Boozman: Trade deals to aid state
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. John Boozman witnessed the signing of the "Phase 1" trade deal between the U.S. and China on Wednesday at the White House. On Thursday, he voted to approve the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement.
"It's a big deal for Arkansas," Boozman said of the new deal, hours after voting to approve it.
The Beijing-Washington trade breakthrough will also help Arkansas agriculture, the Republican from Rogers said.
Canada and Mexico have been the top foreign destinations for Arkansas products. Reduced trade barriers will only help, Boozman said.
"I think it's going to be a big boost for the state of Arkansas, our country, and really make a difference on the [gross domestic product], both with the increased business [and] increased jobs, but as importantly, just knowing what the rules are going to be for the next several years," he said.
The trade agreement, which passed 89-10, also had the backing of U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.
In a written statement, he said the trade agreement "makes Arkansas workers more competitive with their Canadian and Mexican counterparts," the Republican from Dardanelle said. "Once Canada signs the agreement, the president's efforts to replace the outdated NAFTA will be complete."
War powers lid effort irks Cotton
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., denounced Tuesday a war powers resolution favored by Senate Democrats and some Republicans.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., announced last week that he has enough votes to pass a measure requiring President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before launching an attack on Iran.
The resolution was introduced after the U.S. launched a deadly missile strike that killed Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani. Trump did not inform congressional delegates about the strike ahead of time.
The Democrat-controlled House approved a similar resolution earlier this month.
Congress has already passed a resolution designed to prevent additional military intervention in Yemen.
The measure, which was also opposed by Cotton, was vetoed last year.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Cotton said Democrats were attempting to "tie the president's hands in defending this nation against Iran and terrorist masterminds like Qassem Soleimani."
The resolution, Cotton said, would rebuke the president for ending the life of a terrorist mastermind.
"Qassem Soleimani has the blood of thousands of Americans on his hands, and hundreds of thousands of innocent souls across the Middle East," Cotton said. "He and his proxies and Iranian leaders like him are responsible for bombings of our embassies in places like Lebanon and Kuwait. They're in no small part responsible for the ongoing horror of the Syrian civil war or the civil war in Yemen. And there is no doubt, based on the intelligence we have and his bloodthirsty past, that Qassem Soleimani was in Baghdad on January 2 to plot something very dangerous and very big that was going to target Americans once again."
"We should all be thankful that Qassem Soleimani no longer walks the earth, and we should be proud of the troops who executed that mission. The world is a safer place and America is a safer nation because of it," he added.
Hill hires Naft as new spokesman
U.S. Rep. French Hill has hired a new spokesman.
Jeff Naft, a graduate of Georgetown University with previous experience on Capitol Hill, joined the Little Rock Republican's staff last week.
His title is communications director.
Naft, a New York native, previously worked for Republican U.S. Reps. John Katko of New York, Martha McSally of Arizona and Rob Woodall of Georgia.
McSally left Capitol Hill, temporarily, after losing her 2018 race for the U.S. Senate. She was later appointed to fill a Senate vacancy; Woodall is retiring after a decade in Congress.
Hill says Naft will be a welcome addition to his team.
"From his enthusiasm about public service to his commitment to excellence in communications, I am thrilled to have Jeff joining my team," Hill said in a written statement.
The congressman's previous spokesman, Steven Smith, left earlier this month to work for U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and the House Republican Conference.
Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (202) 662-7690 or [email protected]. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Washington bureau? It's available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank.
SundayMonday on 01/19/2020