Week of April 6, 2025

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of April 6, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. The weekend began with a late night on Capitol Hill; the U.S. Senate worked until early Saturday morning on approving a budget plan with steps to cut spending and preserve the 2017 tax law. Arkansas' two senators — Republicans John Boozman, of Rogers, and Tom Cotton, of Little Rock — supported the framework, which still needs the House of Representatives' approval. Congressional Democrats oppose the plan, voicing concerns about the future of government services like Medicaid and food stamps if Republicans succeed in securing spending reductions. STORY: U.S. Senate approves budget framework; Boozman, Cotton back plan The Senate's consideration of the framework followed two chaotic days for U.S. stocks. Markets reacted negatively to the Trump administration's tariff plan affecting international goods imported into the United States. During a telephone town hall, Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., acknowledged tariffs have been part of the country's "trade diplomacy" efforts, but he pushed back against the decision to enforce a sweeping tariff strategy affecting all foreign products. STORY: Hill hosts telephone town hall event The House Financial Services Committee advanced a bill to establish a regulatory framework for certain digital assets. The STABLE Act would set federal oversight affecting payment stablecoins, which are digital assets whose value is pegged to traditional assets like the U.S. dollar. Hill, of Little Rock, chairs the House Financial Services Committee. STORY: House committee approves regulatory bill for stablecoin Arkansas investment banker Warren Stephens faced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as President Donald Trump's nominee to serve as ambassador to the United Kingdom. Stephens is the second Arkansan to receive a nomination from the Trump administration; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee appeared before senators in late March to discuss the possibility of serving as the next ambassador to Israel. STORY: Stephens faces U.S. Senate panel in pursuit of U.K. ambassadorship Thanks for supporting "Arkies in the Beltway!" You can stay up to date with all Arkansas news at ArkansasOnline.com, or follow me on Bluesky for developments from the nation's capital!