Category Archives: U.S. Congress

Womack speaks in House while heart is at home

Steve WomackBy Steve Brawner, © 2026 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack spoke in the House of Representatives on Jan. 22 in support of a $1.2 trillion spending package he had helped create. His voice cracked twice, but only briefly and for a very good reason. Four days earlier, he had lost his wife.

Terri Womack, his wife of 41 years, had died on Jan. 18 at age 68.

The spending package passed the House with bipartisan support, 341-88. It would provide funding for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

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Dr. Bass’s prescriptions for Congress

By Steve Brawner, © 2025 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Congress is a mess. I asked Dr. Hal Bass what might could be done to fix it.

Bass has taught political science at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia for 49 years. He was my professor when I attended school there from 1987-91. Retired since 2016, he still teaches one class a semester. This semester, it’s “The American Congress.”

In a phone interview, he said James Madison and the rest of the Constitution’s framers believed Congress would be the “first” of the government’s three branches, the others being the executive and the judiciary. 

That’s not the case now. The presidency has become more and more powerful in recent decades when his party controls Congress. That’s especially the case now under President Trump.

“I just don’t think there’s been a president who could count on the unflinching support of congressional majorities like Trump can,” he said. Continue reading →

Westerman, Womack both right about McCarthy vote

By Steve Brawner, © 2023 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

There are two ways of looking at last week’s speaker of the House election in Washington – Rep. Bruce Westerman’s way, and Rep. Steve Womack’s way. Both are valid.

Westerman and Womack along with Arkansas’ other representatives, Reps. French Hill and Rick Crawford, were strong supporters of Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s bid. They all stuck with him through 15 votes over four days until he finally was elected over the strong opposition of about 20 conservatives. 

Westerman, a close ally of McCarthy, gave the nominating speech on the 15th vote that finally settled the matter. Afterwards, his office released one of those statements that generally belongs at the end of a news story, but it’s worth repeating in part here. Continue reading →

Cotton’s absence gave Harrington center stage

By Steve Brawner, © 2020 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Ricky Harrington had a good week.

The Libertarian challenger to Republican Sen. Tom Cotton released a poll Oct. 10 showing he trailed Cotton only 49% to 38%, with 13% undecided. Again, that’s Harrington’s poll, and we’ll need to see other polls from independent sources, but it did get him some attention.

Cotton is a polarizing figure. His approval-disapproval rating was 44%-47% in a June poll by Talk Business & Politics and Hendrix College. Independents disapproved, 39-51.

Also, Harrington is the only challenger after the Democrat dropped out hours after the filing period ended. Libertarians haven’t really cracked the 3% threshold of statewide support in Arkansas, but Democrats generally run close to 40%. It’s likely Harrington is winning their anti-Cotton vote by default.

The poll numbers gained Harrington some attention, and he’s been raising a little money lately – around $40,000 total, his campaign said. It’s certainly nowhere near Cotton’s millions, but he could afford to run a poll.

Then on Wednesday, Harrington had the stage to himself during the debates organized by Arkansas PBS. Cotton declined to participate. It wasn’t worth his time, and he saw more harm than good in sharing the stage with his opponent.

All the state’s other Republican congressmen participated in their debates. That includes the two who are safely headed toward re-election in races contested by both Democrats and Libertarians. Continue reading →

Poll: Libertarian Harrington trails Cotton, 49-38

Ricky Harrington speaks at a campaign event in Little Rock Aug. 28.

By Steve Brawner, © 2020 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Libertarian candidate Ricky Harrington trails U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, 49-38%, according to a poll commissioned by the Harrington campaign.

Thirteen percent were undecided. The poll of 600 likely voters by American Research Group conducted late last week had a margin of error of plus-minus 4%, the Harrington campaign said.

Harrington is Cotton’s sole challenger because the only Democratic to file, Josh Mahony, dropped out of the race hours after the filing period closed. An independent candidate, Dan Whitfield, tried without success to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

He’s picking up the protest vote that would have gone to Mahony or another Democrat.

Harrington reported raising $5,120.49 as of June 30 in his most recent filing report with the Federal Election Commission. Howington said there has been a significant increase in donations in the last few weeks.

Cotton, meanwhile, had raised almost $10 million, including transfers from other committees, and had $6 million on hand as of June 30.

Harrington’s press secretary, Andy Howington, said, “We are hopeful for an ‘October Surprise’ as more people are introduced to Mr. Harrington’s campaign in these last few weeks. The uncertainty in this race, coupled with the results of this poll, provide us a vision for a path to victory. We will work hard to court these undecided voters, and maybe even take some from Senator Cotton in the process. No one expected us to be here.”

Howington pointed to the FiveThirtyEight website, which predicted Cotton would win with 82.1% of the vote. It gives Cotton a greater than 99% chance of winning based on a model that simulates the election 40,000 times.

A debate between the candidates by Arkansas PBS is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, but only Harrington is scheduled to appear. Arkansas PBS will livestream Harrington’s appearance here and here.  It will air it at 7 p.m.

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