Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353  Washington, D.C.-Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act: "Today Congress fulfilled one of its most important duties: to provide for a common defense. This bill rightly gives our military additional funding to ensure our national-security strategy can once again begin to drive our military budget, rather than the budget setting our strategy. And it takes... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) this week introduced legislation to hold the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accountable for their role in the Animas River Disaster. Specifically, this bill allows damaged parties to sue the EPA, requires the EPA to pay for the damages out of their own budget-not additional funds provided by taxpayers, and it requires the EPA to create a long-term monitoring and response program. "The EPA's... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton called for a full audit of all fetal tissue research supported by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine whether there have been violations of the law and how the agency verifies compliance following the release of videos indicating Planned Parenthood's involvement in the harvesting and sale of the organs of aborted babies. The Arkansas senators joined more than 30 of their... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353  Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement congratulating Pratt & Whitney on winning an $11 million contract to manufacture Engine Rear Turbine Cases in Springdale, Arkansas: "I applaud the Air Force's decision to award Pratt & Whitney this important contract, which will bring jobs and economic opportunity to Northwest Arkansas. Earlier this year I visited Pratt & Whitney and saw firsthand... Read More

Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on reports of Russia's first airstrikes in Syria: "Putin's defense of the Butcher of Damascus has begun. This is not an offensive to defeat ISIS, but a naked effort by one dictator to protect another and crush moderate Syrian opposition forces. Putin has this opening because of the absence of any U.S. strategy in Syria. The U.S. must reject Russia's interference and rally our partners to do the same."   Read More

Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Congressman Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) last week sent a letter to Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), requesting that Amano clarify his previous claims that the two secret side deals between the IAEA and Iran do not allow Iran the ability to conduct inspections at its own nuclear facilities. It has now been reported that Iran submitted its first self-collected sample from the Parchin military complex.... Read More

  WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, along with Congressmen Rick Crawford (AR-01) and Steve Womack (AR-03), today announced that the University of Arkansas (UA) and Arkansas State University (ASU) will receive grants from the Department of Justice (DOJ) totaling over $900,000 to study domestic radicalization.  UA will receive $399,531 to identify behavioral characteristics of homegrown terrorists who were able to evade arrest and/or neutralization for a long... Read More

Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the Senate's failed cloture vote to advance a continuing resolution: "I could not support this continuing resolution because it badly underfunds our military, providing even less for defense than President Obama requested. The consequences of ongoing military-budget cuts are immediate and dangerous. Today, our Navy cannot keep an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, our Army and Marine Corps are losing... Read More

Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today made the following statement on the recent transfer of Abdul al Shalabi to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: "The release of this dangerous detainee, Abdul al Shalabi, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is another example of President Obama playing politics with national security and putting campaign promises ahead of U.S. national security interests. It's concerning that Secretary Carter would authorize this transfer, particularly given Saudi... Read More

Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement calling on EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to set aside a portion of the agency's annual funding to pay for damages from the Animas River Disaster: "The EPA's response to the Animas River disaster reads like an exaggerated Hollywood portrayal of a political cover-up. They underplayed the severity of the spill from the beginning and failed to warn affected states or groups to allow them to better mitigate... Read More

Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today made the following statement on the upcoming state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping: "Judging from the White House invitation list for Pope Francis's visit, it's clear that President Obama plans to challenge his honored guest with activists who openly dispute Catholic beliefs and teachings. President Obama should apply this newfound diplomatic protocol evenhandedly, and do so this very week at the state dinner for Chinese President... Read More

  WASHINGTON  - U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton cosponsored a joint resolution of disapproval that would reverse the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. This regulation gives the administration expanded federal authority to oversee land use decisions of homeowners, small businesses and family farms in Arkansas and across the country. The resolution introduced by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and cosponsored by 46 senators... Read More

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton—along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman—are asking Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz to address their detailed concerns about the federal government's possible unprecedented partnership with a third party to construct an electrical transmission project through Arkansas. The Department of Energy (DOE) is considering the use of Section 1222 of the Energy Policy Act of... Read More

  Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the Senate's failure to advance a resolution of disapproval on the Iran nuclear deal:   "From the beginning, President Obama intended to turn our constitutional process on its head and implement this deal via executive action, as he has done in the past with his overreaching EPA regulations and his immigration decrees. He never wanted a vote on his Iran deal because he was... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator (EPA) Gina McCarthy expressing concern over the agency's internal review of the Gold King Mine disaster. Senator Cotton identifies five primary issues with the report and asks for additional information in each of those areas. The issues include: The report lacks any consequences for the EPA employees who failed to test the mine's water... Read More

Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) along with other Republican lawmakers yesterday introduced legislation to roll back the National Labor Relations Board's "joint employer" decision, which the chairmen of the House and Senate labor committees say "threatens to steal the American dream from owners of the nation's 780,000 franchise businesses and millions of contractors.":       "The NLRB's unprecedented ruling could destroy nearly 10,000... Read More

Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001:     "Today we remember the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The pain and sadness of that day are still fresh. We still mourn the lives we lost and share in the grief of their loved ones. But we also remember the heroism, courage, and unity we saw that day. Our resolve was tested, but America stood... Read More

  Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the Senate's failure to advance a resolution of disapproval on the Iran nuclear deal:  "I am deeply disappointed by Senate Democrats' decision to block a vote on the Iran nuclear deal. I proposed an amendment to Corker-Cardin that would have guaranteed a vote, but it was rejected by Democrats because their goal all along was to deny Congress any vote or say on this deal.... Read More

Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after the 34th Democratic Senator Announced Support for the Iran Deal: "I am disappointed that 34 of my Democratic colleagues have chosen to support this dangerous deal. They bowed to White House pressure and put partisan politics ahead of national security and their constituents. The consequences of this decision cannot be overstated and the American people will not soon forget their votes. "What's worse is... Read More

WASHINGTON  - U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman today announced that Arkansas local law enforcement agencies will receive $2.3 million in federal grants from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program to purchase law enforcement equipment and supplies. "These grants are an important investment in our state that will allow our law enforcement officers to better protect... Read More