Arkies in the Beltway

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of June 22, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Members of the Natural State's congressional delegation have voiced support for President Donald Trump and the decision to strike three Iranian sites. The military action occurr...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of June 15, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Arkansans joined demonstrators across the country Saturday to protest President Donald Trump and his administration's policies during the first months of his second White House ...

Welcome to "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of June 8, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. A federal district court has sided with the state in a legal challenge against Arkansas' congressional map. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas issued...

Welcome to "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of June 1, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. In a change of pace from our usual coverage, this week's "Arkies in the Beltway" episode focuses away from the nation's capital. Democrats from across the country — including...

Welcome to "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of May 18, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Reconciliation work remained the talk of Capitol Hill as House Republicans continued to put together a plan combining spending cuts with an extension of the 2017 tax cuts. Awa...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of May 11, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. House Republicans continue their work on Capitol Hill to finalize a budget package cutting the deficit and extending the 2017 tax cuts. The House Natural Resources Committee — le...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of May 4, 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 Senate and House of Representatives are back in action on Capitol Hill, and some House committees did not waste any time considering their portions of the reconciliation packa...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of April 27, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Arkansas' federal delegation has asked President Donald Trump to reconsider the federal government's decisions on major disaster declaration requests in response to severe weat...

Welcome to "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of April 20, 2025! This is Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives remain away from Washington, D.C., as part of a two-week break from legislative business. When lawmakers return t...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of April 13, 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 U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate budget framework on Thursday. The blueprint calls on congressional committees to recommend actions meeting Republicans' goal...

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 2...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of March 30, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Much of the recent talk around Capitol Hill has focused on how Trump administration officials discussed a recent military operation and one journalist's access to their message...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of March 23, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Capitol Hill was a quiet place last week as senators and House members spent time in their home states and districts. When lawmakers return to the nation's capital on Monday, m...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of March 16, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, the Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. The Senate and House of Representatives did their parts in preventing a government shutdown, passing a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through Septembe...

Welcome to "Arkies in the Beltway!" This is Alex Thomas, the Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and I'm here with your Arkansas-centric look at national politics for the week of March 9, 2025! Members of Arkansas' congressional delegation attended President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress last week. These Arkansans left the U.S. Capitol late last Tuesday expressin...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of March 2, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, the Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have passed separate budget resolutions addressing President Donald Trump and Republicans' top policy goals. Now, they have to r...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of February 23, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, the Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with a look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Members of the Senate and House of Representatives have budget resolutions on their minds. The House returns to Capitol Hill on Monday in the wake of senators approving a $...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of February 16, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, the Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with a look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. The Senate last week continued its consideration of President Donald Trump's picks for his administration. Senators confirmed Brooke Rollins as agriculture secretary, Tulsi...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of February 9, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, the Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and I'm here to provide you with a look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Multiple Arkansans appeared before the Senate and House of Representatives in hopes of providing valuable insight and influencing public policy d...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of February 2, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. As members of the U.S. House of Representatives spent time away from the nation's capital, the Senate remained busy considering President Donald Trump's picks for his adminis...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of January 26, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Donald Trump's second presidency is underway, and the 47th president did not waste any time implementing parts of his agenda and campaign promises. Hours after taking office,...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of January 19, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. Regarding those Arkansans of interests, the Natural State's congressional delegation is in quite the position to administer some influence throughout this Congress. Five Arkan...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of January 12, 2025. I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. It's a new year and a new Congress. The 119th Congress is now underway. Republicans hold majority control in the Senate and House of Representatives. Members of Arkansas' cong...

Welcome to "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of Dec. 22, 2024! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. It was a mad dash on Capitol Hill to complete legislative work before the holidays. The Senate and House of Representatives addressed the final priorities of the year, includ...

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of Dec. 15, 2024! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., is preparing to lead an important House of Representatives committee. The House Republican Steering Committee has recommended Hill, of Little Rock...