,\" the members wrote.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here.\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-implores-president-biden-amend-federal-employee-vaccine", "Westerman Implores President Biden to Amend Federal Employee Vaccine Mandate", "2021-10-12", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congressman Bruce Westerman sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling for an amendment to Executive Order 14043 mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for all federal employees.\n\n\"I believe in the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine against infection, hospitalization, and death, and I chose to take the vaccine myself when it became available, but it was my choice,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"It would be an injustice to our nation's dedicated public servants to force a choice between what they believe is best for their own health care and their livelihood. It is obvious walking down any main street that we have a critical labor shortage. Imposing unnecessary vaccine mandates will only exacerbate the issue. These mandates draw a line in the sand, dividing our communities, and do nothing to overcome vaccine hesitancy. Both sides of the aisle want to protect employees, but we must not lose sight of liberty in the process.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nSee the full text of the letter here.\n\nExecutive Order 14043 titled \"Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccinations for Federal Employees was signed by President Joe Biden on September 9, 2021. All federal employees have until November 22, 2021 to be vaccinated in compliance with the mandate.\n\nIn his letter, Congressman Westerman calls on President Biden to afford federal employees the same right to a vaccine exemption that employees of large, private businesses are being given, namely, allowing employees to choose weekly testing as a vaccine alternative. President Biden announced a series of proposals on September 9, 2021 requiring all businesses with over 100 employees to require the vaccine or weekly testing.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-concludes-annual-agriculture-tour-0", "Westerman Concludes Annual Agriculture Tour", "2021-10-09", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR) concluded his annual tour of Arkansas agriculture, where he visited farmers and other agriculture producers across the Fourth District. Westerman issued the following statement:\n\n\"It was an honor to spend time with folks who have dedicated their lives to feeding and clothing America, hear their concerns, and learn how I can help from the federal level,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"Agriculture is a demanding career made all the more difficult by nationwide labor shortages and rising inflation. Far too often, Washington bureaucrats legislate without understanding how regulations and taxation affects rural Americans, the producers of the food and clothing so often taken for granted. Those in agriculture are some of our nation's most essential workers and I understand that our farmers' success is our nation's succuss. I am committed to continuing to be a voice for rural America in Congress, taking back their insights to Washington, D.C., and ensuring they are heard.\"\n\nBackground\n\nThe annual agriculture tour is an opportunity for Westerman to meet one-on-one with constituents and learn more about the issues they're facing and how he can assist.\n\nFull 2021 Agriculture Tour Itinerary:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-hosts-cybersecurity-event-with-intelligence-agencies", "Rep. Crawford Hosts Cybersecurity Event with Intelligence Agencies", "2021-10-06", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Hosts Cybersecurity Event with Intelligence Agencies\n\n10/6/2021\n\nJonesboro, AR \u2014 Yesterday, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) hosted a day-long conference with cyber security experts from our nation's intelligence and security agencies and local leaders on preventing cyberattacks, securing critical infrastructure, and protecting intellectual property and customer data from China and other foreign and domestic threats.\n\nThe \"Scale Up\" event focused on educating local officials and business leaders on identifying threats and how to be proactive in training staff and creating a system that is secure from outside threats. The conference also worked to improve communication between companies and intelligence agencies by easing gaps in communication and going over the cyberattack reporting process.\n\n\"Foreign adversaries have recently ramped up cyber-attacks on our critical infrastructure and supply chains which leaves agriculture and manufacturing states like Arkansas a large target. I'm pleased with the enthusiasm this event received and I'm glad to play a role in facilitating this important discussion. I believe everyone took home valuable information that can be applied to their respective companies which will in turn safeguard our national economy and security,\" said Crawford.\n\nThe full agenda and information on guest speakers.\n\nOctober is Cybersecurity Awareness Month.\n\n####", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-calls-on-us-trade-representative-to-stop-chinas-admission-to-11-nation-trading-pact", "Cotton Calls on U.S. Trade Representative to Stop China\u2019s Admission to 11-Nation Trading Pact", "2021-10-06", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 6, 2021\n\nCotton Calls on U.S. Trade Representative to Stop China\u2019s Admission to 11-Nation Trading Pact\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai calling on her to use tools available under the USMCA to stop China\u2019s admission to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), an 11-nation free trade agreement (FTA).\n\nThe Honorable Katherine Tai\n\nU.S. Trade Representative\n\n600 17th Street, NW\n\nWashington, DC 20508\n\nDear Ambassador Tai,\n\nI write to express my concerns about China\u2019s interest in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). China reportedly sent a formal notice on September 16th to New Zealand requesting to join the pact.\n\nAs you know, the CPTPP is an 11-nation trading pact between market economies from around the Pacific Rim. China comes nowhere close to complying with CPTPP\u2019s standards on state-owned enterprises, intellectual property, labor, the environment, and many other areas. Its policy of economic warfare against market economies stands in stark contrast to the general practices of the participating nations. China\u2019s entry into the CPTPP would reward the state-sponsored theft and economic coercion that has been a hallmark of the Chinese Communist Party. For example, the 2004 theft of Canadian company Nortel\u2019s intellectual property by Chinese hackers ended with the bankruptcy of Nortel, a company that was one of the world\u2019s preeminent fiber optic data transmission systems producers. Market economies should decouple themselves from communist China, not encourage Beijing\u2019s malign behavior with more market access.\n\nFor these reasons, one would expect that the CPTPP nations\u2014which include several strong U.S. allies and partners\u2014will swiftly reject China\u2019s cynical bid for membership. But we know China is not above using economic coercion, kidnapping, and bribery to achieve its objectives. Moreover, China\u2019s membership in CPTPP would have major consequences for the United States, as China effectively would be able to free-ride off of the duty-free access that CPTPP members have to the U.S. market through our own free trade agreements.\n\nFortunately, you are in a position to take action. As you know, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USCMA) includes a provision that requires any member of the USMCA to notify the other members if they intend to enter into free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with \u201cnon-market\u201d economies. Further, the pact allows USMCA parties to terminate the agreement within six months if any member enters into an FTA with a non-market economy. As CPTPP members, Canada and Mexico have the power to veto China\u2019s accession to the agreement. And under Article 32.10 of the USMCA, each would be required to formally notify the United States three months before negotiations on China\u2019s accession begin and provide us with information about the negotiating objectives. The United States should use the leverage we negotiated in USMCA to encourage our trading partners to reject China\u2019s application and to support them in resisting any pressure tactics China may employ against them.\n\nI urge you to remind Canada and Mexico of their obligations under the USMCA. I further request that you to notify them that the United States will use all mechanisms available to us in the USMCA to ensure China not be allowed to join the CPTPP.\n\nI would also note that on October 4th, during a question-and-answer session at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, you were asked, \u201care you going to block China joining the CPTPP?\u201d While you refrained from directly answering the question at that time, I request that you clearly state your position in your response to this letter.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-biden-doj-about-investigations-of-anti-crt-parents-as-domestic-terrorists", "Cotton Demands Answers from Biden DOJ About Investigations of Anti-CRT Parents as Domestic Terrorists", "2021-10-06", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 6, 2021\n\nCotton Demands Answers from Biden DOJ About Investigations of Anti-CRT Parents as Domestic Terrorists\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding answers about a memo he drafted addressing protests against local school board officials. This memo came after the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent a letter to President Biden requesting federal law enforcement be tasked with investigating a \u201cgrowing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation\u201d against local school board officials.\n\nIn part, Cotton wrote, \u201cThe NSBA letter requested that the Biden administration examine whether these purported acts violated several statutes, including the PATRIOT Act and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The letter further asserted that these acts may amount to a form of \u2018domestic terrorism.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cYour memo, issued just five days after the NSBA letter and copying some of its recommendations, certainly appears to be a response to and tacit approval of that letter. The Department of Justice\u2019s endorsement of such outlandish allegations threatens to intimidate parents, chill free speech, and discourage lawful assemblies,\u201d Cotton continued.\n\nText of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nThe Honorable Merrick Garland\n\nAttorney General\n\nU.S. Department of Justice\n\n950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20530-0001\n\nDear Attorney General Garland,\n\nI write regarding your October 4th memo addressing protests against local school board policies.\n\nYour memo was issued shortly after the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent a letter to President Biden urging him to task federal law enforcement, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with investigating a \u201cgrowing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation\u201d against local school board officials. The NSBA letter requested that the Biden administration examine whether these purported acts violated several statutes, including the PATRIOT Act and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The letter further asserted that these acts may amount to a form of \u201cdomestic terrorism.\u201d\n\nIt is never appropriate to use violence or threats of violence to achieve political goals. However, NSBA went much further by suggesting that concerned parents, who are merely exercising their constitutionally protected rights to speak freely and protect their children, should be treated as domestic terrorists. Your memo, issued just five days after the NSBA letter and copying some of its recommendations, certainly appears to be a response to and tacit approval of that letter. The Department of Justice\u2019s endorsement of such outlandish allegations threatens to intimidate parents, chill free speech, and discourage lawful assemblies.\n\nGiven these concerns, please respond to the following questions by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 13, 2021:\n\n1. Did the NSBA letter prompt you to issue the aforementioned memorandum? If not, what considerations prompted you to issue the memorandum\n\n2. Have any state or local authorities or other organizations besides the NSBA requested or encouraged the Biden administration to take action against this alleged rise in violence and intimidation against school officials? If so, which organizations?\n\n3. Please provide all sources to support your claim in the memorandum that \u201cthere has been a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.\u201d\n\n4. Please document any cases of physical violence committed against school district officials in recent protests against school policies and curriculum.\n\n5. When, according to your analysis, did this purported spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence occur? Do you agree with the NSBA\u2019s claim that the alleged spike is being fomented by mask mandates and curricula teaching critical race theory?\n\n6. Do you agree with the NSBA\u2019s assessment that protests against school district policies and curricular instruction may amount to domestic terrorism?\n\n7. The NSBA requested that you invoke specific authorities to prosecute as \u201cdomestic extremists\u201d parents who disagree with the positions of their school boards. Please explain whether you believe any of the following federal laws could be used to prosecute those who protest against local school board policies and their members:\n\nGun-Free School Zones Act\n\nPATRIOT Act\n\nMatthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act\n\nViolent Interference with Federally Protected Rights statute\n\nConspiracy Against Rights statute\n\nI look forward to your prompt response regarding this important matter.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-about-afghan-evacuee-independent-departures", "Cotton Demands Answers About Afghan Evacuee \u2018Independent Departures\u2019", "2021-10-04", "2021", "2021-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 4, 2021\n\nCotton Demands Answers About Afghan Evacuee \u2018Independent Departures\u2019\n\nThe Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas\n\nSecretary\n\nDepartment of Homeland Security\n\nWashington, D.C. 20528\n\nDear Secretary Mayorkas:\n\nAccording to public reports, hundreds of Afghan evacuees housed at U.S. military bases have simply walked off of the bases at which they were being housed. Individuals with lawful immigration status prior to the Biden administration\u2019s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan\u2014such as United States citizens, lawful permanent residents, and approved special immigrant visa holders\u2014justly expected a speedy departure from U.S. custody once they arrived safely in the United States. However, a more extensive review and vetting process is absolutely essential for the tens of thousands of unknown Afghans who were airlifted during the evacuation. The Biden administration\u2019s obfuscation and steadfast refusal to answer oversight inquiries from Congress exacerbates these concerns.\n\nThe U.S. government is currently investigating multiple crimes committed in evacuee facilities. The American people have seen reports of a group of male Afghan evacuees assaulting a female servicemember at a Fort Bliss facility in New Mexico. An Afghan evacuee allegedly sexually assaulted young boys at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. Another Afghan evacuee reportedly choked his wife at Fort McCoy. The State Department has raised concerns about child trafficking by older Afghan men. Even previously-deported criminals\u2014including an Afghan who had previously been convicted of rape in the United States, and another who had previously been convicted of aggravated robbery \u2014were airlifted back to the United States. In light of these reports, it is alarming that hundreds of Afghan evacuees have reportedly left U.S. military bases directly into our communities, possibly before completing our vetting and immigration processes. Accordingly, please provide answers to the following questions:\n\n1. How many Afghan evacuees have made \u201cindependent departures,\u201d in which they simply left U.S. military bases on their own accord?\n\n2. What requirements, if any, must Afghan evacuees meet before being allowed to leave military bases in the United States? What conditions are placed on such Afghan evacuees when they leave?\n\n3. What vetting, if any, have Afghan evacuees completed before arriving at military bases in the United States? Is the Department of Homeland Security undertaking any additional vetting after Afghan evacuees have arrived at military bases in the United States? If so, how many of the evacuees who have made \u201cindependent departures\u201d completed all additional vetting prior to their leaving the military base?\n\n4. Of the number of evacuees who have made \u201cindependent departures,\u201d how many received affirmative approval from Department of Homeland Security officials to leave the base?\n\n5. What are the immigration statuses, if any, held by evacuees who have made \u201cindependent departures?\u201d Please provide a breakdown of the number of evacuees who had American citizenship, lawful permanent residency (\u201cgreen cards\u201d), approved special immigrant visas (SIVs), or other status, as well as the number of evacuees who have only been paroled into the United States but who do not have any other immigration status.