Week of Feb. 11, 2024

Welcome to "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of February 11, 2024! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with a recap of a busy week in the nation's capital.

The U.S. House of Representatives failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. House Republicans put forward two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas over the Biden administration's handling of immigration and border-related issues, but failed to unify during last Tuesday's vote.

All four of Arkansas' House members joined a majority of their fellow Republicans in supporting the Mayorkas impeachment effort.

STORY: Arkansas’ U.S. House members back failed Mayorkas impeachment

The Senate is spending the weekend continuing work on a security package covering assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific partners.

Senators rejected a larger package with a bipartisan plan addressing the U.S.-Mexico border and the number of migrants entering the country illegally.

Sens. John Boozman, of Rogers, and Tom Cotton, of Little Rock, opposed moving forward with the larger proposal, as well as advancing the international aid bill.

STORY: Boozman, Cotton oppose Senate bills on U.S. border, overseas aid

New research shows thousands of Arkansas families could benefit from proposed changes to the federal child tax credit.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities — a research institute based in Washington, D.C. — recently released data showing that possible enhancements to the existing offering could affect 191,000 Arkansas children currently not eligible for the full tax credit.

The potential modifications are part of the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, which the House has already passed.

Check the Sunday edition of the Democrat-Gazette for the full story.

Finally, Miss America Madison Marsh spent part of last week at the U.S. Capitol.

Marsh's stop happened less than a month after the Fort Smith native received the crown in the nationwide competition.

STORY: Miss America, a Fort Smith native, pushes for increased pancreatic cancer research

Thank you for listening to "Arkies in the Beltway!" Stay up to date with all news involving Arkansas at https://www.arkansasonline.com. Stay informed about happenings in the nation's capital; my social media handle across all platforms is @AlexHouseThomas.