Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) joined Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana) and Representative Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) in a bicameral effort urging the Obama administration to rescind the July 22, 2016 guidance under the International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR) that declared that gunsmithing is "manufacturing" of a firearm and thus requires the gunsmith to register and pay a registration fee of $2,250. In a letter to Secretary of... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on new reports that Iran has deployed the Russian-supplied S-300 missiles at its Fordow nuclear site: "This is yet another indication that the Administration's Iran policy is only emboldening the ayatollahs in Tehran. Anyone outside of the echo chamber is probably wondering why a nuclear program that exists ostensibly for peaceful purposes and under the... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) spent the month of August meeting with various law enforcement agencies across Arkansas to learn more about their operations and to discuss ways Congress and the federal government can help law enforcement professionals. In the wake of recent violence against police, Senator Cotton wanted to show his appreciation for the men and women who put their lives on the line each day to keep Arkansans safe. "As a... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the State Department's confirmation that the $400 million payment to Iran was contingent on the release of four prisoners: "The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ransom as ‘money that is paid in order to free someone who has been captured or kidnapped'. President Obama, Secretary Kerry, and the rest of the Obama administration ought to write that definition... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on new reports confirming the United States held the $400 million payment to Iran until four prisoners were released: "Reports today confirm what many of us have suspected all along: the $400 million payment to Iran was a ransom payment for four Americans unlawfully held by the ayatollahs. And we now know the extraordinary lengths to which the Obama administration... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation announced that the International Republican Institute (IRI) has been designated as an "undesirable organization": "If the Russian government were the democracy it claims to be, it would not fear a pro-democracy organization. Vladimir Putin's autocratic rule has been built on corruption, brutal oppression, and... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the transfer of 15 inmates from Guantanamo Bay: "As the president makes a reckless dash to secure his so-called legacy, we should remember that not every legacy is positive. Each release of a detainee lets another terrorist return to the battlefield and increases the danger to every American. Thanks to the hard-work of my colleague Senator Kelly Ayotte (New... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on reports that both key foreign partners and top Obama administration officials are pushing back against his plan to announce a unilateral "No First Use" policy, an unwise move that would undermine strategic stability and cause allies to question our extended nuclear deterrent: "I am pleased to hear members of President Obama's cabinet like Secretaries Kerry, Carter,... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement congratulating Arkansan Jeff Henderson on winning the Gold Medal in the Long Jump on Saturday at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: "Congratulations to Arkansas's Jeff Henderson on his Olympic victory last night. Jeff's years of dedication, hard-work, and sacrifice represent the very best of Arkansas. We are proud to call this Olympic champion our... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the death of Sebastian County Sherriff's Deputy Bill Cooper: "I join all Arkansans in mourning the death of Sebastian County Deputy Bill Cooper. A military veteran and 20-year member of Arkansas law enforcement, Deputy Cooper dedicated his life to protecting our state and our country. He served honorably and put his life on the line each and every day to make... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the State Department's refusal to provide details on whether the Iranians required the plane carrying $400 million in cash to land in Iran before they would release U.S. hostages: "The Obama administration's stonewalling when it comes to Iran knows no bounds. In this case, silence is damning. When the administration repeatedly refuses to answer basic questions... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on reports that President Obama will circumvent the Senate and go to the United Nations on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT): "Recent reports are little surprising considering President Obama has repeatedly tried to circumvent Congress to force his will on the American people. Going to the United Nations on a paramount issue like the Comprehensive Test Ban... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on President Obama's remarks at the Pentagon: "As President Obama's time in office comes to a close its clear he's getting further and further from reality. Despite what he'd like Americans to believe, ISIS is not on the run nor have they been ‘beaten back'. ISIS's new approach means they are actually growing their reach and are more motivated than ever to... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew demanding answers about the Obama Administration's $400 million payment to Iran. The letter comes in response to a Wall Street Journal article detailing that this payment was made directly to Iran in cash. Since January, Senator Cotton has repeatedly asked the Administration how and in what currencies the payment was... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on Aetna's announcement that they are cancelling their planned expansions into the Obamacare exchanges: "Aetna's announcement is further confirmation that Obamacare is coming apart at its seams. Aetna is following other insurance companies that have already recognized that Obamacare is a failure, and more are likely to follow suit. Fewer insurance choices will mean... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the the Bureau of Economic Analysis' estimate that real GDP growth was only 1.2 percent in the second quarter of 2016: "After eight years of higher taxes, endless regulations, and skyrocketing healthcare costs the chickens are apparently coming home to roost. Today's economic report illustrates what millions of hard-working Arkansans have known for years: our... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement responding to Minority Leader Reid's comment that the Intelligence Community should withhold security briefings from Donald Trump: "It's disturbing that Harry Reid is pressuring intelligence agencies to inject politics into their briefings. It is the duty of the Intelligence Community to present information and analysis to policymakers free from political bias. Harry... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund's 2016 Mid-Year Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report: "The large spike in the number of shooting deaths of law enforcement officers is beyond concerning-it's unacceptable. Our police officers put their lives on the line to keep us safe each and every day. Shooting those men and women who are protecting our... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement congratulating the six Arkansans who will be part of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team competing in the Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next month: "I am so proud of the six Arkansans who will represent the United States during the Olympic games next month. Qualifying for the Olympics takes years of dedication, hard-work, and sacrifice, not only by the... Read More

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353 Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the terrorist attack in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, in Normandy, France: "This is the face of evil. To invade a sanctuary open to all-a place of worship and refuge-to kill and terrorize innocent people who devoted their lives to the teachings of Christ lays bare the barbarism of radical jihadism. I am outraged for the families of the victims, for our ally France, for... Read More