\n\n6. What measures is the Department of Homeland Security taking to track the whereabouts and activities of evacuees who have made \u201cindependent departures\u201d in the United States?\n\n7. Of the evacuees who have made \u201cindependent departures,\u201d for how many does the Department of Homeland Security have a confirmed current location?\n\nPlease provide complete, written responses to these questions as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00PM on Friday, October 8, 2021. Please also arrange for a staff briefing on this matter by contacting my office\u2019s counsel at (202) 224-2353. Thank you for your attention to this concerning matter.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-about-blinkens-whereabouts-during-afghanistan-withdrawal-drill", "Cotton Demands Answers About Blinken\u2019s Whereabouts During Afghanistan Withdrawal Drill", "2021-09-30", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken questioning his whereabouts during an Afghanistan withdrawal rehearsal upon learning that Blinken was absent from the exercise.\n\nIn part, Cotton wrote, \u201cIt has come to my attention that, on May 8, 2021, the Biden administration held an exercise for principals to rehearse the plan for withdrawal from Afghanistan.\u201d\n\n\u201cConspicuously, you reportedly did not attend the exercise. You also did not send your top deputy, Wendy Sherman. Instead, you sent the third-ranking official at the Department of State. Where were you on May 8, 2021?\u201d he continued.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-gallagher-call-for-chinese-biotechnology-companies-to-be-blacklisted", "Cotton, Gallagher Call for Chinese Biotechnology Companies to be Blacklisted", "2021-09-30", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 30, 2021\n\nCotton, Gallagher Call for Chinese Biotechnology Companies to be Blacklisted\n\nDear Secretaries Yellen, Raimondo, and Austin,\n\nI write to you today regarding China\u2019s use of biotechnology companies including the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) as part of the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s (CCP) strategy of \u201cMilitary-Civil Fusion\u201d (MCF). I urge you to add BGI and other Chinese biotechnology companies to the Department of the Treasury\u2019s Non-SDN Chinese Military Industrial Complex Companies List (NS-CMIC List), the Department of Commerce\u2019s Entity List, and the Department of Defense\u2019s list of Chinese military companies required by Section 1260H of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.\n\nBGI and other Chinese biotech companies meet the grounds for inclusion on the NS-CMIC List, the Entity List, and the Section 1260H list. BGI operates in the defense and related materiel sector of the Chinese economy, it is involved in activities contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, and it is a clear military-civil fusion contributor to China\u2019s defense industrial base.\n\nThe CCP\u2019s ambition to dominate biotechnology is well known. The Chinese government designated biotech as a \u201cstrategic emerging industry\u201d and has prioritized state support for the industry through Made in China 2025 and other state-directed MCF plans. BGI plays a key role in these biotech aspirations. Thanks to at least $1.5 billion in Chinese state subsidies, BGI has grown to become China\u2019s biotech \u201cnational champion\u201d and now manages China\u2019s national gene database. BGI has also purchased American firms and used state subsidies to undercut the global DNA sequencing market.\n\nBGI has used its dominant position to further the CCP\u2019s strategic goals by acquiring sensitive health data from the rest of the world. BGI and at least 14 other Chinese companies perform genomic sequencing for U.S. healthcare patients. As mandated by Chinese law, these companies have almost certainly shared this data with the Chinese government.\n\nBGI also attempted to take advantage of the pandemic to acquire U.S. data, reaching out to the governors of six states with offers to build advanced COVID-19 testing labs before top U.S. intelligence officials convinced states to reject BGI\u2019s offers. Most recently, reports revealed that BGI was selling prenatal tests to pregnant women around the world and using the tests to collect vast swathes of genetic data on different populations.\n\nThe Party\u2019s focus on biotech also extends to biotech\u2019s potential military applications. The former head of the People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA) National Defense University identified biology as one of seven \u201cnew domains of warfare,\u201d including the possibility of \u201cspecific ethnic genetic attacks,\u201d in a 2017 publication.\n\nBGI has a history of collaboration with the PLA and serving the PLA\u2019s interests. A review of 40 publicly-available research papers demonstrates BGI\u2019s work on PLA priorities, such as improved high-altitude soldier performance, neuroscience, and pathogens. BGI\u2019s worldwide prenatal test was itself developed in collaboration with the PLA. BGI has also partnered with the PLA\u2019s National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) to advance bioinformatics research and leverage supercomputers for biological research. Joint BGI-PLA research could have an application in future bioweapons\u2014which is especially concerning because BGI\u2019s national gene bank is presumably made available for military research.\n\nGiven BGI\u2019s and other Chinese biotechnology companies\u2019 support for and collaboration with the PLA, I urge you to include BGI and other Chinese biotech companies on the NS-CMIC List, the Entity List, and the Section 1260H Chinese military companies list. The United States must not turn a blind eye to the threat posed by Chinese biotechnology companies operating at the CCP\u2019s behest. Blacklisting BGI and its fellow biotech companies will help the United States counter the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s efforts to capture Americans\u2019 most private information\u2014their DNA.\n\nThank you for considering this important national security.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-statement-vote-raise-debt-ceiling", "Westerman Statement on Vote to Raise the Debt Ceiling", "2021-09-29", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Reacting to the partisan passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of S. 1301 to raise the debt limit, Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) released the following statement:\n\n\"Today, House Democrats unilaterally voted to suspend the debt limit once again to pay for their own reckless spending,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"Speaker Pelosi brought this bill to the floor so that she can run up the debt to \"pay for\" her liberal priorities in the upcoming reconciliation bill. This vote is intricately linked to the over $4 trillion reconciliation bill that will raise taxes and hurt small businesses across America.\n\nUntil Congress takes real steps to act responsibly and spend more wisely, I cannot support a limitless debt limit suspension that allows Speaker Pelosi to go on a liberal spending spree.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-condemns-red-flag-language-in-ndaa", "Rep. Crawford Condemns Red Flag Language in NDAA", "2021-09-28", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (\n\nSara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov\n\n)\n\nRep. Crawford Condemns Red Flag Language in NDAA\n\n9/28/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Today, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) released the following statement in response to the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act's (NDAA) red flag provision.\n\n\"The NDAA is a critical piece of legislation that provides our Armed Services the resources they need to keep themselves and our country safe. I voted in favor of the legislation because I don't agree with the House Democrats' strategy of holding our service members hostage and tanking a bill that is vital to our national security in the process. My office has confirmed reports of bi-partisan support for the removal of this damaging provision and has been assured by likely negotiators that the language in Section 529 will be stricken from the final bill before being signed into law. It is shameful that my colleagues would even consider utilizing the NDAA to target veterans' rights to own firearms when its intended purpose is to support our military,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-votes-against-abortion-on-demand-bill", "Rep. Crawford Votes Against Abortion on Demand Bill", "2021-09-24", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "\"At a time when inflation is on the rise and families must spend more of their income on basic needs, House Democrats choose to prioritize making abortions available on demand. H.R. 3755 is another attempt by progressives in Congress to undermine the sanctity of life, trample state's rights, and leave the abortion industry largely unregulated. I will always fight for the right to life of all Americans from the moment they are conceived and the rights of my constituents to not be forced to fund this horrific procedure,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\n#########", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-huawei-extradition-deal", "Cotton Statement on Huawei Extradition Deal", "2021-09-24", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 24, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Huawei Extradition Deal\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after reports that the Justice Department reached an agreement to allow Huawei\u2019s Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, to return to China:\n\n\u201cMeng Wanzhou violated U.S. sanctions, but the Biden administration chose to appease the Chinese Communist Party rather than enforcing the law. Instead of standing firm against China\u2019s hostage-taking and blackmail, President Biden folded. This surrender only encourages the Communists in Beijing to take more Americans and our allies hostage in the future.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-responds-to-passage-of-iron-dome-funding", "Rep. Crawford Responds to Passage of Iron Dome Funding", "2021-09-23", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Responds to Passage of Iron Dome Funding\n\n9/23/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Today, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) released the following statement in response to the passage of funding for Israel's Iron Dome system. The Iron Dome is a defense system utilized by the Israel military to neutralize any air missiles that are a threat to the country and its civilians. This system was developed by both the United States and Israel and has been financially backed by the two countries in past years.\n\nThis week, the Iron Dome was threatened as funding for the system was axed from a broader spending bill. However, a standalone bill was quickly passed on Thursday night to provide funding.\n\n\"I appreciate Speaker Pelosi's willingness to reverse course after initially caving to a demand by the party's anti-Israel wing to eliminate funding for the Iron Dome, which is lifesaving defensive system that protects Israelis and Palestinians from terror attacks. When Hamas and other terrorist organizations launched more than 4,300 rockets at Israel earlier in the year, this critical defense system intercepted more than 90 percent of the rockets that would have rained down on civilians. Make no mistake, the Iron Dome is saving countless Israeli and Palestinian lives and is a necessary tool that reduces the chances of war,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/09/23/2021/cotton-accepting-service-academy-applications", "Cotton Accepting Service Academy Applications", "2021-09-23", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 23, 2021\n\nCotton Accepting Service Academy Applications\n\nWashington, D.C.\u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) announced that he is accepting applications for Service Academy nominations. In order to be considered for a nomination, materials must be submitted by Monday, November 1, 2021.\n\n\"Students who attend U.S. service academies and go on to serve their country in uniform are the pride of Arkansas, and I encourage each young Arkansan with a sincere interest to apply,\" Cotton said.\n\nInterested students can find the application, along with information on eligibility and other requirements, here. Please contact Nicole Millar (501) 223-9081 for any additional questions.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-calls-for-investigation-of-chinese-stock-trading-app", "Cotton Calls for Investigation of Chinese Stock Trading App", "2021-09-23", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 23, 2021\n\nCotton Calls for Investigation of Chinese Stock Trading App\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote to Avril Haines, the Director of National Intelligence, to raise concerns about the national security risks posed by Webull, a Chinese stock trading app, and to call for an investigation into the company.\n\nIn part, Cotton wrote, \u201cAs a broker-dealer, Webull collects sensitive, personal information from its clients. That includes Social Security numbers, home addresses, bank accounts, and more. While Webull claims to store user data locally, Webull is still required to adhere to the laws of China.\u201d\n\n\u201cGiven these concerns, we believe that Webull is a potential counterintelligence threat and we ask that the Intelligence Community conduct an assessment of the potential national security risks posed by Webull and other China-based broker-dealers operating in the United States. Further, we request that the Intelligence Community brief Congress on these findings,\u201d Cotton continued.\n\nText of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nThe Honorable Avril Haines\n\nDirector of National Intelligence\n\nOffice of the Director of National Intelligence\n\nWashington, DC 20511\n\nDear Director Haines,\n\nWe write to express our concerns about potential national security risks posed by the growing use of Webull, a registered broker-dealer and securities trading platform, in the United States.\n\nWebull is owned by Fumi Technology, a financial analysis firm that offers market trading tools for personal investors. Webull\u2019s customer-facing unit and brokerage wings are located in New York City, however, their technology team is located in Hunan, China.\n\nWebull does not earn commissions on trades but rather makes money via order flow payments, short selling fees, subscriptions, interest paid on margin, as well as investments of cash on balance. A 2018 profile of Webull described their Wall Street office as \u201ca Chinese force in the \u2018nerve center\u2019 of the international financial community.\u201d Webull had over eleven million users as of last year and is planning an initial public offering that could raise between $300-$400 million. From April to June of 2020, Webull\u2019s trading volume exploded by 500% and trading accounts grew by 450,000.\n\nAs a broker-dealer, Webull collects sensitive, personal information from its clients. That includes Social Security numbers, home addresses, bank accounts, and more. While Webull claims to store user data locally, Webull is still required to adhere to the laws of China.\n\nChina's deliberately vague patchwork of intelligence, national security, and cybersecurity laws compel companies to support and cooperate with the government\u2019s intelligence work. With no independent judiciary to review government demands to provide user data or take other actions on the government\u2019s behalf, there is no legal alternative for Chinese companies if they don\u2019t want to comply. There is no independent press to make the situation public. And penalties for non-compliance can include destruction of the firm and long prison sentences.\n\nGiven these concerns, we believe that Webull is a potential counterintelligence threat and we ask that the Intelligence Community conduct an assessment of the potential national security risks posed by Webull and other China-based broker-dealers operating in the United States. Further, we request that the Intelligence Community brief Congress on these findings.\n\nThank you for your consideration regarding this important matter. We look forward to hearing from you.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-about-biden-strategy-to-counter-huawei", "Cotton Demands Answers About Biden Strategy to Counter Huawei", "2021-09-22", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 22, 2021\n\nCotton Demands Answers About Biden Strategy to Counter Huawei\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin) today wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the continued proliferation of Huawei\u2019s cloud services and to demand information regarding the Biden administration\u2019s strategy to counter Huawei Cloud\u2019s spread.\n\nIn part, the members wrote, \u201cHuawei\u2019s cloud services present an obvious danger to U.S. firms and citizens. This threat could manifest itself in the CCP\u2019s access to the personal data of visiting U.S. citizens, services members, businesspersons, and diplomats. Such an outcome could severely disadvantage U.S. diplomatic, intelligence, and economic efforts and must be resisted accordingly.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe must combat Huawei as a whole and target each of the company\u2019s commercial units, including their 5G, cloud services, mobile-phone, and underwater cable businesses. The purpose behind Clean Cloud, Clean Apps, and Clean Cable was to have a broad suite of Clean Network efforts beyond 5G designed to unify and mobilize allies against collaborating with untrusted Beijing-backed firms to advance global information security,\u201d the members continued.