Tom Cotton

Last updated

Tom Cotton
Tom Cotton official Senate photo.jpg
United States Senator
from Arkansas
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Servingwith John Boozman
Preceded by Mark Pryor
Member of the U.S.HouseofRepresentatives
from Arkansas's 4th district
In office
January 3, 2013 –January 3, 2015
Preceded by Mike Ross
Succeeded by Bruce Westerman
Personal details
Born
Thomas Bryant Cotton

(1977-05-13) May 13, 1977 (age 42)
Dardanelle, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s)
Anna Peckham(m. 2014)
Children2
Education Harvard University (BA, JD)
Claremont Graduate University
Website Senate website
Military service
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Branch/serviceFlag of the United States Army (official proportions).svg  United States Army
Years of service2005–2009 (active)
2009–2013 (reserve)
Rank Army-USA-OF-02.svg Captain
Unit
Battles/wars War on Terrorism
Awards

Thomas Bryant Cotton (born May 13, 1977) is an American attorney, military veteran and politician serving as the junior United States Senator for Arkansas since January 3, 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.

United States senators are conventionally ranked by the length of their tenure in the Senate. The senator in each U.S. state with the longer time in office is known as the senior senator; the other is the junior senator. This convention has no official standing, though seniority confers several benefits, including preference in the choice of committee assignments and physical offices. When senators have been in office for the same length of time, a number of tiebreakers, including previous offices held, are used to determine seniority.

United States Senate Upper house of the United States Congress

The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, which along with the United States House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the legislature of the United States. The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol, in Washington, D.C.

Arkansas State of the United States of America

Arkansas is a state in the southern region of the United States, home to over 3 million people as of 2018. Its name is of Siouan derivation from the language of the Osage denoting their related kin, the Quapaw Indians. The state's diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozark and the Ouachita Mountains, which make up the U.S. Interior Highlands, to the densely forested land in the south known as the Arkansas Timberlands, to the eastern lowlands along the Mississippi River and the Arkansas Delta.

Contents

In 2005, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he rose to the rank of First Lieutenant. Cotton's military background includes service in Afghanistan and deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom; he is a Bronze Star recipient.

Bronze Star Medal United States military decoration for wartime meritorious service or valor

The Bronze Star Medal, unofficially the Bronze Star, is a United States decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.

Cotton served in the United States House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate at age 37 in 2014, defeating two-term Democratic incumbent Mark Pryor.

United States House of Representatives lower house of the United States Congress

The United States House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they compose the legislature of the United States.

2014 United States Senate election in Arkansas

The 2014 United States Senate election in Arkansas was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Arkansas, concurrently with the election of the Governor of Arkansas, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Democratic Party (United States) Major political party in the United States

The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with its rival, the Republican Party. Tracing its heritage back to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison's Democratic-Republican Party, the modern-day Democratic Party was founded around 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party.

Early life, education, and military career, 1977–2013

Formative years and education

Tom Cotton was born on May 13, 1977 in Dardanelle, Arkansas. [1] Cotton's father, Thomas Leonard "Len" Cotton, was a district supervisor in the Arkansas Health Department, and his mother, Avis (née Bryant) Cotton, was a schoolteacher who later became principal of their district's middle school. [2] Cotton's family had lived in rural Arkansas for seven generations, and he grew up on his family's cattle farm. [3] [4] He attended Dardanelle High School where he played on the local and regional basketball teams; standing 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) tall, he was usually required to play center. [4] [5]

Dardanelle, Arkansas City in Arkansas, United States

Dardanelle is a city in Yell County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,745 at the 2010 census. Along with Danville, it serves as a county seat for Yell County. It is located near Lake Dardanelle.

Dardanelle High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in Dardanelle, Arkansas, United States, for students in grades nine through twelve. Dardanelle is the sole high school administered by the Dardanelle School District and serves three counties in the Arkansas River Valley area and as the main feeder school for Dardanelle Middle School. The school is known as the only high school with the Sand Lizard as its school mascot.

