The Arkansas Democratic Party sent out an e-mail brilliantly detailing Tea Party Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Tom Cotton (R. AR) extreme agenda this past year and it's worth a look:
One year ago today, Tom Cotton took an oath to serve the people of Arkansas’ fourth congressional district. In the twelve months since, Congressman Cotton has demonstrated over and over that he thinks he knows better than the people he swore to represent, and that he’s above the rules for members of Congress.
His my-way-or-the-highway voting record has put him at odds with Arkansas women, students, seniors and farmers. And after he announced he would be running for Senate in August, he was caught crossing the lines of ethical conduct, skipping House votes to fundraise in Texas as the government shutdown loomed, and using taxpayer dollars to stage a “town hall” to benefit his Senate campaign.
Throughout it all, Congressman Cotton remained defiant. He thinks he knows better than the millions of Arkansans – women, students, seniors and farmers – who were hurt by his reckless votes. He thinks he doesn’t have to answer for possible violations of ethics rules and federal law. He thinks he bears no responsibility for a government shutdown he publicly called for and touted on his website.
It was a year of Congressman Cotton being in the wrong, but thinking he’s right.
JANUARY
Congressman Cotton is the only member of the Arkansas congressional delegation to oppose disaster relief funding for Hurricane Sandy victims and FEMA that was used for disaster relief efforts in Arkansas.
FEBRUARY
Congressman Cotton is the only member of the Arkansas congressional delegation to vote against both versions of the Violence Against Women Act – a compromise version and a watered down Republican version.
MARCH
Congressman Cotton votes for the reckless Republican Study Committee budget that turns Medicare into a voucher system, raises the Medicare eligibility age to 70, cuts Social Security benefits for today’s seniors and cuts taxes for corporations and millionaires.
APRIL
Congressman Cotton votes against the Paycheck Fairness Act that would guarantee that women receive equal pay for equal work.
MAY
Congressman Cotton calls for spending $1 billion a month on a no-fly zone in Syria despite widespread opposition to military action in Syria from Arkansans.
JUNE
Congressman Cotton is the only member of the Arkansas delegation to vote against the farm bill, leaving Arkansas farmers and ranchers without the certainty they need to plan for the new year and undercutting the largest industry in Arkansas.
JULY
Congressman Cotton is the only member of the Arkansas delegation to vote against reducing student loan rates, even though he used federal student loans to attend Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
AUGUST
After six months in Congress marked by vote after vote against the best interests of Arkansans, Cotton announces his bid for Senate.
SEPTEMBER
As a government shutdown looms, Congressman Cotton misses votes in the House of Representatives to attend a high dollar fundraiser in Houston.
OCTOBER
Hours after Congressman Cotton solicits funds for his Senate campaign inside the Capitol – a potential violation of House ethics rules and federal law – the government shutdown Congressman Cotton championed goes into effect, costing taxpayers $24 billion.
NOVEMBER
Congressman Cotton holds a taxpayer funded “town hall” in Hot Springs where he only takes pre-screened questions on a key theme of his Senate campaign and removes an Arkansan from the event for being a Democrat.
DECEMBER
Congressman Cotton’s own campaign admits that their “town hall” events are actually campaign events paid for by the taxpayers and ignores calls to refund taxpayers for the cost.
JANUARY
Cotton Was The Only Member Of The Arkansas Delegation To Oppose Funding For Victims Of Natural Disasters. The Pine Bluff Commercial reported: “Rep. Tom Cotton , R-Dardanelle, voted Friday against legislation that would ensure the federal government has the money to pay flood insurance claims resulting from Hurricane Sandy. Cotton was one of 67 House Republicans to oppose the measure allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to borrow $9.7 billion to cover damage claims from the storm that ravaged New York, New Jersey and Connecticut two months ago. Reps. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, Tim Griffin, R-Little Rock, and Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, voted in favor of the bill. The Senate swiftly approved it by voice vote – with no objections.” [Pine Bluff Commercial, 1/4/13; Vote 7, 1/4/13]
FEBRUARY
Cotton Opposed Final Violence Against Women Act That “Strengthens Protections of Particular Groups of Women at Particular Risk.” In 2013, Cotton voted against passage of the bill that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act for five years. The law, which expired in 2011, provides protections and assistance programs to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The bill would authorize funds for law enforcement training programs, prosecution and victim services. It would give American Indian tribal courts additional authority over non-tribal domestic violence offenders. It would make it illegal for victim services organizations that receive grant funding through the law to discriminate on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. It also would extend through 2017 a law that provides protections and assistance programs to trafficking victims. It would allow underage sex-trafficking victims to receive assistance under grants provided to help children exposed to violence. The bill passed (thus cleared for the president) by a vote of 286-138. As reported by CNN, “According to advocacy groups, the Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act approved Tuesday strengthens protections of particular groups of women at particular risk.” [CQ; S 47, Vote #55, 2/28/13; CNN, 2/28/13]