\n\nText of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nThe Honorable Antony Blinken\n\nSecretary\n\nUnited States Department of State\n\n2201 C Street, NW\n\nWashington, DC 20520\n\nDear Secretary Blinken,\n\nWe write to express our concern over the continued proliferation of Huawei\u2019s cloud services and to seek information regarding the Biden administration\u2019s strategy to stop Huawei Cloud\u2019s spread.\n\nToday, Huawei has at least 70 cloud service agreements with foreign governments or state-backed enterprises. These projects span more than 40 nations on almost every continent. They include projects in countries of immense geopolitical importance to the United States, such as, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, Huawei\u2019s cloud services revenues reportedly rose by almost 170 percent in 2020. This accelerating revenue stream threatens to undermine U.S. efforts to curtail Huawei\u2019s power, influence, and financial strength.\n\nThe international threat to data security and integrity posed by Huawei extends far beyond 5G. To cite just one example, China reportedly spied on the African Union (AU) headquarters using Huawei-made cameras that China installed when it built the building in 2012. Huawei also installed the AU headquarters\u2019 information and computer systems. In 2018, it was revealed that China had built backdoors into these systems, which it used to send sensitive information to Shanghai. If allowed to proliferate, Huawei\u2019s cloud services could give the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) similar access to additional governments, companies, and other important institutions, delivering Beijing a distinct information advantage.\n\nHuawei Cloud\u2019s e-Government services promise to help countries streamline document digitization, tax services, national ID systems, elections, and more. However, they also expose Huawei\u2019s clients to the prying eyes of the CCP. When Huawei\u2019s client is a private firm, every one of its customers is at risk. When Huawei\u2019s client is a country, its entire population and political structure sits in the crosshairs.\n\nHuawei\u2019s cloud services present an obvious danger to U.S. firms and citizens. This threat could manifest itself in the CCP\u2019s access to the personal data of visiting U.S. citizens, services members, businesspersons, and diplomats. Such an outcome could severely disadvantage U.S. diplomatic, intelligence, and economic efforts and must be resisted accordingly.\n\nDuring the previous administration, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Undersecretary of State Keith Krach launched the \u201cClean Network\u201d program to address the long-term threat malign authoritarian actors pose to data privacy, security, and human rights in the free world. Rooted in internationally accepted digital-trust standards and democratic values, it was expected to be an enduring effort involving a coalition of trusted partners.\n\nThis approach includes the Clean Cloud initiative, which aims to prevent U.S. citizens\u2019 sensitive personal information and U.S. business\u2019 intellectual property from being stored or processed on cloud-based systems accessible to foreign adversaries. Since last May, 60 countries\u2014representing over 66% of the world\u2019s GDP\u2014200 telecoms companies, and a host of other industry-leading companies have joined the Clean Network. The Clean Network\u2019s progress and all of its associated lines of effort must continue.\n\nGiven the national security threat posed by Huawei cloud services, we seek detailed answers to the below questions:\n\n1. What actions is the Biden administration currently taking to stop the continued proliferation of Huawei cloud services?\n\n2. Does the Biden administration plan to continue the Clean Network, including the Clean Cloud initiative? If not, why not? What\u2014if anything\u2014will replace it?\n\n3. To what extent has the Biden administration engaged governments that have signed Huawei cloud service contracts to discuss the threats posed by their decisions?\n\n4. Is the Biden administration actively working to provide other countries with alternative options to Huawei cloud services? If so, what are these alternatives and what is their status?\n\n5. Are any additional resources or authorities needed to successfully prevent the continued proliferation of Huawei cloud services?\n\nWe must combat Huawei as a whole and target each of the company\u2019s commercial units, including their 5G, cloud services, mobile-phone, and underwater cable businesses. The purpose behind Clean Cloud, Clean Apps, and Clean Cable was to have a broad suite of Clean Network efforts beyond 5G designed to unify and mobilize allies against collaborating with untrusted Beijing-backed firms to advance global information security.\n\nThank you for considering this important matter. We look forward to hearing from you.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-sasse-introduce-bill-to-block-taliban-access-to-chabahar-port", "Cotton, Sasse Introduce Bill to Block Taliban Access to Chabahar Port", "2021-09-21", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 21, 2021\n\nCotton, Sasse Introduce Bill to Block Taliban Access to Chabahar Port\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) today introduced the No Harbor for Terror Act to revoke the Afghanistan exception to the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012, which currently provides Afghanistan with access to the Chabahar Port for exports. Text of the legislation may be found here.\n\n\u201cIran\u2019s Chabahar Port provides a lifeline for Afghanistan\u2019s trade exports, but the United States shouldn\u2019t continue to waive sanctions for a nation now run by a terrorist organization. Our legislation would revoke Afghanistan\u2019s exception and limit the Taliban and Iranian regime\u2019s ability to use the Port as a harbor for their illicit trade,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cPresident Biden\u2019s shameful surrender has put the Taliban back in charge of Afghanistan,\u201d said Sasse. \u201cWhy on earth should these bloodthirsty terrorists now enjoy the economic benefits from access to an Iranian controlled port? It\u2019s time to ditch this sanctions waiver.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-democrats-plan-to-block-iron-dome-funding", "Cotton Statement on Democrats\u2019 Plan to Block Iron Dome Funding", "2021-09-21", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 21, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Democrats\u2019 Plan to Block Iron Dome Funding\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after Democrats announced a plan to remove funding for Israel\u2019s Iron Dome missile defense system from a government funding package:\n\n\u201cOn the same day that President Biden pledged to stand with our allies at the United Nations, members of his own party want to deny Israel the equipment to defend its citizens from terrorist missiles. Despite their best efforts, the United States will support Israel\u2019s right to defend itself and fund the Iron Dome.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-responds-to-growing-crisis-at-the-southern-border", "Rep. Crawford Responds to Growing Crisis at the Southern Border", "2021-09-17", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (\n\nSara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov\n\n)\n\nRep. Crawford Responds to Growing Crisis at the Southern Border\n\n9/17/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Rep. Rick Crawford (AR-1) commented today on news that more than 10,000 Haitians and counting have joined growing numbers from around the world gathering at our wide-open southern border. Media reports indicate they are being dropped off by the busload by criminal cartels, seizing on the Administration's refusal to enforce the immigration laws President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took an oath to uphold.\n\n\"The situation at our southern border is not just a crisis. It is a scandal. One created and encouraged by President Biden and Vice President Harris,\" Crawford said.\n\nAlready this year, people from 90 different nations have been stopped by Border Control trying to enter the United States illegally, including families, groups of men, and unaccompanied children. The Biden Administration, meanwhile, has weakened interior enforcement, and is busing illegal aliens to communities throughout the United States. Most of them are impoverished, and will stay in America permanently.\n\n\"They are coming in record numbers,\" Crawford added, \"because the Administration refuses to enforce existing immigration laws, while Congressional Democrats have promised to grant mass amnesty to millions of illegal aliens through their upcoming, $3.5 trillion socialist \u2018reconciliation' bill.\"\n\nOnce inside America, illegal aliens are eligible for free emergency health care, free K-12 education, and once given amnesty, cradle-to-grave welfare benefits paid for by American families via higher taxes, and by increasing our federal debt. They also drive down wages for jobs held disproportionately by Americans of color.\n\nCrawford concluded: \"This brazen campaign by Democratic politicians to flood the nation with the world's poor, and then grant them mass amnesty, is a cynical attack on our democracy \u2013 just like their efforts in court-packing, statehood for Democrat-dominated Washington, DC, ending the filibuster, encouraging voter fraud, and other violations of our once-shared democratic norms.\n\n\"The question remains: why are Democrat politicians hell-bent on \u2018fundamentally transforming' the greatest nation on earth?\"\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-about-faa-flight-restriction-over-southern-border", "Cotton Demands Answers About FAA Flight Restriction Over Southern Border", "2021-09-17", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 17, 2021\n\nCotton Demands Answers About FAA Flight Restriction Over Southern Border\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) demanding answers about the FAA\u2019s temporary flight restriction over the southern border in Del Rio, Texas.\n\nIn part, Senator Cotton wrote, \u201cLast night, the FAA implemented a two-week Temporary Flight Restriction over the migrant camp. This decision has forced media organizations covering the ongoing border crisis to ground their aircraft. I\u2019m disturbed by the possibility that the FAA closed the airspace over the border for political reasons, perhaps to blackout unfavorable media coverage of the humanitarian disaster. The American people deserve to have access to information about this crisis.\u201d\n\nText of the letter may be found here or below.\n\nDear Administrator Dickson,\n\nI write with deep concerns about a recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decision to restrict the airspace over Del Rio, Texas.\n\nAs you know, in recent days thousands of illegal aliens have poured over the U.S.-Mexico border into Del Rio, Texas. The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol estimates that over 9,000 aliens, including many Haitians, are currently sheltering under the Del Rio International Bridge. Authorities expect thousands more to illegally cross the border in the coming days.\n\nLast night, the FAA implemented a two-week Temporary Flight Restriction over the migrant camp. This decision has forced media organizations covering the ongoing border crisis to ground their aircraft. I\u2019m disturbed by the possibility that the FAA closed the airspace over the border for political reasons, perhaps to blackout unfavorable media coverage of the humanitarian disaster. The American people deserve to have access to information about this crisis.\n\nI ask that you promptly answer the following questions:\n\n1. Why did the FAA implement a Temporary Flight Restriction over this area of Texas?\n\n2. Who at the FAA made the decision to restrict this airspace?\n\n3. In making this decision, did FAA leadership have any direct contact with the White House? If so, did White House officials order or pressure the FAA to make this decision?\n\nI appreciate your consideration of this important matter.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-the-20th-anniversary-of-9/11", "Cotton Statement on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11", "2021-09-11", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 11, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement on the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks:\n\n\u201cOn this 20th anniversary of 9/11 we remember the nearly 3,000 Americans who were taken from us on that terrible day. We also honor the thousands of veterans who fought to ensure that such an attack would never happen again. For many, this is an especially painful anniversary, but I urge those commemorating it to not only remember the anguish, but also the courage we saw on 9/11 and since. From the riders of Flight 93 who charged a cockpit and saved the Capitol, to the firefighters and police officers who ran into the burning towers of New York, to the countless men and women who volunteered to fight and avenge the attack, the heroes of 9/11 outnumbered the terrorists many times over. God bless them and God bless the victims of the attack. We shall never forget.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-statement-president-bidens-vaccine-mandate-private-businesses", "Westerman Statement on President Biden\u2019s Vaccine Mandate on Private Businesses", "2021-09-10", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Reacting to President Biden's executive order mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for private businesses with over 100 employees, Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) released the following statement:\n\n\"This week, the Biden Administration and Democrat leaders in D.C. have illustrated misguided priorities, out-of-touch policies, and incompetency,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"They ignore the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and on our southern border. They ignore inflation and double-down on it by supporting $3.5 trillion in radical spending that will increase consumer prices and our national debt doing considerably more damage than good.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-chipman-nomination-withdrawal", "Cotton Statement on Chipman Nomination Withdrawal", "2021-09-09", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 9, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Chipman Nomination Withdrawal\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding President Biden\u2019s decision to withdraw David Chipman\u2019s nomination to serve as the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF):\n\n\u201cDavid Chipman is an erratic, anti-gun radical who planned to outlaw nearly every single sporting rifle in America. He is wholly unfit to run the ATF, and I\u2019m glad to see President Biden has withdrawn his nomination.\u201d\n\nDuring a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this year, Senator Cotton questioned Mr. Chipman about his calls for an assault weapon ban, revealing his intention to outlaw the large majority of modern sporting rifles.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-afghan-green-cards-benefits", "Cotton Statement on Afghan Green Cards, Benefits", "2021-09-08", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 8, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Afghan Green Cards, Benefits\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement on the Biden administration\u2019s proposed short-term funding resolution that would grant green cards and other benefits to Afghans without regard for the normal screening and approval process.\n\n\u201cJoe Biden left behind thousands in Afghanistan who already have American citizenship, green cards, or pending visas, but now he wants to award unlimited green cards to people who didn\u2019t serve alongside our troops and who may even threaten our safety and health\u2014all while exempting them from the normal refugee screening process. This proposal is just another chapter in Biden\u2019s rolling fiasco of an Afghanistan policy.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nThe Biden administration's unprecedented proposal allows any Afghans who come to the United States over at least the next year to obtain green cards, backdated to the day they entered the country, without completing the normal refugee screening or approval process.\n\nThe proposal would give better benefits and less stringent screening to completely unknown Afghans than to our Afghan allies and interpreters.\n\nThe proposal specifies that none of these Afghans will be counted against the normal annual refugee caps, despite that each of them would also be able to access all refugee benefits and services.\n\nThe only screening required under the proposal is whatever screening Secretary Mayorkas deems sufficient. The proposal also gives Secretary Mayorkas explicit authority to waive any grounds of inadmissibility (including criminal records or ties to terrorism) if he feels it is useful for \"humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, or when it is otherwise in the public interest.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-demand-answers-about-afghanistan-withdrawal", "Cotton, Colleagues Demand Answers About Afghanistan Withdrawal", "2021-09-02", "2021", "2021-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nSeptember 2, 2021\n\nCotton, Colleagues Demand Answers About Afghanistan Withdrawal\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and 25 of his senate colleagues today sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding information regarding the humanitarian crisis created by his withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan. Specifically, the letter requests information on Americans and allies who were left behind, and on the vetting process for evacuees who are being brought to the United States.