Center (basketball) position in basketball

The center (C), also known as the five, or the big man, is one of the five positions in a regular basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well. In the NBA, the center is usually 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) or taller and usually weighs 240 pounds (110 kg) or more. They traditionally have played close to the basket in the low post. A center with the ability to shoot outside from three-point range is known as stretch five.

While in high school, Cotton developed an intense desire to attend Harvard University, and worked intently on his studies toward that goal. [4] He was accepted to Harvard after graduating from high school in 1995, and majored in government. At Harvard, Cotton was a member of the editorial board of The Harvard Crimson , often dissenting from the liberal majority. [5] In articles, Cotton addressed what he saw as "sacred cows" such as affirmative action. [6] He graduated with an A.B. magna cum laude in 1998 after only three years of study, having written his senior thesis on The Federalist Papers . [4]

Harvard University private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with about 6,700 undergraduate students and about 15,250 postgraduate students. Established in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, clergyman John Harvard, Harvard is the United States' oldest institution of higher learning. Its history, influence, and wealth have made it one of the world's most prestigious universities.

<i>The Harvard Crimson</i> newspaper

The Harvard Crimson, the daily student newspaper of Harvard University, was founded in 1873. It is the only daily newspaper in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is run entirely by Harvard College undergraduates. The newspaper is operated by The Harvard Crimson Corporation, officially The Trustees of The Harvard Crimson, a non-profit organization.

Sacred cow is an idiom, a figurative reference to sacred cows in some religions. This idiom is thought to originate in American English, although similar or even identical idioms occur in many other languages.

After graduating from Harvard, Cotton was accepted into a master's degree program at Claremont Graduate University. He left in 1999, saying that he found academic life "too sedentary", and instead enrolled at Harvard Law School. [4] Cotton received his J.D. in 2002. [7]

Claremont Graduate University university located in Claremont, California, United States

Claremont Graduate University (CGU) is a private, all-graduate research university in Claremont, California. Founded in 1925, CGU is a member of the Claremont Colleges which includes five undergraduate and two graduate institutions of higher education.

Harvard Law School law school in Cambridge

Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. It is ranked first in the world by the QS World University Rankings and the ARWU Shanghai Ranking.

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor degree (J.D. or JD), also known as the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree (J.D., JD, D.Jur. or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degree

The Juris Doctor degree, also known as the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree and sometimes erroneously rendered as "Juris Doctorate," is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The Juris Doctor is earned by completing law school in Australia, Canada, the United States, and some other common law countries. It has the academic standing of a professional doctorate in the United States, a master's degree in Australia, and a second-entry, baccalaureate degree in Canada.

After finishing law school in 2002, he served for a year as a clerk for Judge Jerry Edwin Smith at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He then entered the practice of law, working at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher for a few months to pay off his student loans, and later at the law firm of Charles J. Cooper & Kirk from 2003 to 2004. [8]

Military service

On January 11, 2005, Cotton enlisted in the U.S. Army. [9] Cotton declined offers to serve in the Army J.A.G. Corps and instead volunteered for the infantry. Cotton had resolved to serve as an Army infantryman in his third year of law school while watching live news coverage of the September 11 attacks, and had begun a regimen of physical exercise and studying military history. [10] In March 2005, he entered Officer Candidate School, and in June 2005 was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry. [11]

In May 2006, Cotton was deployed to Baghdad as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division. In Iraq, he led a 41-man air assault infantry platoon in the 506th Infantry Regiment, and planned and performed daily combat patrols. [11] In December 2006, Cotton was promoted to First Lieutenant. He was assigned as a platoon leader for the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment at Arlington National Cemetery in Northern Virginia. [12] In October 2008, Cotton was deployed to eastern Afghanistan. He was assigned within the Train Advise Assist Command – East at its Gamberi forward operating base (FOB) in Laghman Province as the Operations Officer of a Provincial Reconstruction Team, where he planned daily counter-insurgency and reconstruction operations. [11] His 11-month deployment ended on July 20, 2009 and he returned from Afghanistan. [11] He then returned to farming his family ranch. [13]

