WASHINGTON — As U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, left the House Republican Conference meeting Wednesday morning at the Capitol Hill Club, he was greeted by reporters who wanted to talk to GOP lawmakers.
In Womack’s account of the moment at the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Arkansas Associated Industries Thursday, the first question directed at the congressman was about Rep. George Santos, the New York congressman indicted on multiple federal charges .
Womack responded to the question by calling the situation a “distraction” and a “fist point,” but said Thursday that the focus on Santos is part of a larger problem in handling the political problems of the nation
“There’s the poster child for what’s wrong with America, what’s wrong with this city,” Womack said of the question. “We’re distracted by trash, noise, and a small handful of people make all of this happen.”
Womack and other Arkansas congressional delegates spoke to the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Arkansas Associated Industries Thursday during the groups’ annual Washington Fly-In Summit. Legislators provided reports on legislative issues and answered questions from Arkansas business leaders.
The trip coincided with a turbulent period in Washington. The White House and congressional leaders are working to find common ground on a plan to raise the debt ceiling. The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a broad immigration bill along party lines as Republicans denounced the end of Title 42, a public health emergency order that deports migrants who enter the United States illegally united
House Republicans struggled to get enough votes Wednesday to set up passage of the immigration bill; Republicans control the chamber by a nine-seat margin and scrambled to get enough votes from their caucus. Womack noted the importance of Santos in passing conservative proposals given the narrow majority.
“It’s no wonder that the American people who get up every morning, go to work, do their jobs, educate their children, pay their mortgages and deal with inflation and all the things that are happening in this country.” Womack said before breaking up.
“Rome is burning, and Congress is playing games. And that’s the challenge we have.”
The biggest challenge facing Congress and the nation, from Womack’s perspective, is overcoming the “division of the body politic.” While House Republicans have managed to pass parts of their conservative agenda, the bills have little chance of making it out of the Democratic-controlled Senate.
“There are so many issues that we’re facing right now, and yet we’re so divided politically,” said Womack, a former mayor of Rogers. “Everything up here is a weapon. Everything up here has some political weaponry.”
The congressman added: “It’s sad that the greatest country in the history of the world has this great political divide that prevents it from doing its most basic function.”
The divide is evident in efforts to raise the debt ceiling. President Joe Biden and congressional leaders met Tuesday to discuss a potential deal with little progress. House Republicans last month approved a plan to raise the debt ceiling through next March with limits on discretionary spending and the collection of unused coronavirus relief funds. Democrats have called for a net increase in the debt limit with warnings about how the House plan could slow government services.
A meeting between Biden and lawmakers scheduled for today was called off.
All four members of the Arkansas House supported the chamber’s proposal, which passed on a 217-215 vote.
“If you read what we passed two weeks ago, you’d think House Republicans were trying to regain some moral ground on the deficit and the debt, and nothing could be further from the truth,” said Womack, a senior the Chamber, Thursday. , acknowledging the bill as a “baby step.”
“It would just bring us back next year to have to revisit these same things.”
If national leaders want to address annual deficits, Womack said, everything must be considered, including what he acknowledged as the elephant in the room: spending related to Medicaid and Social Security.
The House plan does not include cuts in either program.
“We need to talk about it,” Womack said. “I want you to be careful not to think I’m implying that we need to cut entitlement programs, because I’m not suggesting that. Too many people rely on them.”
Womack emphasized that talking about spending for these programs would be part of a “full, sober, grown-up conversation” about federal spending.
“You were sent here to manage some of the nation’s most difficult challenges,” he said, referring to his colleagues. “They will require some tough votes.”
“We’ve got to get Congress working together again and we’ve got to find some bipartisan solutions, which means I probably won’t get everything I want, and they probably won’t get everything they want,” Womack added. . “What we produce can make everyone angry, which can be the litmus test of whether it’s good or not. But we have to fix that.”
Lawmakers have weeks to find a solution to the debt ceiling. The Treasury Department may not be able to continue meeting the nation’s obligations if Congress does not act by June 1.