\n\nIn part, the senators wrote, \u201cThe signatories of this letter may have differing opinions about whether the United States should have maintained a military presence in Afghanistan, but we all agree that the arbitrary and poorly-planned method by which you withdrew from Afghanistan caused this crisis.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe request thorough, unclassified answers to these questions that can be made available to the general public. Americans need to see that the United States will not abandon them to terrorists abroad forever,\u201d the senators continued.\n\nSenator Cotton was joined on the letter by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska), John Thune (R-South Dakota), Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), and Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi).\n\nText of the letter may be found here or below.\n\nSeptember 2, 2021\n\nPresident Joseph R. Biden\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDear President Biden:\n\nWe write regarding the humanitarian crisis created by your withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, and the safety and well-being of our fellow countrymen and allies who you left behind. The signatories of this letter may have differing opinions about whether the United States should have maintained a military presence in Afghanistan, but we all agree that the arbitrary and poorly-planned method by which you withdrew from Afghanistan caused this crisis.\n\nYou say that more than 123,000 individuals have been evacuated from Afghanistan in recent weeks (nearly half of whom were evacuated by groups or countries other than the United States), but only an estimated 5,500 \u201cself-identified\u201d American citizens (4.5% of the total evacuees) were evacuated or left on their own. Further, while it does not appear that you have released exact numbers of our Afghan partners who were evacuated, your administration has publicly confirmed that fewer than 50% of evacuated Afghans were Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants or their families.\n\nOur immediate priority is the safety and well-being of American citizens, permanent residents, and allies who were left behind in Afghanistan. We are also concerned by reports that ineligible individuals, including Afghans with ties to terrorist organizations or serious, violent criminals, were evacuated alongside innocent refugee families. We request that you provide answers to the following questions no later than 5:00PM on Tuesday, September 7:\n\nHow many American citizens does the administration believe to remain in Afghanistan?\n\nOf the American citizens still in Afghanistan, how many are currently in contact with the State Department?\n\nOf the American citizens still in Afghanistan, how many have expressed a desire to be repatriated to the United States?\n\nHow did the administration reach this estimate, and what steps is the administration taking to find and connect with Americans who may still be in Afghanistan but who are not in contact with the State Department?\n\nHow many green-card holders does the administration believe to remain in Afghanistan?\n\nOf the green-card holders still in Afghanistan, how many are currently in contact with the State Department?\n\nOf the green card holders still in Afghanistan, how many have expressed a desire to be repatriated to the United States?\n\nHow did the administration reach this estimate, and what efforts is the administration taking to find and connect with green-card holders who may still be in Afghanistan but who are not in contact with the State Department?\n\nHow many Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants remain in Afghanistan?\n\nOf the SIVs remaining in Afghanistan, how many have already received final SIV approval from the U.S. Center for Immigration Services?\n\nOf the SIVs remaining in Afghanistan, how many are currently in contact with the State Department?\n\nOf the approved SIVs and the SIV applicants who were evacuated, how many served for a year or more as interpreters or translators for American or allied armed forces in Afghanistan?\n\nAre the State Department and USCIS still processing pending SIV applications? What steps are being taken to ensure that pending applicants are safe from Taliban reprisals as their applications are adjudicated?\n\nAccording to your administration, more than 50% of evacuated Afghans were not SIV applicants or their families, including vulnerable Afghans such as women and girls at high risk for Taliban reprisals. Of the more than 57,000 Afghans who are not American citizens, green-card holders, or SIV applicants or their families, how many had no pending immigration application or status with the United States prior to being airlifted?\n\nBy what criteria did your administration select these individuals for the airlift while leaving American citizens, green-card holders, and SIV applicants and their families behind?\n\nHow many evacuees, in total, are Afghans who are not American citizens, green-card holders, or SIV applicants or their families? Please also provide a breakdown of how many of these individuals are adult men, adult women, girls, or boys.\n\nWhat steps did your administration take to verify the identities of these individuals before evacuation?\n\nWhat steps are your administration taking to ensure that individuals are thoroughly vetted and their identities verified before entering the United States?\n\nWho is responsible for vetting these evacuated individuals before they reach the United States?\n\nIs the administration checking for potential criminal records and national-security concerns before admitting individuals to the United States?\n\nThere are reports that a convicted rapist\u2014who had previously served a prison sentence in the United States before being deported\u2014was flown to the national capital region as part of this airlift operation. Was that individual vetted before being flown to the United States? If so, was his criminal record found and ignored, or was it not found in the first place?\n\nHow many other individuals have been allowed to enter the United States as part of this evacuation before undergoing vetting and background checks?\n\nWe request thorough, unclassified answers to these questions that can be made available to the general public. Americans need to see that the United States will not abandon them to terrorists abroad forever. If your answers implicate classified material, you may also submit a classified appendix to your answers and coordinate with us to provide a classified briefing.\n\nWe look forward to your prompt response.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:17:01Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-rick-crawford-statement-on-terrorist-attacks-in-kabul", "Rep. Rick Crawford Statement on Terrorist Attacks in Kabul", "2021-08-26", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Rick Crawford Statement on Terrorist Attacks in Kabul\n\n8/26/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Responding to the attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, Rep. Crawford released the following statement:\n\n\"Today, reports are that eleven Marines, one Navy medic, many Afghans, and likely more were murdered by evil actors who have no regard for human life. Those who were responsible for this need to face a fierce US response at the time of our choosing, and the American military must be allowed to rescue and evacuate every single American who is in Afghanistan and bring them home,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\n\"President Biden has shown a complete inability to formulate and execute a competent and comprehensive strategy to keep Americans safe from harm and if he cannot course-correct immediately, he should resign and allow someone else who can.\n\nAmerica deserves leadership during these dark times. Congress should use its power of the purse immediately to prohibit the Biden Administration from cutting and running while Americans are still essentially hostages in Taliban-run Afghanistan. If the Speaker is unwilling or silent on recalling the House to act in this manner, she too must resign and let someone else who will.\"\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-reacts-terrorist-attacks-kabul", "Westerman Reacts to Terrorist Attacks in Kabul", "2021-08-26", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Reacting to reports of coordinated terrorist attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan on American troops and civilians, Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) released the following statement:\n\n\"My heart breaks for the American servicemen and Afghan nationals harmed or killed by the cowardly attacks outside of the Kabul airport,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"As the situation continues to develop, join me in praying for the safety of every American and Afghan civilian. I call on President Biden to do whatever necessary to find and extract every single American citizen before fully withdrawing from the country.\n\nAnyone with knowledge of American citizens in Afghanistan in need of assistance should contact my office as soon as possible. We will help however possible to ensure their safe passage home.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-kabul-airport-bombing", "Cotton Statement on Kabul Airport Bombing", "2021-08-26", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nAugust 26, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Kabul Airport Bombing\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after the bombing outside the Kabul airport:\n\n\u201cU.S. troops sacrificed their lives today to rescue their fellow Americans fleeing Afghanistan. We mourn their deaths and grieve with their families. To honor their lives, we should finish their mission: the United States must use all its might to rescue our remaining countrymen in Afghanistan and bring justice to the terrorists responsible for today\u2019s savagery. We must send the clear and unmistakable message that we leave no man behind, and if you kill our service members, your days are numbered.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-responds-to-passage-of-35-trillion-budget", "Rep. Crawford Responds to Passage of $3.5 Trillion Budget", "2021-08-24", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Responds to Passage of $3.5 Trillion Budget\n\n8/24/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Today, Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-01) voted against the Biden Administration's $3.5 Trillion Budget.\n\n\"There are no moderate Democrats in Congress anymore, as today's vote shows once again. JFK would not recognize this Democratic party,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\n\"Today, Washington Democrats voted for trillions in new spending from Bernie Sanders' socialist wish list. They voted for more inflation, and increased, crushing debt on our children and grandchildren. The pretend, face-saving \u2018win' those fantasy moderates will spin to their constituents will fool no one.\"\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-august-31st-deadline-for-afghanistan-withdrawal", "Cotton Statement on August 31st Deadline for Afghanistan Withdrawal", "2021-08-24", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nAugust 24, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on August 31st Deadline for Afghanistan Withdrawal\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after news of President Biden\u2019s decision to keep August 31st as the deadline to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan:\n\n\u201cPresident Biden should commit to staying in Afghanistan until we have rescued every American citizen and those Afghans who risked their lives for American troops. Instead, he intends to abandon stranded Americans to appease the Taliban and meet his own arbitrary political deadline. Joe Biden\u2019s impotence leaves Americans in harm\u2019s way and dishonors our entire nation.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-calls-for-military-rescue-of-trapped-americans", "Cotton Calls for Military Rescue of Trapped Americans", "2021-08-19", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nAugust 19, 2021\n\nCotton Calls for Military Rescue of Trapped Americans\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding President Biden\u2019s response to the ongoing crisis in Kabul, Afghanistan:\n\n\u201cPresident Biden\u2019s ill-planned, chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan has stranded thousands of American citizens behind enemy lines, turning them in effect into hostages of the Taliban. Instead of ordering rescue missions to save our people, as our allies have done, the Biden administration is relying on the Taliban\u2019s good graces to ensure the safety of our citizens. As a result, terrified Americans are being forced to run a gauntlet of armed terrorist checkpoints to reach the safety of Kabul airport. My office has received numerous reports of American citizens and Afghan allies being harassed, beaten, and abused by Taliban thugs. These reports are in addition to the televised scenes of chaos at the airport perimeter.\n\n\u201cThis catastrophe of the president\u2019s making must come to an end. It\u2019s time for President Biden to authorize the military to stop this rolling humiliation, expand the perimeter at Kabul airport, and rescue Americans trapped behind enemy lines. Anything less amounts to an abandonment of our fellow Americans and a shameful abdication of duty in a moment of crisis.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-statement-on-crisis-unfolding-in-afghanistan", "Rep. Crawford Statement on Crisis Unfolding in Afghanistan", "2021-08-16", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Statement on Crisis Unfolding in Afghanistan\n\n8/16/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Over the weekend, President Biden's plans to withdraw United States troops and diplomatic personnel from Afghanistan went into effect. In the 48 hours since the withdraw began, the Taliban has overtaken the capital city Kabul for the first time in 20 years and assumed control of Afghanistan. The President of Afghanistan has fled along with other top government officials as a result of the violence. Meanwhile, the President of the United States has failed to address the nation as the events continue to unfold.\n\n\"The scenes of chaos, mayhem, and terror over the weekend across Afghanistan are angering and unacceptable. Joe Biden's plan and directives that have led to what is still unfolding will damage America's reputation and standing in the world as a country that will always fight to secure the freedoms and liberties of those living under tyranny and terror.\n\nPresident Biden has repeatedly stated that he \"inherited\" this situation from the previous administration. In fact, what Biden inherited was an agreed upon plan with a well-defined set of conditions that would ensure a safe American withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Abraham Accords that are helping foster peace in the Middle East for the first time in generations, and a safer world with the elimination of terror masterminds Solemani and al-Baghdadi.\n\nThe actions by Joe Biden \u2013 from whom we have yet to hear -- will forever rank him as one of the weakest Presidents America has ever known and raise serious questions about his fitness to adequately and fully execute his duties as Commander-in-Chief.\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\nRep. Crawford represents Arkansas's First District and is currently serving as the Ranking Member of the Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-statement-us-withdrawal-afghanistan", "Westerman Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan", "2021-08-16", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Congressmen Bruce Westerman released the following statement on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.\n\n\"President Biden's \u2018planned and strategic' withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan has resulted in chaos. The Taliban sits in the Presidential Palace and is reportedly in possession of U.S. arms meant to fortify the Afghan army. Americans on the ground are stranded, hiding and praying for their lives. Families cling to the few planes leaving the country, desperate for safety. America has lost all credibility.\n\n\"President Biden acted against the advice of numerous military and policy advisors to rush the withdrawal from Afghanistan, all but handing the country to the Taliban. This is a disgrace to the service members who lost their lives, were wounded, or continue to deal with the trauma of combat in their 20-year mission to protect their country from extremists. President Biden has allowed the fragile nation to fall into the hands of those same extremists, risking the lives of Americans now and in the future. His short-sighted, politically expedient decision making has exposed our nation, our allies, and the Afghan people to serious terrorist threats,\" said Congressman Westerman", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/contact-information-for-americans-stranded-in-afghanistan", "Contact Information for Americans Stranded in Afghanistan", "2021-08-16", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nAugust 15, 2021\n\nContact Information for Americans Stranded in Afghanistan\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement providing contact information for Americans stranded in Afghanistan:\n\n\u201cIf you\u2019re an American stranded in Afghanistan, or know one who is, please contact my office immediately at (501) 223-9081 or evac@cotton.senate.gov . The situation is dire, but we\u2019ll do everything in our power to help keep you informed and to help get you out.