Cotton Even Voted Against Republican Substitute Violence Against Women Act. In 2013, Cotton voted against the Republican substitute Violence Against Women Act that would reauthorize for five years federal grant programs that provide funds to states, law enforcement and nonprofit organizations for services provided to victims of violence and for the prosecution of offenders. It would give American Indian tribal courts additional authority over non-tribal domestic violence offenders and allow accused individuals to appeal to have their proceedings moved from tribal courts to a U.S. District Court. It also would require immigrant spouses subject to abuse -- and who seek U visas given to crime victims willing to help law enforcement agencies in the investigation or prosecution of the crime -- to comply with "any reasonable request" for assistance made by law enforcement regarding their case. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 166-257. [CQ; HR 47, Vote #54, 2/28/13]
MARCH
Cotton Was the Only Member Of The Arkansas Delegation To Vote for Republican Study Committee Budget That Transformed Medicare Into Voucher System, Raised the Eligibility Age For Medicare To 70 And Cut Social Security Benefits For Today’s Seniors. In 2013, Cotton voted for the Republican Study Committee budget that “would assume the transformation of Medicare into a premium support program that would compete against private plans.” According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the budget “transitions Medicare to a premium support system by 2019 for new beneficiaries, and raises the Medicare retirement age to 70 and indexes it to life expectancy… Unlike other budgets, [Republican Study Budget] also addresses Social Security specifically by switching to the chained CPI for cost-of-living adjustments and increasing the full retirement age to 70 and indexing it for life expectancy.” According to the AARP, “Changing the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) using a chained CPI would have a detrimental impact on the economic wellbeing of older and disabled Americans and their family members who receive benefits from Social Security. Small reductions to the annual COLA will accumulate over time so that the largest reductions in benefits will be on the oldest beneficiaries and the long-term disabled. For example, 92- year-old beneficiaries who were on the program for 30 years would see an 8.4% cut in benefits. Disabled children could face even larger benefit cuts over their lifetime. Oldest Americans are the least able to absorb cuts to their benefits as they are more reliant on Social Security for their income and have higher out-of-pocket medical spending and a higher poverty rate than younger Americans.” The budget was rejected by a vote of 104-132. [CQ; H Con Res 25, Vote #86, 3/20/13; Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, 3/19/13; AARP, October 2012]
APRIL
Cotton Voted Against Considering Paycheck Fairness Act. In April 2013, the Huffington Post reported, “House GOP leadership is not likely to bring the Paycheck Fairness Act up for a vote any time soon, but House Democrats used a procedural move to force them to go on record opposing the bill on Thursday. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the sponsor of the equal pay legislation, filed a discharge petition on the bill Thursday morning that would immediately force a vote on it if she could collect 218 signatures. Democrats also put forth a motion on Thursday known as the ‘Previous Question,’ which would have enabled them to put the Paycheck Fairness Act up for a vote, but Republicans killed the effort by a vote of 226 to 192.” Cotton voted against considering the measure. [Huffington Post , 4/12/13; Vote 97, 4/11/13]
MAY
Cotton Called For Imposing A No-Fly Zone Over Syria. On Meet the Press, Cotton said: “Right now, you have the Al-Nusra front, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, which is on the ground, providing the best fighters, providing the most weapons, providing the most humanitarian assistance, radicalizing some elements of the opposition. So we have to arm the opposition. I think we also need to move towards imposing a no-fly zone so Bashar al-Assad cannot continue to use helicopter gun ships against civilians, and so his refugee-- so the refugees he's creating aren't destabilizing our allies like Jordan.” [Meet the Press, NBC, 5/5/13]
HEADLINE—Gen. Dempsey: Syria No-Fly Zone Could Cost US $1B Per Month [The Hill, 7/22/13]
JUNE
Cotton Was The Only Member Of The Arkansas Delegation To Vote Against The Farm Bill. In June 2013, Tom Cotton was the only member of the Arkansas Delegation to vote against the five-year farm bill. The Associated Press reported the bill was “a five-year, half-trillion-dollar farm bill Thursday that would have cut $2 billion annually from food stamps and let states impose broad new work requirements on those who receive them.” According to the Washington Post, “The agriculture sector stands to suffer the most from the bill's failure. Without action later this year, American farmers will fall back to a 1949 law governing the industry, which could lead to steep price increases on items such as milk. The Senate passed its version of a longer term farm bill earlier this month on a bipartisan vote of 66 to 27. The measure calls for spending $24 billion less than current law by ending programs such as a $5 billion direct cash subsidy program for absentee farmers. The House plan would have resulted in nearly $40 billion in savings, in large part by slashing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, widely known as food stamps.” Senators Pryor and Boozman, and Representatives Crawford, Womack, and Griffin voted for the bill. [AP, 6/21/13; Washington Post, 6/21/13; HR 3102, House Vote 286, 6/20/13; S. 954, Senate Vote 145, 6/10/13]
