[U.S. Rep. Steve] Womack, R-Ark., was among the nine Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted … for a $1.7 trillion spending measure, joining Democrats in sending the measure to President Joe Biden’s desk. Womack’s vote followed the actions of Sens. John Boozman, R-Rogers, and Tom Cotton, R-Little Rock, who were among 18 Republicans senators who supported the legislation….
“I’m ready to take the arrows. Sometimes, this can be a very unpopular job,” Womack, of Rogers, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “At the end of the day, here at the Christmas season, I didn’t think that shutting the government down or pursuing a yearlong continuing resolution was in the best interest of anybody.”
“The Senate passed the omnibus bill in a 68-29 vote, while the House voted 225-201. Arkansas Reps. Rick Crawford, French Hill and Bruce Westerman joined a majority of their Republican colleagues in opposing the bill.
“Both congressional votes came in the final days of the current Congress as lawmakers rushed to pass a spending measure to avoid a government shutdown. Some Republicans pushed for Congress to pass a short-term continuing resolution going into the new Congress when Republicans will control the House of Representatives. A continuing resolution would have only maintained spending at current levels….”
READ MORE about Womack’s reasons for his vote, as well as details on the Arkansas delegation’s earmarks in the bill at ArkansasOnline.com
Photo by Matthew Bornhorst on Unsplash