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-situation-in-afghanistan", "Cotton Statement on Situation in Afghanistan", "2021-08-14", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nAugust 14, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Situation in Afghanistan\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding the situation in Afghanistan:\n\n\u201cThe fiasco in Afghanistan wasn\u2019t just predictable, it was predicted. Joe Biden\u2019s ill-planned retreat has now humiliated America and put at risk thousands of Americans left in Kabul. At a minimum, President Biden must unleash American air power to destroy every Taliban fighter in the vicinity of Kabul until we can save our fellow Americans. Anything less will further confirm Joe Biden\u2019s impotence to the world.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/arkansas-delegation-applauds-usda-disaster-declaration-for-counties-impacted-by-storms", "Arkansas Delegation Applauds USDA Disaster Declaration for Counties Impacted by Storms", "2021-08-12", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nAugust 12, 2021\n\nContact: Boozman - Sara Lasure <mailto:sara_lasure@boozman.senate.gov>\n\nCotton - James Arnold<mailto:james_arnold@cotton.senate.gov>\n\nCrawford - Sara Robertson<mailto:sara.robertson2@mail.house.gov>\n\nHill - Dan Schneider<mailto:Dan.Schneider@mail.house.gov>\n\nWomack - Alexia Sikora <mailto:Alexia.Sikora@mail.house.gov>\n\nWesterman - Claire Nance <mailto:claire.nance@mail.house.gov>\n\nArkansas Delegation Applauds USDA Disaster Declaration for Counties Impacted by Storms\n\nWASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton\u2014along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman\u2014applauded U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's decision to issue a Secretarial Disaster Designation<https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/e/3/e3c48c2f-4971-46ef-ae2d-29d1cccf8a58/27A8CAFFC4B5723C8E5320605C698858.usda-disaster.pdf> covering 18 Arkansas counties impacted by flooding, high winds, hail, tornadoes and other storm damage: Arkansas, Benton, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Desha, Drew, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lonoke, Monroe, Phillips, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, White and Yell.\n\n\"This disaster designation is a critical step to helping Arkansas agricultural producers recover from devastating losses as a result of natural disasters. We are pleased Secretary Vilsack recognizes the need to provide this assistance to our farmers,\" members said.\n\nLast month, the congressional delegation wrote a letter<https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=E57C88BD-C299-445F-9DB2-ED89CBF8202E> to Secretary Vilsack in support of Governor Asa Hutchinson's request for a Secretarial Disaster Designation.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-calls-end-unconstitutional-eviction-moratorium", "Westerman Calls for End of Unconstitutional Eviction Moratorium", "2021-08-12", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Yesterday, Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) joined Congressman Chris Jacobs (R-NY) and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) in sending a bicameral letter with 27 members of Congress to President Biden calling on the Administration to change course and end its unconstitutional eviction moratorium.\n\n\"We strongly oppose the Biden administration's latest eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This latest action is plainly unconstitutional and will only serve to further distort the market and create a housing affordability crisis,\" the lawmakers said. \"Additionally, any further restrictions on evictions at this point are counterproductive. The economy is open, jobs and vaccines are abundant, and federal rental assistance is a reality.\"\n\nIn a recent Supreme Court case, Alabama Association of Realtors v. Department of Health and Human Services, five members of the Supreme Court effectively acknowledged that CDC exceeded its authority in issuing the moratorium. Justice Kavanaugh stated that \"clear and specific congressional authorization (via new legislation) would be necessary for the CDC to extend the moratorium past July 31.\"\n\n\"Instead of pursuing an unconstitutional moratorium, the Biden administration should be focused on distributing the nearly $50 billion in rental assistance that was appropriated through three separate stimulus packages.\" the lawmakers said. \"As long this moratorium remains in place, property owners will continue to struggle financially. These property owners must still pay mortgages, taxes, and maintenance for the dwelling. If this continues much longer, we will see a wave of bankruptcies, foreclosures, and blighted properties.\"\n\nMost states require the tenant to take the initiative when applying for rental assistance. A recent Treasury report found very little of the federal rental assistance money has been disbursed so far, and the new moratorium will act as an additional disincentive for tenants to apply for this aid, leaving property owners on the hook.\n\n\"We demand the Biden administration end this moratorium and allow the rental assistance funds to do what they were intended to do. This government overreach must end,\" the lawmakers said.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-delivers-remarks-national-center-toxicological-research-50th", "Westerman Delivers Remarks at the National Center of Toxicological Research 50th Anniversary Celebration", "2021-08-11", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) spoke to the 50th anniversary celebration of the National Center of Toxicological Research (NCTR) in Jefferson, Arkansas. Westerman released the following statement.\n\n\"NCTR has undoubtably improved the lives of every American by developing needed research to ensure safe medicine, food, and cosmetics,\" said Congressman Bruce Westerman.\"Without facilities such as this, the United States would not be home to the world's safest and most abundant food supply. Consumers in the United States and around the world may never truly know the impact of NCTR's work on their daily lives, but every time a patient is successfully treated, or a family safely uses countless familiar products, NCTR's hard work deserves the credit.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nNCTR is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) research facility located outside of Washington, D.C. employs 670 people across 17 counties, contributing nearly $70 million to the state, local, and national economies.\n\nNCTR was established on August 11, 1971 by President Richard Nixon. This research facility promotes and protects public health and provided critical support to Arkansas during the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nThe Arkansas Delegation recently introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to commemorate this 50th anniversary and recognize NCTR's achievements.\n\nSee the full text of the Resolution here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-amendment-to-fight-critical-race-theory-in-schools", "Cotton Introduces Amendment to Fight Critical Race Theory in Schools", "2021-08-10", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nAugust 10, 2021\n\nCotton Introduces Amendment to Fight Critical Race Theory in Schools\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced an amendment to the budget reconciliation package to prevent federal funds from being used to promote Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Pre-K programs and K-12 schools. A one pager about the amendment may be found here. Text of the amendment may be found here.\n\n\u201cOur future depends on raising a generation of kids who love America and love each other as fellow citizens, no matter their race. But Critical Race Theory teaches that our country is irredeemably racist, that \u2018equality\u2019 is a sham, and that true justice requires treating everyone differently\u2014based on the color of their skin. Our tax dollars should never support indoctrinating the youngest Americans with such poison,\u201dsaid Cotton.\n\nSenator Cotton has been a leader in the fight against Critical Race Theory for more than a year:\n\nSenator Cotton introduced the Stop CRT Act in July 2021 to bar federal funds from being sent to K-12 schools that promote Critical Race Theory, as well as colleges and universities that compel students or faculty to affirm tenets of Critical Race Theory.\n\nCotton sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice in October 2020 noting the alarming reappearance of racial segregation in education in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.\n\nCotton introduced the Combatting Racist Training in the Military Act in March 2021 to prohibit the U.S. Armed Forces from promoting Critical Race Theory.\n\nIn May 2021, Cotton and Congressman Dan Crenshaw launched a whistleblower webpage where members of the military can share accounts of Critical Race Theory-inspired training and other forms of discrimination to which they have been subjected.\n\nOn June 2nd, 2021, Cotton sent a letter to Lockheed Martin demanding answers regarding the company\u2019s race and gender diversity training.\n\nOn July 13th, 2021, Cotton sent a similar letter to Raytheon questioning the company\u2019s diversity training, which appears to violate federal non-discrimination law.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-infrastructure-package", "Cotton Statement on Infrastructure Package", "2021-08-10", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nAugust 10, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Infrastructure Package\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding passage of the Infrastructure and Jobs Act:\n\n\u201cArkansans support real infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, waterways, rural broadband, and ongoing maintenance. They do not want President Biden\u2019s \u2018social infrastructure\u2019 and climate alarmism, especially under the threat of increased inflation and higher taxes.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-tapped-by-whip-scalise-for-cyber-security-effort", "Rep. Crawford Tapped by Whip Scalise for Cyber Security Effort", "2021-08-03", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Tapped by Whip Scalise for Cyber Security Effort\n\n8/3/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 This week, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) launched the Cyber Operations Defense Effort (CODE) as a part of Republican Whip Steve Scalise's (LA-01) House Energy Action Team (HEAT).\n\nThe focus of the group is to address emerging cyber threats in our nation's energy sector. This news comes as the United States has experienced increased ransomware attacks, including one in May that targeted the Colonial Pipeline.\n\nRep. Crawford's staff will serve in the following capacities in support of CODE Group members and offices:\n\nJonah Shumate, CODE Group Director \u2013 Rep. Crawford's Chief of Staff, Shumate will lead and direct the efforts to formulate stakeholder and industry engagement, policy development, and communication in tandem with the office of Whip Scalise.\n\nAshley Shelton, CODE Group Operations \u2013 Rep. Crawford's Legislative Director, Shelton will work with other CODE group offices and staff to coordinate planning and events.\n\nKathryn King and Joe MacFarlane, CODE Group Policy Analysts \u2013 Rep. Crawford's Legislative Assistants, King and MacFarlane will team on white papers, one-pagers, and other materials in support of the CODE Group.\n\nDue increasing cyber-attacks and challenges that stakeholders across the entire American economy are facing, Crawford will be hosting the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on October 5th. This event will center around briefing attendees on the overall threat landscape as well as offering break-out sessions that will better inform and equip attendees to protect their businesses.\n\n\"The rising number of cyber-attacks on American companies is a threat to our supply chain and consequently, our national security. We cannot allow ourselves to remain vulnerable to state sponsored hackers and other cyber criminals. I look forward to working alongside Whip Scalise and our Republican colleagues to find long-term solutions that put our nation on offense against these malicious attacks,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\n\"After the crippling cyber-attack on the Colonial Pipeline, which led to fuel shortages and lines at gas stations along the East Coast, my Republican colleagues and I knew that the United States must fortify its energy security. I applaud Representative Crawford for taking critical steps to secure our grid and pipeline networks against future ransomware attacks from terrorist and criminal organizations. The Cyber Operations Defense Effort (CODE) will protect the American people from the daily barrage of cyber threats both at home and abroad,\" said House Republican Whip Scalise.\n\nRep. Crawford represents Arkansas's First District and is currently serving as the Ranking Member of the Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-amendment-to-infrastructure-bill-to-allow-fish-farmers-to-protect-ponds-from-predatory-birds", "Cotton Introduces Amendment to Infrastructure Bill to Allow Fish Farmers to Protect Ponds from Predatory Birds", "2021-08-03", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nAugust 3, 2021\n\nCotton Introduces Amendment to Infrastructure Bill to Allow Fish Farmers to Protect Ponds from Predatory Birds\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced the Cormorant Relief Act as an amendment to the infrastructure package being considered on the Senate floor. This amendment would fully restore the ability of catfish farmers and other aquaculture producers to cull predatory double-crested cormorant populations. It would also restore U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations to allow producers to fight the cormorants, which threaten the livelihoods of aquaculture operations in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and other states. Text of the amendment may be found here.\n\n\"Double-crested cormorants pose a significant threat to Arkansas's fish farmers, but unnecessary regulation currently prevents them from taking additional steps to protect their ponds. This amendment would once again give fish farmers the ability to adequately defend their fish populations from the birds that are eating into their bottom line,\" said Cotton.\n\nBackground:\n\nCormorant populations have increased dramatically in recent decades to an estimated 1,031,757 birds. These large water birds that feast primarily on fish cause substantial damage and disruption to aquaculture and fishery operations. Ironically, efficient production practices by fish farmers make the ponds highly susceptible to bird predation, particularly by cormorants.\n\nA two-year study published in 2012 of double-crested cormorant feeding on farm-raised catfish in Mississippi during the winter months found that cormorant depredation represents an annual estimated economic loss of $34.3 million to $73.4 million. A Government Accountability Office report noted: \u201cFish-eating birds (e.g., cormorants, herons, egrets, and pelicans) can cause severe damage at aquaculture farms, eating catfish, crawfish, salmon, bass, trout, and ornamental fish. According to a USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) survey of catfish producers from 15 states, 69 percent reported some wildlife-caused losses, with a financial loss of $12.5 million to wildlife predation in 1996.\u201d Absent a proper aquaculture depredation order many fish farms will continue to face significant economic losses.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/arkansas-delegation-urges-support-for-usda-secretarial-disaster-declaration-for-counties-impacted-by-storms", "Arkansas Delegation Urges Support for USDA Secretarial Disaster Declaration for Counties Impacted by Storms", "2021-07-30", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nJuly 30, 2021\n\nContact: Boozman, Patrick Creamer \u2013 patrick_creamer@ag.senate.gov\n\nCotton, James Arnold \u2013 james_arnold@cotton.senate.gov\n\nCrawford, Sara Robertson- sara.robertson2@mail.house.gov\n\nHill, Dan Schneider - Dan.Schneider@mail.house.gov\n\nWomack, Alexia Sikora - Alexia.Sikora@mail.house.gov\n\nWesterman, Claire Nance, claire.nance@mail.house.gov\n\nArkansas Delegation Urges Support for USDA Secretarial Disaster Declaration for Counties Impacted by Storms\n\nWASHINGTON\u2014Arkansas's congressional delegation is voicing its support for the request for a Secretarial Disaster Designation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for 18 counties impacted by flooding, high winds, hail, tornadoes and other storm damage.\n\nU.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton\u2014along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman\u2014wrote Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to join Governor Asa Hutchinson's support of the Arkansas USDA Farm Service Agency's request for Secretarial Disaster Designation.\n\n\"Agriculture is vital to the state, and losses our producers have endured will cause significant economic impacts. Since April 1, 2021, the flooding and other storms have either damaged or prevented the planting of row crops such as rice, soybeans, cotton, corn, and wheat; as well as certain fruit and vegetable crops,\" members wrote in the letter. \"We join Governor Asa Hutchinson in supporting the Arkansas USDA Farm Service Agency's request for Secretarial Disaster Designation, submitted on June 25, 2021; and we ask that you declare the following counties as agriculture-related disaster areas.