In July 2010, Cotton transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve. His military record shows his final discharge from the Army Reserve was in May 2013; he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and earned a Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and Iraq Campaign Medal. [11] [14] [15]

Call for the imprisonment of New York Times journalists

In June 2006, while stationed in Iraq, Cotton gained international public attention after he wrote an open letter to the editor of The New York Times , accusing three journalists of violating "espionage laws" by publishing an article detailing a Bush administration secret program monitoring terrorists' finances. The New York Times did not publish the letter, but it was published on Power Line , a conservative blog that had been copied on the email. [16] [17] In the letter, Cotton called for the journalists responsible for the newspaper article to be imprisoned for espionage. He asserted that the newspaper had "gravely endangered the lives of my soldiers and all other soldiers and innocent Iraqis here." The article was widely circulated online and reprinted in full in several newspapers. [18]

House and Senate elections and career, 2013–present

Shortly after Cotton's Afghanistan deployment ended, his former boss at the Claremont Institute introduced Cotton to Chris Chocola, a former Congressman and the president of Club for Growth, an influential Republican political action committee. [4] An attempt was made to draft Cotton for the 2010 United States Senate election in Arkansas to run against incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln. Cotton declined, believing he would be rushing a political candidacy. [19] Following his active duty service, Cotton served in the Army Reserve and did sporadic consulting work for McKinsey & Company, [4] [20] before deciding to run for the Arkansas 4th following retirement of Democratic incumbent Mike Ross. [21] [22]

U.S. Congressman

Cotton participating in a 2012 congressional debate at Southern Arkansas University Debate 10.4.12 (8070720129).jpg
Cotton participating in a 2012 congressional debate at Southern Arkansas University

In September 2011, Cotton faced criticism for an article that he wrote in The Harvard Crimson in 1998, in which he questioned the value of the Internet as a teaching tool in the classroom, referring to the internet as having "too many temptations" to be useful in schools and libraries. Cotton later stated that the internet had matured since he wrote the article in 1998. [23] [24]

Beth Anne Rankin, the 2010 Republican nominee, and John David Cowart, who carried the backing of the Louisiana businessman and philanthropist Edgar Cason, were the only other Republican candidates in the race after candidate Marcus Richmond dropped out in February 2012. [5] In the primary on May 22, 2012, Cotton won the Republican nomination, with 57.6% of the vote; Rankin received 37.1%. [25]

The Club for Growth endorsed Cotton. [26] Of the $2.2 million Cotton raised for that campaign, Club for Growth donors were responsible for $315,000 and were Cotton's largest supporters. [4] [20] Cotton was also endorsed by Senator John McCain. [27] Cotton was supported by both the Tea Party movement and the Republican establishment. [28] [29]

In the general election on November 6, Cotton defeated State Senator Gene Jeffress, 59.5% to 36.7%. [25] Cotton was the second Republican since Reconstruction Era of the United States to represent the 4th district. The first, Jay Dickey, held it from 1993 to 2001 — during the presidency of Bill Clinton, whose residence was in the district at the time. [30] On January 3, 2013, Cotton was sworn into the U.S. House by United States Speaker of the House John Boehner. [31]

As a freshman, Cotton was considered a rising star in the Republican Party. Politico named him "most likely to succeed." [32] [33] He quickly became a vocal opponent of the Obama administration's foreign and domestic policies. He voted for An Act to eliminate the 2013 statutory pay adjustment for Federal employees, which prevented a 0.5% pay increase for all federal workers from taking effect in February 2013. [34] Cotton voted against the 2013 Farm Bill over concerns about waste and fraud in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program voting later that month to strip funding from food stamps. [35] He also voted against the revised measure, the Agricultural Act of 2014, [36] which expanded crop insurance and a price floor for rice farmers. [37] [38]

