Arkansas Lawmakers Facing Federal Budget Marathon

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A marathon budget debate last week found Arkansas lawmakers basically agreeing that the federal government needs to shrink. But they didn't always agree on just what to cut.

The U.S. House spent more than four days debating dozens of amendments offered to a bill needed to keep the federal government running from March 4 through Sept. 30.

The base legislation proposed $61 billion in spending reductions over the remaining seven months of the budget year. Debate over amendments that would make additional cuts or shift spending from one program to another drew long, and often impassioned, debate.

By Friday, members had cast more than 60 roll call votes that put them on the record on a breadth of issues including the war in Afghanistan, health-care reform, environmental protection and community policing.

"As ugly as it is at times, what a great statement this says about American democracy," said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, a freshman.

Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, who is serving his sixth term, saw it differently.

"A lot of these amendment are not about cutting government spending," Ross said, referring to Republican sponsors. "They're picking controversial issues to run for re-election on."

Ross, a conservative Blue Dog Democrat, and Arkansas' three freshman Republicans voted in lockstep on more than half of the first 47 amendment votes cast last week.

But on others, they brought different sensibilities. Womack wouldn't vote for earmarks no matter what. Griffin had a soft spot for programs that help the mentally ill.

"I don't care if it is a Democratic or Republican idea but a common-sense idea that makes sense for my district. That's how I make decisions," Ross said.

And while the Republicans tended to stick with their party on most votes, Ross was more likely to veer from fellow Democrats.

The Arkansas delegation agreed to strip $450 million from the Pentagon to eliminate an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is being built at a General Electric plant near House Speaker John Boehner's Ohio district.

They also agreed to cut funding for so-called White House czars. And, they agreed to block the EPA from implementing or enforcing a rule setting air-pollution standards for cement factories.

"We may differ a bit, but by and large I'm pretty much in agreement with my delegation," said Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro. "We are all doing our best to reflect our constituents."

Among the 47 roll calls examined, Ross was with the majority of Democrats 66 percent. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., a fellow Blue Dog, voted 51 percent with his party.

"For the most part, we are pretty close philosophically but there may be an issue that impacts Arkansas a little differently than Oklahoma," Boren said.

The two neighboring Democrats parted company on seven of the 47 votes examined.

The Arkansas Republicans were more loyal party voters than Ross and Boren. Womack voted with his party 77 percent. Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Little Rock, voted 85 percent and Crawford 83 percent.

The Arkansas lawmakers split on about half of the votes - though not always by party line. Ross voted opposite the freshman on 11 of the first 47 roll calls, siding instead with the majority of House Democrats.

Ross favored an $18.75 million cut to Pentagon boards and commissions. He opposed cutting $34 million from the National Drug Intelligence Center. And, he opposed additional cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts.

"The Drug Intelligence Center provides law enforcement and policy makers with the intelligence they need to combat the trafficking and abuse of drugs," Ross said.

Womack voted twice in opposition to the Arkansas delegation in those 47 roll calls. He supported shifting funds from substance abuse and mental health programs to a program that subsidizes home energy bills for poor people. And, he opposed restoring an earmark for Hawaii and Alaska education programs.

"We've had a brutal winter, and we're known to have some very tough summers. We need to help the very poor and very elderly with their cost of heating and cooling," he said.

Griffin said that he voted against the funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program because it was taken out of funds for mental health and substance abuse programs.

"I just put a priority on mental health for Arkansas," Griffin said. "A lot of these amendments weren't cuts but about where you want to put the money."

Womack said he had no real opinion about the Hawaii and Alaska funding but couldn't support an earmark.

Griffin voted against the delegation on four of the 47 roll calls. He voted with the majority of Republicans to cut $70 million from an energy efficiency account, $50 million from an energy research fund, and to cut forest service funds. And, he voted with Democrats to eliminate the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund.

"I am generally trying to cut - that is sort of the default position for me," Griffin said. "We are broke, and we need to cut back."

Griffin and Ross also teamed up on three votes in opposition to Womack and Crawford. Womack and Crawford were in the minority of both parties in opposing restoration of grants for community fire departments.

Ross and Griffin voted with the majority of Democrats in supporting $298 million for community policing and in opposing a $64.1 million cut to EPA's research funds.

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