\"\n\nThe following is the full text of the delegation's letter of support:\n\nDear Mr. Secretary:\n\nAs you are well aware, farmers and agricultural businesses across this nation have been hurt by recent natural disasters. In Arkansas, our farmers have experienced flooding, high winds, hail, tornadoes, and other storm damage resulting in thousands of acres of lost crops, necessitating replanting, which will likely result in smaller harvests and more expenses\u2014a hit to revenue that Arkansas agriculture cannot afford.\n\nAgriculture is vital to the state, and losses our producers have endured will cause significant economic impacts. Since April 1, 2021, the flooding and other storms have either damaged or prevented the planting of row crops such as rice, soybeans, cotton, corn, and wheat; as well as certain fruit and vegetable crops.\n\nWe join Governor Asa Hutchinson in supporting the Arkansas USDA Farm Service Agency's request for Secretarial Disaster Designation, submitted on June 25, 2021; and we ask that you declare the following counties as agriculture-related disaster areas: Arkansas, Benton, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Desha, Drew, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lonoke, Monroe, Phillips, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, White and Yell.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-arkansas-house-delegation-honor-75th-anniversary-fulbright", "Westerman, Arkansas House Delegation Honor 75th Anniversary of Fulbright Program", "2021-07-30", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Congressmen Bruce Westerman (AR-04), Steve Womack (AR-3), French Hill (AR-2), and Rick Crawford (AR-1), introduced a resolution commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright Program, America's flagship educational exchange program established by former Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright. The milestone will officially be marked this Sunday, August 1st.\n\n\"The Fulbright Program has become a model for study-abroad education by providing students across the nation the opportunity to broaden their horizons and participate in foreign diplomacy by interacting with different cultures, ideas, and traditions,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"On the 75th anniversary of the program, I am proud of its significant impact in the lives of so many students, all due to the passion of one Arkansan.\"\n\n\"The Fulbright Program has been a tool of diplomacy and force for good. It has advanced global cooperation and connected people and ideas, driving change and a brighter future,\" said Congressman Womack.\"As we mark 75 years of this prestigious program, we are proud to honor the scholars and legacy of service demonstrated. What was once a concept developed in Arkansas has become a pillar of international education.\"\n\n\"Since 1946, the Fulbright Program, named for former Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright, has been the flagship international exchange program fostering a mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries through education,\" said Congressman Hill. \"I've seen the Fulbright Program's success firsthand when I traveled to Afghanistan and met an extraordinary woman, Naheed Esar, who graduated from the University of Arkansas as a Fulbright Scholar with a master's degree in cultural anthropology. I thank Congressman Womack for introducing this resolution honoring the 75th anniversary of the program, and I look forward to following the program's success in the future.\"\n\n\"The Fulbright Program has played an essential role in American diplomacy, ambassadorship, and education over the years,\" said Congressman Crawford.\"I am happy to represent a state that founded such a prestigious program. On the 75th anniversary of the program, it is my pleasure to emphasize its legacy represented by its alumni, who contribute to a more peaceful, equitable, prosperous, and just world through higher learning, service, and global relations.\"\n\n\"For 75 years, Fulbright scholars, alumni, and global partners have exchanged ideas, built mutual understanding, and promoted American culture and values\" said DeDe Long, Chair of the Fulbright Association Board of Directors. \"As an Arkansan, I am especially proud of this program's extraordinary contribution to the global community, and I look forward to its future.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nThe late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas introduced the program in the House in 1945 to promote peace and understanding in the aftermath of World War II. His goal was \"to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs.\" Since President Truman signed the Program into law on August 1, 1946, over 400,000 participants from the United States and 160 countries have studied, taught, and conducted research while immersed in a foreign culture.\n\nAlumni include 60 Nobel Laureates, 39 Heads of State, 16 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, and leaders of industry, government, and education. The Fulbright Program serves as a critical tool in strengthening the United States' diplomatic partnerships and goodwill across the globe.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-ban-anti-semitic-country-of-origin-labels", "Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Ban Anti-Semitic Country-of-Origin Labels", "2021-07-29", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 29, 2021\n\nCotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Ban Anti-Semitic Country-of-Origin Labels\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) introduced the Anti-BDS Labeling Act to prohibit the Biden administration from reversing current guidelines that require Israeli goods produced in areas where Israel exercises the relevant authorities to be labeled as \u201cMade in Israel.\u201d Such a change would help the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement to target particular Israeli companies and goods. Text of the bill may be found here.\n\n\u201cLeft-wing activists abuse county-of-origin labels in order to stigmatize products made in Israel. Our bill will defend the integrity of the Jewish State by ensuring that Israeli products may proudly bear the label \u2018Made in Israel,\u2019\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cAs our most strategic and important ally in the Middle East, Israel should be assured that the U.S. government will not reverse course and take part in the campaign to delegitimize its authority and punish its economy,\u201d said Boozman. \u201cThis legislation would ensure our support for the Jewish state, which reached new heights under the Trump administration, remains steadfast and rejects anti-Semitic movements attempting to undermine it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe cannot allow the disgusting rise of anti-Semitism to continue to permeate our country and the halls of Congress. I\u2019m proud to join this effort and continue my strong support of our great ally Israel. I will always stand with our Jewish community and fight the BDS movement and anti-Semitism wherever it is found,\u201d said Scott.\n\n\u201cAs the co-author of the bipartisan Combating BDS Act of 2021, I\u2019m proud to join this legislative effort that would prohibit President Biden and his administration from reversing a common-sense Trump-era policy,\u201d said Rubio. \u201cAs the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement continues with its destructive anti-Israel campaign, we must ensure products made in Israel aren\u2019t the prime targets of economic warfare.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is engaged in discriminatory economic warfare targeting the Jewish state of Israel. Last year, President Trump dealt a serious blow to the BDS movement when he ended the U.S. government\u2019s discriminatory treatment of Israeli goods produced in Judea and Samaria, and required these imported goods to be labeled as \u2018Made in Israel.\u2019 I\u2019m proud to support Senator Cotton\u2019s important legislation to counter efforts by the BDS movement and its anti-Israel supporters to pressure the Biden Administration into reversing President Trump\u2019s pro-Israel policy change,\u201d said Hagerty.\n\n\u201cTennesseans are proud to stand with Israel. We must not allow the Biden Administration to roll back existing policy and allow the singling out and discrimination against products made in Israel,\u201d said Blackburn. \u201cIt is a double standard that is not applied to other sovereign nations involved in territorial disputes.\u201d\n\n\u201cCampaigns to boycott or discriminate against Israel and Israeli Jews are driven by antisemitic hate. I am proud to join Sen. Cotton on this bill blocking the Biden administration from reversing current guidelines that allow the State of Israel to exercise their sovereignty when marking goods made in their own country,\u201d said Cruz.\n\n\u201cIsrael is a pluralistic democracy in a repressive region, and one of America\u2019s closest allies. Amid rising hate crimes and increasing anti-Israel rhetoric, we should not be supporting policies that promote anti-Semitism,\u201d said Tillis. \u201cI am proud to co-sponsor this legislation to allow Israel to maintain appropriate country-of-origins labeling for goods produced in areas they exercise relevant authority.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nIn 1995, the Clinton administration changed longstanding U.S. policy and required \u201cMade in West Bank\u201d country-of-origin (COO) labels for Israeli goods produced in Judea and Samaria, even though the U.S. government treats these products as \u201carticles of Israel\u201d for trade purposes.\n\nIn 2016, the Obama administration republished these labeling guidelines as part of a broader effort to oppose the Israeli government.\n\nIn November 2020, Senator Cotton led a letter to President Trump urging the administration to change U.S. customs policy and guidelines to allow Israeli goods produced in Judea and Samaria to be labeled \"Made in Israel.\"\n\nFollowing Senator Cotton\u2019s letter, the Trump administration created new guidelines that required Israeli goods produced in areas where Israel exercised the relevant authorities to be labeled as \u201cMade in Israel.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-calls-on-department-of-state-to-address-unrest-in-haiti", "Rep. Crawford Calls on Department of State to Address Unrest in Haiti", "2021-07-28", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (\n\nSara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov\n\n)\n\nRep. Crawford Calls on Department of State to Address Unrest in Haiti\n\n7/28/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Representatives Rick Crawford (AR-01), Clay Higgins (LA-03), and Julia Letlow (LA-05) have called on the United States Department of State to come up with long term solutions to the civil unrest in Haiti. Political violence and crime have recently reached new heights in Haiti due to the assassination of President Jovenel Mo\u00efse on July 7th.\n\nSafety of port and shipping crew has also been called into question as local thieves have targeted rice shipments due to its value as a stable food in the nation. Because of the cost, insurance companies are now reassessing whether it's economical to continue to cover rice shipments to Haiti and shipping companies are determining if they can continue to risk sending rice to Haitian ports.\n\n\"The political unrest in Haiti will only be exacerbated by food insecurity if companies are not able to safety deliver rice to the Haitian people. It is of vital importance to both our farmers and the Haitian people that we continue to provide a steady flow of product,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\n\"Ensuring the safe delivery of rice shipments and the safety of port and shipping crewmembers that make it possible is a top concern. Additional security is needed to provide certainty and financial stability for the rice industry and regional businesses up and down the supply chain. While the political situation in Haiti continues to develop, we must guarantee that American agricultural companies doing work in Haiti or anywhere in the world have the confidence that their crews will be safe and that their products will get to those in need,\" said Rep. Higgins.\n\n\"Rice plays a prominent role in the rural economies of Louisiana's Fifth Congressional District and across our region. That's why I joined my colleagues in urging the federal government to ensure the unrest in Haiti doesn't disrupt the rice market for our U.S. farmers and millers. It is essential that this issue be a key priority for the State Department so that we maintain longstanding trade partnerships while also providing nutritious and healthy food to Haitian families,\" said Rep. Letlow.\n\n#####", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-call-on-president-biden-to-deny-entry-to-iranian-president-senior-iranian-officials", "Cotton, Colleagues, Call on President Biden to Deny Entry to Iranian President, Senior Iranian Officials", "2021-07-28", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 28, 2021\n\nCotton, Colleagues, Call on President Biden to Deny Entry to Iranian President, Senior Iranian Officials\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to deny entry visas to Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi and other senior Iranian officials to attend the UN General Assembly in September.\n\nIn part, the senators wrote, \u201cRaisi\u2019s record as a violator of human rights is long-standing and clear. In 1988, during his tenure as the deputy prosecutor of Tehran, Raisi served on a four-member Death Commission which oversaw the killing of over 5,000 prisoners, including women and children. The Death Commission conducted interviews that lasted only minutes to determine a prisoner\u2019s loyalty to the Islamic Republic of Iran, then sentenced them to death without a lawyer, right to appeal, or fair trial. The executions, conducted by hanging or firing squad, often occurred on the same day as the Death Commission\u2019s interrogations. After burying the dead in unmarked mass graves, Iranian officials refused to notify families for months and never shared with them the locations of their graves. Raisi\u2019s Death Commission executed children as young as 15.\u201d\n\n\u201cEbrahim Raisi should remain sanctioned under U.S. law. If the United Nations General Assembly maintains its current plans to allow some in-person attendance, the White House should deny Raisi and other Iranian leaders visas to attend. Allowing Raisi to travel to the United States\u2014to the same city where the Iranian regime just tried to kidnap a U.S. citizen\u2014would legitimize his repression, undermine America\u2019s moral leadership, and potentially endanger our national security, given the likely presence of intelligence agents in the Iranian traveling party,\u201d the senators continued.\n\nText of the letter may be found here or below.\n\nJuly 27, 2021\n\nPresident Joseph R. Biden\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDear President Biden,\n\nWe are writing to express our concern about the prospect of incoming Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, visiting the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly.\n\nRaisi\u2019s record as a violator of human rights is long-standing and clear. In 1988, during his tenure as the deputy prosecutor of Tehran, Raisi served on a four-member Death Commission which oversaw the killing of over 5,000 prisoners, including women and children. The Death Commission conducted interviews that lasted only minutes to determine a prisoner\u2019s loyalty to the Islamic Republic of Iran, then sentenced them to death without a lawyer, right to appeal, or fair trial. The executions, conducted by hanging or firing squad, often occurred on the same day as the Death Commission\u2019s interrogations. After burying the dead in unmarked mass graves, Iranian officials refused to notify families for months and never shared with them the locations of their graves. Raisi\u2019s Death Commission executed children as young as 15.\n\nEbrahim Raisi is proud of his record. In 2018, Raisi defended his role on the 1988 Death Commission, calling it \u201cdivine punishment\u201d and \u201cone of the proud achievements of the system.\u201d In the thirty years since the commission, Raisi continued to subject the Iranian people to extrajudicial prosecution, torture, and execution. During the 2009 Green Revolution, when Iranians protested the rigged presidential election, Raisi served as Iran\u2019s deputy chief justice. In this role, Raisi was directly involved in the regime\u2019s prosecution and death sentences of peaceful protesters. Years after, when Raisi served as prosecutor general, he advocated for maintaining Iran\u2019s house arrests on Green Revolution leaders.\n\nRaisi also consistently supports inhumane punishment against the Iranian people. In 2010, Raisi celebrated the Iranian judiciary\u2019s amputation of a prisoner\u2019s hand for stealing as \u201ca source of pride for us.\u201d More recently, Ebrahim Raisi led Iran\u2019s judiciary from 2019 to 2021. During his tenure, the judiciary regularly tortured its prisoners.\n\nRecently, the United States designated Raisi for his role as head of Iran\u2019s judiciary in facilitating the Supreme Leader of Iran\u2019s tyrannical agenda, where he oversaw the state\u2019s crackdown and murder of non-violent protesters. In 2019, the U.S. Department of the Treasury\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Raisi, pursuant to Executive Order 13876, for his oversight over the executions of juveniles, torture, and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of Iranian prisoners, including amputations.\n\nEbrahim Raisi should remain sanctioned under U.S. law. If the United Nations General Assembly maintains its current plans to allow some in-person attendance, the White House should deny Raisi and other Iranian leaders visas to attend. Allowing Raisi to travel to the United States\u2014to the same city where the Iranian regime just tried to kidnap a U.S. citizen\u2014would legitimize his repression, undermine America\u2019s moral leadership, and potentially endanger our national security, given the likely presence of intelligence agents in the Iranian traveling party.