Cotton accused Obama of holding up a "false choice" between his framework deal on Iran's nuclear program and war. Cotton also seemed to underestimate what military action against Iran would entail, [39] stating: "the president is trying to make you think it would be 150,000 heavy mechanized troops on the ground in the Middle East again as we saw in Iraq. That's simply not the case." Drawing a comparison to President Bill Clinton's actions in 1998 during the Bombing of Iraq (1998), he elaborated: "Several days' air and naval bombing against Iraq's weapons of mass destruction facilities for exactly the same kind of behavior. For interfering with weapons inspectors and for disobeying Security Council resolutions." [39] [40] On July 21, 2015, Cotton and Mike Pompeo uncovered the existence of secret side agreements between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on procedures for inspection and verification of Iran's nuclear activities under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal. Obama administration officials acknowledged the existence of agreements between Iran and the IAEA governing the inspection of sensitive military sites, but denied the characterization that they were "secret side deals", calling them standard practice in crafting arms-control pacts and arguing the administration had provided information about them to Congress. [41] [42]

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate (2015–present)

Cotton and Senator Jon Kyl speaking at Hudson Institute Jon Kyl and Tom Cotton 28024309880 (cropped).jpg
Cotton and Senator Jon Kyl speaking at Hudson Institute
Senator Cotton and former Ambassador to the U.N. John R. Bolton at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) U.S. Senator Tom Cotton and former Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton speaking at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland.jpg
Senator Cotton and former Ambassador to the U.N. John R. Bolton at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Senators Joni Ernst, Daniel Sullivan, John McCain, Tom Cotton, Lindsey Graham, and Cory Gardner attending the 2016 International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia Security Summit in Singapore U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Senators Joni Ernst, Daniel Sullivan, John McCain, Tom Cotton, Lindsey Graham, and Cory Gardner attending the 2016 International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia Security Summit in Singapore.jpg
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Senators Joni Ernst, Daniel Sullivan, John McCain, Tom Cotton, Lindsey Graham, and Cory Gardner attending the 2016 International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia Security Summit in Singapore

On August 6, 2013, Cotton officially announced he would challenge Democratic incumbent Mark Pryor for his seat in the United States Senate. [43] Stuart Rothenberg of Roll Call called Pryor the most vulnerable Senator seeking re-election. [44] Cotton was endorsed by the conservative Club for Growth PAC, [45] [46] [47] Senator Marco Rubio, [48] the National Federation of Independent Business, [49] and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who campaigned for Cotton. [50] [51] Cotton defeated Pryor in the general election, 56.5% to 39.5%. [52] The race was called for Cotton just half an hour after the polls closed. Cotton was sworn into office on January 6, 2015.

Cassandra Butts nomination

In February 2015, Obama renominated Cassandra Butts, a former White House lawyer, to be the United States Ambassador to the Bahamas. However, Butts's nomination was blocked by several Republican senators. First, Senator Ted Cruz placed a blanket hold on all U.S. State Department nominees. [53] Cotton specifically blocked the nominations of Butts and ambassador nominees to Sweden and Norway after the Secret Service had leaked private information about a fellow member of Congress, although that issue was unrelated to those nominees. Cotton eventually released his holds on the nominees to Sweden and Norway, but kept his hold on Butts' nomination. [53]

Butts told New York Times columnist Frank Bruni that she had gone to see Cotton about his objections to her nomination, and said Cotton had told her that because he knew that the president and Butts were friends, it was a way to "inflict special pain on the president", Bruni said. Cotton's spokeswoman did not dispute Butts' characterization. Butts died on May 26, 2016, still awaiting a Senate vote. [53]

Potential role in the Trump Administration

Cotton was mentioned as a possible candidate for Secretary of Defense in the Trump administration. [54] However, retired General James Mattis was chosen instead. [55] Cotton frequently met with Trump's staff during the transition period, and, according to Steve Bannon, Cotton suggested John F. Kelly for the role of Secretary of Homeland Security. [8]

In November 2017, the New York Times reported that Cotton was a potential choice to succeed CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who could be elevated to US Secretary of State after President Trump 'soured' with the then incumbent, Rex Tillerson. [56]

In December of 2018, Politico reported that Cotton is a potential choice to replace Jim Mattis as US Secretary of Defense after Mattis announced his resignation for January 1, 2019. [57]

Tom Cotton (left) with president Donald Trump and Republican senator David Perdue (right). President Donald J. Trump, Senator Tom Cotton, and Senator David Perdue, August 2, 2017 (36182228582).jpg
Tom Cotton (left) with president Donald Trump and Republican senator David Perdue (right).

