Two oppose Obama on new water rules
U.S. Sens. John Boozman of Rogers and Tom Cotton of Dardanelle voted to override the president's veto of a joint resolution that would have blocked new water regulations.
The Congressional Review Act, passed during the Clinton administration, allows Congress to pass a joint resolution to stop a federal agency from implementing any major new rule or regulation.
The new rule defines the "Waters of the United States" under the Clean Water Act, stating in part that those are "all waters which are currently used, were used in the past, or may be susceptible to use in interstate or foreign commerce," and therefore subject to federal environmental oversight.
The Environmental Protection Agency states that the "Waters of the United States" rule does not "protect any types of waters that have not historically been covered by the Clean Water Act." Critics say it is a power grab by the federal government.
Boozman and Cotton, both Republicans, co-sponsored SJR22, which passed in the House and Senate earlier this month. Obama vetoed it last week.
After failing to override the veto, the two Arkansans released written statements criticizing the White House and the water rules.
With the veto upheld, "President Obama's EPA now has carte blanche to regulate everything from the planting schedules of Arkansas's major agriculture corporations to mud puddles on our family farms," Cotton said. "The devastating impact of this rule on Arkansas families and farmers cannot be overstated."
"We don't need Washington telling us how to protect our resources," said Boozman. "This Obama administration rule is just an effort to put Washington rule-makers in complete control."
Cotton set to speak at N.H. GOP event
Arkansas' U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton accepted an invitation to speak at the First-in-the-Nation Presidential Town Hall in Nashua, N.H.
The Republican Party of New Hampshire organized the two-day event and invited all of the GOP presidential candidates, plus several other party stalwarts.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney was to speak Friday. Cotton was listed as a speaker Saturday. Presidential candidates listed on the agenda included Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Chris Christie, plus four others.
Despite a blizzard on the East Coast, Cotton hoped to attend the event, a spokesman said.
Next month, Cotton plans to travel to Missouri for another speaking engagement.
Last week, the Republican Party of Missouri announced that Cotton would be the keynote speaker at its Lincoln Days gathering, which runs Feb. 26-28 in St. Louis.
State tops idea list for its coding class
Roll Call columnist Patricia Murphy praised Arkansas on Wednesday for requiring its high schools to offer computer coding classes. Roll Call is a Washington-based political paper that is widely circulated on Capitol Hill. Her column, on "The 5 Best Ideas from the States" focused on "proposals so innovative that they're worth sharing."
She put the Arkansas idea at the top of her list, saying "Arkansas isn't exactly competing with Silicon Valley for tech talent yet, but Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson is leading tech education by making Arkansas the first state in the nation to require that every public and charter high school offer computer-science classes in its curriculum. ... If it's effective, it's no doubt a program that other states will follow."
Gay-rights group endorses Clinton
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay civil-rights group, endorsed Hillary Clinton for president last week. The group's president, Chad Griffin, is from Hope, which also is the birthplace of Hillary Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton.
The organization announced last week that Hillary Clinton would accept the endorsement today in Des Moines, Iowa, saying she would be the strongest ally for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.
Griffin was scheduled to join her in Iowa.
"All the progress we have made as a nation on LGBT equality -- and all the progress we have yet to make -- is at stake in November," he said in a news release. Accusing Republican presidential candidates of threatening to "block our progress, and to revoke, repeal, and overturn the gains we've made during President Obama's two terms," he said Hillary Clinton is "fighting to advance LGBT equality across our nation and throughout the world."
The Human Rights Campaign believes that Hillary Clinton "is the champion we can count on in November -- and every day she occupies the Oval Office," Griffin added.
Arkansan testifies on Latin America
Thomas F. "Mack" McLarty III, another Hope native, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday morning during a hearing on Political and Economic Developments in Latin America and Opportunities for U.S. Engagement.
McLarty served for a time as White House chief of staff in the Clinton administration and as Bill Clinton's special envoy for the Americas.
McLarty Associates, a Washington-based firm that does international strategic advising, has associates in Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, according to its website.
While much of the recent focus has been on normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba, the continent is important, too, McLarty said, telling lawmakers: "We have a huge stake in the entire region."
McClarty said U.S. engagement has made a difference there, pointing to one South American country that has defeated drug lords and ended a civil war.
"When I traveled to Colombia during my time in the White House, many thought that was just a hopeless situation. The country was lost. I do think U.S. engagement on a bipartisan basis, not just with dollars but the engagement itself, and with the leadership and responsibility of the Colombian people, truly achieved a miracle turnaround there, so it can be done but over time," he said.
Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Contact Frank Lockwood at (202) 662-7690 or flockwood@arkansasonline.com.
SundayMonday on 01/24/2016