\n\nThere is strong precedent for denying an entry visa to a foreign leader. In 1988, the United States barred PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat from entering the United States to attend a meeting of the United Nations. In 2014, President Obama denied an entry visa to Iranian Ambassador Hamid Aboutalebi, who was involved in taking American diplomats hostage in 1979. In 2020, the United States declined to issue a visa for Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. Ebrahim Raisi\u2019s role in the Death Commissions, brutal crackdowns on Iranian protesters, and his association with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should disqualify him from receiving a visa to the United States.\n\nThank you for considering this important matter. We look forward to hearing from you.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-end-us-dependence-on-chinese-manufactured-pharmaceuticals", "Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to End U.S. Dependence on Chinese-Manufactured Pharmaceuticals", "2021-07-28", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 28, 2021\n\nCotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to End U.S. Dependence on Chinese-Manufactured Pharmaceuticals\n\nWashington, D.C.\u2014Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) along with Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Rick Scott (R-Florida), will today introduce the Protecting our Pharmaceutical Supply Chain from China Act, which would end U.S. dependence on China for pharmaceutical manufacturing. Specifically, the bill will:\n\nTrack active pharmaceutical ingredients through an FDA registry.\n\nProhibit pharmaceutical purchases from China or products with active pharmaceutical ingredients created in China*.\n\nCreate transparency in the supply chain by instituting a country-of-origin label of all imported drugs.\n\nProvide economic incentives for manufacturing drugs and medical equipment in the United States.\n\n\"The Chinese Communist Party has threatened to cut off America's access to vital drugs in the midst of a pandemic caused by its own failures. It's time to pull America's supply chains for life-saving medicine out of China and make the CCP pay for contributing to this global emergency,\"said Cotton.\n\n\u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic has underscored America\u2019s heavy dependence on China for critical prescription drugs,\u201d said Blackburn. \u201cWe cannot continue to allow Beijing to hold the keys to our pharmaceutical supply chain and risk future drug shortages, contaminated drugs, or ineffective drugs. This legislation helps to ensure Communist China no longer plays a role in creating or providing U.S. prescription drugs and further incentivizes manufacturers to produce necessary medication on American soil.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe majority of active ingredients for pharmaceuticals are made in China, and the Chinese Communist Party showed through their lies, coverups, and threats to cut off American access to drugs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that they can\u2019t be trusted. I\u2019m proud to join Senator Cotton\u2019s bill to incentivize making drugs in the U.S. and end our dependence on China for drug manufacturing,\u201d said Braun.\n\n\u201cAmerican dependence on Chinese supply chains is not only a health threat but a national security threat. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw mouthpieces of the Chinese Communist Party threatening to withhold critical medical materials. I am proud to join Sen. Cotton on this bill to defend American drug manufacturers from China\u2019s economic warfare, and most importantly, protect American lives,\u201d said Cruz.\n\n\u201cWe cannot continue to rely on countries like Communist China, who lied about the coronavirus and refuses to be a partner in solving this crisis, for critical supplies and medicine. This outbreak has shown why we need to end our reliance on foreign supply chains. Removing Communist China from our pharmaceutical supply chain is the right move,\u201d said Scott.\n\nClick here for a one-pager on the bill.\n\n* This requirement will be phased in over two years. The FDA may issue waivers if the active pharmaceutical ingredients are only available in China, however, no waivers may be issued after 2026.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-warner-introduce-bill-to-prohibit-funding-for-huawei-chinese-technology", "Cotton, Warner Introduce Bill to Prohibit Funding for Huawei, Chinese Technology", "2021-07-28", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 28, 2021\n\nCotton, Warner Introduce Bill to Prohibit Funding for Huawei, Chinese Technology\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia) introduced the American Telecommunications Security Act to prohibit federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act from being used to purchase Chinese telecommunications equipment, including from Huawei and ZTE.\n\nText of the bill may be found here.\n\n\"American tax dollars should not be sent to Chinese spy companies like Huawei that undermine our national security. The U.S government must take strong action to cut the Chinese Communist Party out of our networks. Americans deserve both reliable and secure telecommunications technologies,\" said Cotton.\n\n\u201cWith states across the country mapping out their plans for quality and affordable high-speed internet as a result of historic funding from the American Rescue Plan, we\u2019ve got to make sure no community is sacrificing network security,\u201d said Warner. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m joining Sen. Cotton on a bipartisan bill to ensure states do not purchase equipment or services from companies that pose national security risks \u2013 such as Huawei and ZTE.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-fund-the-police-act", "Cotton Introduces Fund the Police Act", "2021-07-21", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 21, 2021\n\nCotton Introduces Fund the Police Act\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Fund the Police Act to reallocate $50 billion in unspent funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to establish a Law Enforcement Support Trust Fund at the United States Department of Justice and to support two federal grant programs to hire, train, and equip more state and local police officers. Text of the bill may be found here.\n\n\u201cSome Democrats seem eager to rewrite history and hide their advocacy for \u2018defunding the police,\u2019 but that\u2019s exactly what they\u2019ve tried to do. My bill will immediately fund two federal grant programs to support police officers and establish a trust to maintain these grants for decades to come,\u201d said Cotton.\n\nThe Fund the Police Act will reallocate $50 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act to:\n\nImmediately provide $1 billion each to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (Byrne JAG Grants) and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office Grants.\n\nCreate a Law Enforcement Support Trust Fund at the U.S. Department of Justice, which can be used to supply an additional $500 million per year for each of the Byrne JAG and COPS Office grant programs in future years.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-arkansas-youth-transgender-law", "Cotton Statement on Arkansas Youth Transgender Law", "2021-07-21", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 21, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Arkansas Youth Transgender Law\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding a court decision in Arkansas to place a hold on Arkansas\u2019 law to ban transgender medical interventions for children:\n\n\u201cOur legislature made the reasonable decision to protect minors from dangerous and life-altering drugs, hormones, and surgeries. Against the will of Arkansans, liberal activists have now put those children back in harm\u2019s way.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-us-german-deal-on-russian-nord-stream-2-pipeline", "Cotton Statement on U.S.-German Deal on Russian Nord Stream 2 Pipeline", "2021-07-20", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 20, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on U.S.-German Deal on Russian Nord Stream 2 Pipeline\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding the news that the United States and Germany have reached a deal allowing completion of Russia\u2019s Nord Stream 2 pipeline:\n\n\u201cThis deal is a grave mistake. It gives Vladimir Putin enormous leverage over the European Union and NATO, with no promise of enforcement when Putin inevitably turns the gas off in the winter. President Biden should impose sanctions on the pipeline to ensure it\u2019s never completed.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/arkansas-congressional-delegation-recognizes-50th-anniversary-national", "Arkansas Congressional Delegation Recognizes 50th Anniversary of National Center for Toxicological Research", "2021-07-15", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Arkansas's U.S. Representatives Bruce Westerman, Rick Crawford, French Hill, and Steve Womack and U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton commemorated the 50th anniversary of the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) with the introduction of House and Senate resolutions recognizing this milestone.\n\nOn August 11, 1971, President Richard Nixon established the NCTR in Jefferson, Arkansas. This Food and Drug Administration (FDA) research facility promotes and protects public health and provided critical support to Arkansas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCTR employs 680 individuals who reside in 17 counties in Arkansas and contributes nearly $70 million to the state, local, and national economies.\n\n\"The NTCR has been an invaluable addition to Arkansas' Fourth District and the nation,\" said Westerman. \"The Fourth District is proud to host the only FDA site location outside the Washington, D.C. area, providing hundreds of jobs and millions in revenue to the state and the local economy. I am grateful for the vital work of NCTR's researchers and scientists to protect American consumers, and I am pleased to support its continued research through this resolution.\"\n\n\"For half a century, the National Center for Toxicological Research has provided vital research and services to ensure that Americans have safe food, cosmetics, and medicine. Without such facilities, the United States would not be home to the world's safest and most abundant food supply. I'm proud that Arkansas continues to play a vital role in protecting the health and safety of Americans,\" Crawford said.\n\n\"The NCTR has undoubtedly improved the lives of Arkansans and all Americans. I appreciate the contribution hundreds of Arkansans have made, through the NCTR, to the well-being of the people and economy of Arkansas. I am proud to recognize this momentous fifty-year anniversary and I am dedicated to supporting the NCTR's efforts towards a healthier, safer America,\" Hill said.\n\nWomack said, \"The NCTR is a premier facility that is advancing research and health collaboration across the nation. We are fortunate to have this federal laboratory and hardworking scientists support medical ingenuity and projects right here in Arkansas. With half a century of service, I am proud to honor this milestone.\"\n\n\"We can be incredibly proud to have the NCTR in our state and know that fellow Arkansans are playing a significant role to improve the health and safety of all Americans. I've been proud to support the work of the scientists and researchers at this FDA facility and am pleased to recognize this special occasion,\" Boozman said.\n\n\"The National Center for Toxicological Research conducts critical research that was especially vital during the pandemic. I'm proud of the several hundred Arkansans who work at the NCTR, and I look forward to another successful 50 years,\" said Cotton.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-applauds-omb-s-decision-on-msa-designation", "Rep. Crawford Applauds OMB\u2019s Decision on MSA designation", "2021-07-14", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Applauds OMB's Decision on MSA designation\n\n7/14/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Today, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced modest revisions to their Standards for Delineating Core Based Statistical Areas. However, OMB announced the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population threshold would remain unchanged. This decision comes after Representative Crawford and several other Members of Congress sent a letter requesting that OMB doesn't follow through with their proposal of increasing the minimum population of MSA from 50,000 people to 100,000 people.\n\n\"MSA designation has been a vital tool in keeping rural communities afloat during economic hardships. Changes like the one initially suggested would've furthered the divide between urban and rural America. I'm pleased that OMB saw the devastating impact their proposed changes to MSA requirements would have and decided to continue with the current stipulations,\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-crawford-requests-information-on-chinese-ppe-dumping", "Rep. Crawford Requests Information on Chinese PPE Dumping", "2021-07-14", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Eric A. \"Rick\" Crawford", "C001087", "crawford.house.gov", "crawford", "https://crawford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)\n\nRep. Crawford Requests Information on Chinese PPE Dumping\n\n7/14/2021\n\nWashington \u2014 Today, Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01), joined by 18 of his House colleagues, sent letters to the U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra requesting information on China's dumping of personal protective equipment (PPE) into the United States and their plans to curb these imports. The COVID-19 pandemic put into sharp focus the United States' alarming dependence on China for critical medical supplies, such as PPE. China purposely withheld much-needed PPE from the U.S., giving U.S. companies the opportunity to ramp up production in the wake of the pandemic. Now evidence strongly indicates that China has accelerated its PPE dumping, selling products well below the cost of U.S.-made PPE. Inaction is decimating the U.S. PPE industry, as companies lay off a significant portion of their workforce and more than 260 million American-made masks to sit in warehouses.\n\nMost recently, the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking companies to produce a total of 127 million disposable surgical masks over the next calendar year in the U.S. These masks will be cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to ensure safety requirements are met.\n\n\"China continues its attempts to capitalize on supply chain vulnerabilities by dumping its cheap products into our market. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the danger of relying on other nations for critical supplies. The Biden Administration must take swift action to bolster our own PPE industry and hold China accountable for their constant aggressive behavior toward our economy.\" said Rep. Crawford.\n\n#######", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-statement-reversal-ombs-msa-population-threshold-rule-change", "Westerman Statement on Reversal of OMB\u2019s MSA Population Threshold Rule Change", "2021-07-14", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR) released the following statement on the reversal of the proposed Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rule that would have raised the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population threshold from 50,000 to 100,000 people:\n\n\"I commend OMB's decision to honor my request to reverse course on the harmful rule change that would have stymied the continued development of 144 communities in 45 states and Puerto Rico,\" said Congressman Westerman. \"I am sincerely grateful for the ability to lead a bipartisan letter signed by Rep. Rick Crawford and 50 of my colleagues to OMB Acting Director Rob Fairweather voicing the concerns of members and see a favorable result.\n\n\"Under the proposed rule change, the Arkansas cities of Hot Springs, Pine Bluff, Texarkana, and Jonesboro would have lost their classification as a Metropolitan Statistical Area, severely limiting their ability to access grants and federal funding to grow their economies. I will always fight to ensure Arkansas' smaller cities receive the same opportunities as larger cities to develop economically.\"\n\nBackground\n\nOn January 19, 2021, the Office of Management and Budget published a proposal in the Federal Register to change the population threshold for a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The current population threshold, which has been unchanged since 1950, is 50,000 or more persons. The proposed new threshold would have risen to 100,000 or more persons. This change would have caused 144 of the 392 MSAs to lose their designation.\n\nDeclassified cities would have either lost access to some federal programs or see greatly diminished federal funding from those using the MSA designation as a qualifying factor. Some programs, like the Community Development Block Grant, Federal Transit Administration grants, and Medicare's prospective payment system for acute care hospital inpatients could have become inaccessible to these communities.\n\nOn July 13, 2021, the White House released a press release announcing the reversal of the proposed rule change.