HEADLINE—Farm Bill Fails In House Vote As Sides Bicker; State’s Delegation: 3-1 Yes [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 6/21/13]
HEADLINE—Farm Bureau President Says Lack Of Farm Bill Hurts Farmers Needing Loans [Stephens Bureau, 12/4/13]
JULY
Cotton Was One Of Only 31 House Members—The Only Arkansan—To Vote Against Reducing Student Loan Interest Rates. In July 2013, Cotton was the only member of the Arkansas congressional delegation to vote against Kline, R-Minn., motion to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would set federal student loan interest rates issued after July 1, 2013 to the Treasury Department's 10-year borrowing rate, plus 2.05 percent for subsidized and unsubsidized undergraduate loans, 3.6 percent for graduate loans and 4.6 percent for PLUS loans. The loan rates would be capped at 8.25 percent, 9.5 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively. It would require the Government Accountability Office to submit a report to Congress within four months detailing the federal government's cost of administering the student loan program and recommendations to avoid generating additional revenue from the program. The motion was agreed to 392-31: R 221-6; D 171-25; I 0-0. [HR 1911, Vote426, 7/31/13]
HEADLINE—Tom Cotton, Arkansas Rep., Took Student Loans, Voted Against Them [Huffington Post, 8/1/13]
Cotton Used Stafford Loans To Finance College. In a statement, Tom Cotton said, “My family saved for years and I worked throughout school to pay my way; like many students, it also took a combination of private and Stafford loans. Following law school, I postponed joining the Army for two years so I could repay all my loans.” [Press Release, Office of Rep. Cotton, 8/1/13]
AUGUST: After just six months in office, Congressman Cotton announces bid for U.S. Senate.
SEPTEMBER
Cotton Missed 2 Votes In Order To Attend A Campaign Fundraiser In Houston, TX. According to Southwest Times Record, “Two votes were held on noncontroversial issues Wednesday evening [September 25, 2013], which Cotton missed because he was in Houston at a previously scheduled fundraiser for his campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark. ‘I had commitments that I already made, and I’m a man of my word and try to keep my commitments,’ Cotton said Friday. ‘But, … I’ve got a 99 percent voting record which I’m very proud of and do my very best to maintain.’ Cotton has missed five roll-call votes out of 487 taken. Asked where he was Wednesday evening, Cotton said ‘Texas.’ Then he acknowledged that, ‘yes,’ it was a campaign fundraiser.” [Southwest Times Record, 9/27/13]
Headline: Cotton Missed Votes For Houston Fundraiser [Southwest Times Record, 9/27/13]
OCTOBER
In The Lead Up To The Government Shutdown, Cotton Potentially Violated House Ethics Rules. According to the Huffington Post, “When Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) touted his Senate campaign on the radio amid the votes that sparked the government shutdown Monday night, the host interviewing him made it sound like Cotton was committing ethics violations. That's because according to House rules, no fundraising or political activity may be conducted from congressional buildings.” [Huffington Post, 10/4/13]
HEADLINE—Attorney Says Cotton Broke House’s Rules: Campaign Appeal Made In Capitol, Complaint Says [Democrat-Gazette, 10/30/13]
CNN: Cotton’s Government Shutdown Cost The Economy $24 Billion. According to CNN, “The 16-day government shutdown took a $24 billion chunk out of the U.S. economy, according to an initial analysis from Standard & Poor's. As a result, the rating agency projects that the U.S. economy will grow 2.4% in the fourth quarter -- as opposed to the roughly 3% growth rate predicted prior to the shutdown.” [CNN, 10/17/13]
HEADLINE—Shutdown Took $24 Billion Bite Out Of Economy [CNN, 10/17/13]
Cotton Told Radio Host Andrea Tantaros That He Was Prepared To Shut Down The Government. “So, if Republicans don’t get what they want, and we have a president digging in his heels, are you prepared to shut down the government?” host Andrea Tantaros asked. “I think we haveto be,” Rep. Cotton replied. “We have to be willing to draw the line and say that we have a debt crisis in this country that’s caused by two simple facts: We spend too much, and we have too little growth. We have to adopt pro-growth policies and we have to reduce the explosive deficit spending under the Obama administration to get the economy growing again to confront this debt crisis.” [Andrea Tantaros Show with Jason Mattera, 1/8/13]
Cotton Campaign Website: Rep. Tom Cotton: Congress Must Be Willing To Shut Down The Government If Obama Won’t Budget On The Debt Ceiling [Cotton Website, 1/8/13]
NOVEMBER
Cotton Held A Taxpayer-Funded “Town Hall” Event In Hot Springs In Which He Took Only Pre-Screened Questions And Removed An Arkansan For Being A Democrat. “The Democratic Party of Arkansas on Tuesday accused U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, R-District 4, of holding a campaign event in Hot Springs paid for by taxpayers after a Democratic Party of Arkansas staffer was denied entry on Saturday.
