Episode 6: Week of Oct. 22, 2023

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of Oct. 22, 2023. I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The U.S. House of Representatives is entering a third week without a speaker after House Republicans failed to unite around Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan's bid last week during three rounds of voting.

Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, voted for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise during each round. Arkansas' other House members — Republican Reps. Rick Crawford of Jonesboro, French Hill of Little Rock and Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs — were steadfast in backing Jordan.

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Little Rock, attempted to pass legislation blocking Iran from accessing $6 billion in frozen assets, a move related to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Finally, a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researcher took part in a forum at the U.S. Capitol focused on National Institutes of Health funding and research in rural states.

Thank you for listening to this episode of "Arkies in the Beltway!" Stay up to date with all Arkansas news at https://www.arkansasonline.com. Feel free to follow what is happening in Washington, D.C.; my social media handle on all platforms is @AlexHouseThomas.