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-bill-to-defund-critical-race-theory", "Cotton Introduces Bill to Defund Critical Race Theory", "2021-07-14", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 14, 2021\n\nCotton Introduces Bill to Defund Critical Race Theory\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Stop CRT Act, legislation to bar federal funds from being sent to K-12 schools that promote Critical Race Theory, as well as colleges and universities that compel students or faculty to affirm tenets of Critical Race Theory. The Stop CRT Act would also codify former President Trump\u2019s Executive Order on Race and Sex Discrimination, which would prohibit the federal government and federal contractors from using trainings inspired by Critical Race Theory.\n\nRepresentative Dan Bishop (R-North Carolina) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cCritical Race Theory teaches people to obsess over race and to believe that America is an evil, oppressive place. Federal funds should not be used to support activists in schools who want to teach our kids to hate each other and their country,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cCritical Race Theory (CRT) is nothing more than state-sanctioned racism. Why should this poisonous, neo-Marxist ideology be funded by the federal government? CRT simply has no place in America\u2019s schools, institutions, or the military. I applaud Senator Tom Cotton for taking up the Stop CRT Act in the Senate as it will fully defund efforts to put CRT into practice at the federal level, setting the right tone for the rest of the nation,\u201d said Bishop.\n\nThe Stop CRT Act of 2021 would:\n\nBar federal funds to K-12 schools that promote Critical Race Theory, hire consultants to promote Critical Race Theory, or compel faculty members, students, or any other individual to affirm the tenets of Critical Race Theory\n\nBar federal funds to colleges and universities that compel faculty, students, or any other individual to profess or affirm the tenets of Critical Race Theory\n\nCodify President Trump\u2019s Executive Order on Preventing Race and Sex Stereotyping to prohibit the federal government and federal contractors from indoctrinating employees or any other individual using trainings that advocate Critical Race Theory\n\nThe Stop CRT Act of 2021 would not:\n\nPrevent any individual from accessing materials about Critical Race Theory for the purposes of research or independent study\n\nPrevent individuals from exercising lawful, protected speech\n\nThe Stop CRT Act is supported by Citizens for Renewing America, Heritage Action, The Center for the American Way of Life, and the Texas Public Policy foundation.\n\nSenator Cotton has been a leader in the fight against Critical Race Theory for more than a year:\n\nIn July 2020, Senator Cotton introduced the Saving American History Act to prohibit federal funds from being used to teach The New York Times\u2019s 1619 Project curriculum. Cotton re-introduced the bill in June 2021 along with six of his Republican colleagues, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell\n\nCotton sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice in October 2020 noting the alarming reappearance of racial segregation in education in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.\n\nCotton introduced the Combatting Racist Training in the Military Act in March of 2021 to prohibit the U.S. Armed Forces from promoting racist theories, such as Critical Race Theory.\n\nIn May 2021, Cotton and Congressman Dan Crenshaw launched a whistleblower webpage where members of the military can share accounts of Critical Race Theory-inspired training and other forms of discrimination to which they have been subjected.\n\nOn June 2nd, 2021, Cotton sent a letter to Lockheed Martin demanding answers regarding the company\u2019s race and gender diversity training.\n\nOn July 13th, 2021, Cotton sent a similar letter to Raytheon questioning the company\u2019s diversity training, which appears to violate federal non-discrimination law.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-regarding-raytheon-diversity-training", "Cotton Demands Answers Regarding Raytheon Diversity Training", "2021-07-13", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 13, 2021\n\nCotton Demands Answers Regarding Raytheon Diversity Training\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) wrote a letter to Gregory Hayes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon Company, demanding information about the company\u2019s use of training materials that rely heavily on racial stereotypes and appear to violate federal non-discrimination law. Cotton requested a response from Raytheon by July 23rd.\n\nIn part, Cotton wrote, \u201cThe training materials in question, such as Raytheon\u2019s \u2018Stronger Together Employee Guide,\u2019 encourage employees to become \u2018anti-racists,\u2019 a term popularized by Ibram X. Kendi, who the guide approvingly quotes. This material is rooted in a radical ideology called Critical Race Theory that denounces the United States as systemically racist and rejects important aspects of the American civil-rights tradition, including equality before the law.\u201d\n\n\u201cSetting aside the business sense of your company\u2019s advocacy, Raytheon\u2019s employee trainings appear to violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which forbids employers from discriminating on the basis of race or engaging in any activities that \u2018limit, segregate, or classify\u2019 employees,\u2019\u201dCotton continued.\n\nText of the letter may be found here or below.\n\nJuly 13, 2021\n\nMr. Gregory J. Hayes\n\nChairman and Chief Executive Officer Raytheon Company\n\n870 Winter Street\n\nWaltham, MA 02451-1449\n\nMr. Hayes,\n\nI\u2019m writing in response to a troubling news story that alleges your company is using training materials that rely heavily on racial stereotypes and appear to violate federal non-discrimination law.\n\nThe training materials in question, such as Raytheon\u2019s \u201cStronger Together Employee Guide,\u201d encourage employees to become \u201canti-racists,\u201d a term popularized by Ibram X. Kendi, who the guide approvingly quotes. This material is rooted in a radical ideology called Critical Race Theory that denounces the United States as systemically racist and rejects important aspects of the American civil-rights tradition, including equality before the law. Kendi, for example, openly advocates for discrimination on the basis of race to correct perceived injustices. Your company\u2019s trainings repeat aspects of Critical Race Theory, urging employees not to treat each other equally, without regard to race, but \u201cequitably,\u201d a term that is often used to justify unequal treatment on the basis of race.\n\nYour company\u2019s trainings also contain gross stereotypes about various groups, including the racial stereotype that black people as a group are \u201cexhausted, frustrated, stressed, barely sleeping, scared, and overwhelmed.\u201d The guide also stereotypes white people, Christians, ablebodied individuals, straight people, and English speakers, as members of \u201cprivileged\u201d groups who have \u201cthe luxury to ignore ... injustices.\u201d\n\nFinally, your company\u2019s trainings direct Raytheon employees to a variety of radical reading materials, including an article that advocates the \u201cDefund the Police\u201d movement. Given Raytheon\u2019s extensive business with law-enforcement groups, I find it hard to believe that the \u201cDefund the Police\u201d movement is in the interests of Raytheon\u2019s shareholders, let alone its employees and customers\u2014all of whom are normal citizens who would suffer the consequences of rising crime.\n\nSetting aside the business sense of your company\u2019s advocacy, Raytheon\u2019s employee trainings appear to violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which forbids employers from discriminating on the basis of race or engaging in any activities that \u201climit, segregate, or classify\u201d employees.\u201d\n\nThe previous administration observed that the kind of stereotyping and scapegoating commonly found in these trainings \u201cmay contribute to a hostile work environment and give rise to potential liability under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.\u201d\n\nGovernment contractors, as stewards of federal taxpayer dollars, have a special obligation to treat their employees equally, without regard for race. In fact, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act ensures that \u201cno person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin...be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.\u201d 4 If Raytheon or any other contractor is not fulfilling its legal obligations, Congress will respond, which could affect that company\u2019s contracts and ability to do business with the U.S. government in the future.\n\nWith these concerns in mind, please disclose to my office by July 23 any training materials on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that Raytheon uses to teach its employees. Please also disclose any vendors, companies, or individuals that Raytheon pays to administer such trainings.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-delivery-of-a-report-on-the-fighting-culture-of-the-navys-surface-fleet", "Cotton Statement on Delivery of A Report on the Fighting Culture of the Navy\u2019s Surface Fleet", "2021-07-12", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 12, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Delivery of A Report on the Fighting Culture of the Navy\u2019s Surface Fleet\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding the delivery of A Report on the Fighting Culture of the United States Navy\u2019s Surface Fleet. Cotton, along with Representatives Jim Banks (R-Indiana), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), and Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin), directed this investigation into the Navy\u2019s culture after several high-profile losses of sailors and warships. The full report may be found here.\n\n\u201cThe findings of this report are very concerning. Our sailors are too often deprived of the training and leadership they need to fight and win at sea. A Navy that puts lethality, warfighting, and operational excellence at the heart of its culture is absolutely essential to our national security. America counts on the Navy to keep us safe and keep our seas open. I appreciate the hard work of the distinguished veterans who wrote this report. I intend to work with them, Navy leaders, and my colleagues in Congress to implement the report\u2019s recommendations,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cThis report doesn\u2019t mince words. At a time when the Navy\u2019s readiness is more critical than ever before, this report depicts a Navy leadership that\u2019s distracted from the number one threat to American national security: The Chinese Communist Party. As China\u2019s Navy exceeds ours in size, the U.S. Navy must be ready to face any threat. I look forward to implementing the recommendations of the report and refocusing our Navy on threats from China,\u201d said Banks.\n\n\u201cA strong Navy is critical to our national security interests around the world. The findings clearly indicate that our sailors are not receiving the training they need to perform the essential functions of the Navy: to find and sink enemy fleets and ensure freedom of navigation. We must immediately address the concerns detailed in the report. I look forward to working with Navy leadership and my colleagues in Congress to implement the changes necessary to ensure our Navy and our sailors are war-ready and capable of defending the United States,\u201d said Crenshaw.\n\n\u201cAs we've seen from a tragic string of accidents in recent years, it is clear that all is not well in our surface Navy. In order to beat China, we need a sense of urgency to provide and maintain the Navy that our nation needs. I look forward to working with my colleagues to implement the report's recommendations and help ensure America continues to rule the waves,\u201d said Gallagher.\n\nBackground:\n\nAfter several high-profile mishaps in the Navy\u2019s surface fleet, Senator Tom Cotton and Congressmen Jim Banks, Dan Crenshaw, and Mike Gallagher requested a strictly non-partisan report on the fighting culture of the Navy\u2019s surface fleet. This review began after the total loss of the USS Bonhomme Richard pier-side one year ago today. Other mishaps include the collision of the USS McCain in the South China Sea, the collision of the USS Fitzgerald off the coast of Japan, and the surrender of two small Navy craft to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy in the Arabian Gulf.\n\nThe report, briefed to Members of Congress on Friday, found that a staggering 94% of sailors interviewed believe that the surface Navy suffers from a crisis of leadership and culture. Sailors warned that the surface fleet has suffered a critical loss of focus from its primary purpose of fighting and winning wars. Administrative bloat, excessive requirements, chaotic training pipelines, overtasked ships, and erratic maintenance cycles have all contributed to a fleet that is distracted and unprepared for the realities of 21st century conflict.\n\nThe nonpartisan findings note that these problems have metastasized for three decades. No single president, Member of Congress, or high-ranking naval leader was found to be solely responsible for the surface Navy\u2019s drift. Rather, slow and profound changes beginning with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War have eroded the Navy\u2019s combat edge.\n\nDetails on the Report\n\nTwo retired flag officers, Lieutenant General Robert E. Schmidle, United States Marine Corps, and Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, United States Navy, led an interview team consisting of Congressional staff, military veterans, and outside experts to produce this report. Approximately 90% of the interview team are veterans of one of the five branches of service. This team conducted interviews between September 2020 and March 2021, along with weekly meetings to discuss findings and validate that the interview process remained focused and nonpartisan.\n\nThe report\u2019s methodology incorporated an iterative, long-form approach to interviews. The review team employed a high-touch, analytical approach that proceeded without reliance on an interview subject's chain of command. The objective was to encourage nuance and candor on the part of interviewees, as opposed to wider-reach, lower-touch survey methods that are common in military climate assessments. A total of 77 exhaustive and intensive interviews were conducted with sailors of all walks of naval life\u2014active duty and reserve, officer and enlisted, retired and separated\u2014producing over 100 hours of transcripts. All interviews were conducted in-person or by phone/telecon and recorded to ensure accuracy.\n\nSubjects were identified by a blind referral process, with a preference for officers with surface warfare experience and significant time at sea. 78% of interviewees were active duty, both current and separated/retired, with approximately 20% serving as reservists. The sample selection was overwhelmingly officers between the grades of Lieutenant (O-3) and Captain (O-6). Of the 77 interviewed, 67 were male and 10 were female.\n\nA full copy of A Report on the Fighting Culture of the United States Navy Surface Fleet may be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-supreme-court-decision-regarding-arizona-voting-provisions", "Cotton Statement on Supreme Court Decision Regarding Arizona Voting Provisions", "2021-07-01", "2021", "2021-07", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nJuly 1, 2021\n\nCotton Statement on Supreme Court Decision Regarding Arizona Voting Provisions\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding the decision by the United States Supreme Court to uphold two Arizona voting provisions:\n\n\u201cBallot harvesting\u2014particularly when practiced by political activists\u2014should be illegal. I was proud to join my colleagues in an amicus brief in support of Arizona\u2019s election integrity measures, and I\u2019m glad the Supreme Court has ruled in favor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:03:51Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 250, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"state\" = :p0 and \"year\" = :p1 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "AR", "p1": "2021"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=AR&year=2021", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 250, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=AR&year=2021&party=Republican", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=AR&year=2021", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 157, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=AR&year=2021&chamber=Senate", "selected": false}, {"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 93, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=AR&year=2021&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=AR&year=2021", "results": [{"value": "AR", "label": "AR", "count": 250, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?year=2021", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=AR&year=2021", "results": [{"value": "2021", "label": "2021", "count": 250, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=AR", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2021-07-01,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ecotton~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fpress-releases~2Fcotton-statement-on-supreme-court-decision-regarding-arizona-voting-provisions", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=AR&year=2021&_next=2021-07-01%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ecotton~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fpress-releases~2Fcotton-statement-on-supreme-court-decision-regarding-arizona-voting-provisions&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 138.70103401131928, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}