Over the weekend, Arkansas’ U.S Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, both Republicans, visited Little Rock to participate in a discussion hosted by PunchBowl News and Goldman Sachs.
President Joe Biden has requested Congress to approve $105 billion for aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, according to the Associated Press. Boozman and Cotton said they support Biden’s request for aid to Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel. However, Cotton said he needs to see changes in the administration’s immigration policy to approve a budget.
“The one thing we will not do as Congress is anything that accelerates migration, makes it easier for illegal immigrants to get here and move them across the country and house them,” he said.
Cotton also said he would disapprove of any aid to Gaza, because the money would go to Hamas, who is the governing body. Hamas has been labeled a terrorist group by the U.S Department of Defense.
Boozman said it is important for the United States to stand with Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, because turmoil in those countries could lead to issues in the supply chains and oil prices, which would harm the American economy.
Last week, the U.S House of Representatives elected Rep. Mike Johnson, R- Louisiana, to be the speaker of the House. Boozman said even after the House elected a new speaker, there will be challenges to approving a budget.
“The Senate will be able to come up with an appropriations package that’s good. We’ll have to wait and see in the House,” he said. “Democrats run the Senate and the Republicans run the House. If the Republican bill is such that Senate Democrats can’t live with then we’re looking at a government shutdown.”
In September, Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government until Nov. 17, according to The Committee for a Responsible Budget.