The event was basically an update on the Affordable Care Act and Cotton’s efforts to repeal, delay or defund the law. Cotton is challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., in 2014, but Cotton never mentioned him by name during the event. In a news release, the Democratic Party of Arkansas said the town hall event in which Cotton spoke to constituents about the Affordable Care Act featured a ‘controlled crowd’ and ‘pre-screened questions’ and ‘raised questions’ about ‘official funds being used for campaign activities.’ ‘Once again, Congressman Cotton blurred ethical lines that are designed to ensure the public can have complete confidence in the integrity of public officials. Taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for scripted campaign press conferences. Congressman Cotton clearly used official resources to plan and advertise this event. In an effort to boost his bid for Senate, he prevented Democrats from attending and took only pre-screened questions.’” [Hot Springs Sentinel, 11/27/13]
DECEMBER
Cotton’s Campaign Website Confirmed That A Taxpayer-Funded “Town Hall” Event In El Dorado Was Actually Used To Bolster His Senate Campaign. “The Democratic Party of Arkansas wants U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Dardanelle, to refund taxpayer dollars it claims were used to pay for purported town hall meetings that Democrats contend were nothing more than campaign events. Democrats complained Thursday about stops Cotton, the likely challenger to Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor’s re-election bid in 2014, made last week in El Dorado and last month in Hot Springs. They claimed that a Cotton campaign blog post confirmed the events were campaign-related and not official business.” [Stephens Bureau, 12/12/13]
Cotton Campaign Website: “Tom Took His Campaign For U.S. Senate To South Arkansas Last Week. While He Was There, He Met With Constituents In El Dorado.” In December 2013, Cotton’s campaign issued a blog post about his taxpayer-funded “town hall” in El Dorado. The post confirmed that his town hall event was in fact a campaign stop. [Cotton’s campaign website, 12/10/13]
Pretty good summary of Cotton's year. I've always said that Cotton was the biggest asshole running for Senate this year. I may not be crazy about Senator Mark Pryor (D. AR) but I will be helping him win re-election next year. In fact, Pryor's already working to shape the narrative of this year's race:
* THEME: Pryor is responsible, Cotton is reckless (see votes on the farm bill, Medicare, Social Security, student loans, disaster aid, domestic violence legislation)
* AMBITION: Too much of it in a candidate is not a good thing. See: Cotton. And see who owns him, particularly the $300,000 bundled from the Club for Growth by which he broke out as an unknown just moved back to Arkansas for a confessional race. He's so hungry, he appeared to have solicited funds on a radio interview from the Capitol, a no-no. He skipped a day of work to raise money in Texas.
* WHO'S MORE OF AN ARKIE? Pryor will concede Cotton's fine resume, including voluntary military service.
"At the same time," the memo comments, "Mark has been a tireless advocate for veteran’s issues in the Senate, and although his undergraduate and law degrees may not be from Harvard, folks here are awfully fond of Mark’s alma mater, the University of Arkansas."
What kind of Arkie would blow up the farm bill, despite pleas from every farm group. [My comment: That farm thing didn't work so well for Ag Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln.] Nonetheless, Pryor's people see Cotton in a lose-lose situation on farm legislation. He either continues his "lonely and reckless" opposition to farm legislation or backs an agreement and thus renders himself a hypocrite on everything he's done before.
Pryor people think, too, that the addition of 250,000 Arkansans to health coverage, plus other benefits of the Affordable Care Act, in time will be a plus, particularly Arkansas's bipartisan implementation of a hybrid of Obamacare. Cotton is on record trying to deprive people of those new benefits, plus privatizing existing health programs. Can a Democrat play offense on health care given Obamacare's low estate and disastrous startup? A senator who voted for it has almost no choice.
* HORSE RACE: Polls repeatedly show the race essentially tied, despite millions in attack ads on Pryor already. Pryor has out-raised Cotton so far. Cotton will undoubtedly close that gap, but the money has enabled Pryor to counter the attacks and do some negative definition of Cotton.
Pryor has a brand name. The campaign will emphasize his record of tending to people back home — putting Arkansas first is a theme polished by his daddy before him. Cotton, the Pryor message is clear, puts first extremist Washington interest groups (not to mention his own strange views evident since his days at Harvard).
* SUMMARY: The race will be close. Pryor will win with his Arkansas First theme against a "reckless" and "irresponsible" candidate. - Arkansas Times, 1/1/14