Committee assignments

Senator Cotton visits Air Defenders at Osan Air Base during his three-country tour to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan Sen. Tom Cotton visits Air Defenders in Korea 150815-A-DY706-004.jpg
Senator Cotton visits Air Defenders at Osan Air Base during his three-country tour to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan

Political positions

Domestic policy

Criminal justice reform

Senator Cotton at First In The Nation Townhall, New Hampshire Senator of Arkansas Tom Cotton at NH FITN 2016 by Michael Vadon 08.jpg
Senator Cotton at First In The Nation Townhall, New Hampshire

In 2016, Cotton said that the United States had an "under-incarceration problem", as opposed to a problem with over-incarceration. [58] Cotton said that reduced sentencing for felons would destabilize the United States, arguing that "I saw this in Baghdad. We’ve seen it again in Afghanistan." [58]

In November 2018, while arguing against a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill that he strongly opposed, Cotton falsely said that there had been no hearings on the bill. PolitiFact noted that Cotton "ignored years of congressional debate and hearings on the general topics of the bill, as well as the consideration and bipartisan passage of largely similar bills at the House committee level, by the full House, and by the Senate Judiciary Committee." [59] Arguing against the bill in question, the FIRST STEP Act, Cotton has expressed his opinion that "convicts of certain sex-related crimes could accrue credits making them eligible for supervised release or “pre-release” to a halfway house". This follows the release of an Justice Department analysis that was conducted at Cotton's request. A spokesperson for Mike Lee rebutted that "just because a federal offense is not on the specific list of ineligible offenses doesn’t mean inmates who committed [a] non-specified offense will earn early release". [60] The bill passed 87-12 on December 18, 2018. Cotton did not support it. [61]

Tom Cotton and Brett Kavanaugh in August 2018 Tom Cotton and Brett Kavanaugh.jpg
Tom Cotton and Brett Kavanaugh in August 2018

Gun laws

Cotton has an A rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA), which endorsed him during the 2014 election. The NRA's Chris W. Cox stated that "Tom Cotton will always stand up for the values and freedoms of Arkansas gun owners and sportsmen." [62] In response to the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, Cotton stated that he did not believe any new gun control legislation would have prevented the mass shooting from taking place. [63]

Healthcare

Cotton opposes the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), saying in 2012 that "the first step is to repeal that law, which is offensive to a free society and a free people". [64] [65] In April 2014, Cotton was one of 38 Republican lawmakers that signed an amicus curiae in support of Senator Ron Johnson's legal challenge against the United States Office of Personnel Management's ACA ruling. [66]

Cotton was part of the group of 13 Republican Senators that drafted the Senate version of the American Health Care Act of 2017 (AHCA) behind closed doors. [67]

Immigration

Cotton opposes amnesty or a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. [68]

In July 2013, after the Senate's bi-partisan Gang of Eight passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, an immigration reform proposal, House Republicans held a closed door meeting to decide whether to bring the bill to a vote. [69] Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan spoke at one podium arguing for the bill's passage. [70] Cotton spoke at another podium arguing against the bill, even exchanging terse comments with Speaker Boehner. [69] Cotton noted that a tougher stance on immigration had done little to diminish Mitt Romney's electoral support among Hispanics in 2012 compared to John McCain's in 2008. The House decided to not consider the bill. [70]

Activists had been urging the senator via phone calls and letters to support positions regarding issues such as health care and immigration. The senator's office sent letters asking some of them to cease-and-desist from such contacts, or else the office would contact the US Capitol Police. Letter from the staff of US Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) advising people to not call or write.jpg
Activists had been urging the senator via phone calls and letters to support positions regarding issues such as health care and immigration. The senator's office sent letters asking some of them to cease-and-desist from such contacts, or else the office would contact the US Capitol Police.

Cotton supported President Trump's 2017 Executive Order 13769 that prohibited immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries. [72]

On February 7, 2017, in the presence of President Trump, Cotton and Senator David Perdue (R-GA), jointly proposed a new immigration bill called the RAISE Act which would limit the family route or chain migration. The bill would set a limit on the number of refugees offered residency at 50,000 a year and would remove the Diversity Immigrant Visa. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John McCain (R-AZ) both expressed opposition to the bill. [73] [74]

After the violent incidents surrounding the 2017 Unite the Right rally, Cotton issued a statement condemning white supremacism. [75] [ better source needed ]

Cotton, a supporter of President Donald Trump on the issue of immigration, was at a meeting in which Cotton disputes an alleged attribution that described Haiti and African nations as "shithole countries". [76] Cotton's statements were predicated on his assertion that his colleagues, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), lied in their statements that the President had in fact disparaged those nations and peoples in the January 11 meeting, and that the President's language had been salacious, including derogatory curse words that persons on all sides of the incident had described as "vulgar". [77] Cotton and Senator David Perdue (R-GA) said in a joint statement that "we do not recall the President saying these comments specifically". [78] [79] The Washington Post reported that Cotton and Perdue told the White House they heard "shithouse" rather than "shithole". [80] Sen. Cotton reiterated on CBS's "Face The Nation" interview "I certainly didn’t hear what Sen. Durbin has said repeatedly. Sen. Durbin has a history of misrepresenting what happens in White House meetings, though, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by that,” Cotton added, “And I was sitting no farther away from Donald Trump than Dick Durbin was, and I know what Dick Durbin has said about the president's repeated statements is incorrect”. [81]

In December 2018, Cotton placed a senatorial hold on H.R.7164 - A Bill to add Ireland to the E-3 Non-immigrant Visa Program. [82] The bill did not create new non-immigrant visas, but rather allowed Irish college graduates to apply for any surplus E-3 visas in Specialty Occupations, that had gone unused by Australians within their annual cap of 10,500. [83] The bi-partisan bill which had passed the House of Representatives on November 28th, 2018 and had also received the backing of the Trump Administration, particularly then Chief of Staff John Kelly and Director of the Office of Management and Budget (and then incoming Chief of Staff) Mick Mulvaney. Despite the backing of a broad collation within congress, H.R.7164 did not reach the Senate floor for consideration under unanimous consent as a consequence of Sen. Cotton's hold. [84] Press reports indicate that Sen. Cotton refused to engage with Irish leaders during the process by not taking phone calls from Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney and sending his Chief of Staff in his place to a scheduled meeting at the Embassy of Ireland, Washington, D.C. [85] Sen. Cotton has not to date offered an explanation of his hold on the legislation.

In February 2019, Cotton was one of sixteen senators to vote against legislation preventing a partial government shutdown and containing 1.375 billion for barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border that included 55 miles of fencing. [86]

Minimum wage

After not taking a position on minimum wage during his campaign, in September 2014, Cotton said he would vote, as a citizen, in favor of the Arkansas Minimum Wage Initiative, a November 2014 referendum to raise Arkansas's minimum wage from $6.25 an hour to $8.50 an hour by 2017. Cotton was criticized for failing to take a public position on the issue until public opinion was overwhelmingly in favor. [87] [88]

Social issues

In June 2013, Cotton voted in favor of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a bill to ban abortions occurring 20 or more weeks after fertilization. [89] Cotton has stated that "I believe Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey were wrongly decided." [90] He was one of 183 co-sponsors of the version of the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act introduced in 2013. [91]

Cotton has stated "I oppose the destruction of human embryos to conduct stem-cell research and all forms of human cloning." [90] In 2012, Cotton said, "Strong families also depend on strong marriages, and I support the traditional understanding of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. I also support the Defense of Marriage Act." [92] In 2013, Cotton voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. [92]

In September 2013, Cotton was one of 103 co-sponsors of the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act. [93] In October 2015, Cotton was one of 24 co-sponsors of the Thin Blue Line Act, a federal bill that would impose the death penalty in the case of the killing of police officers. [94]

Infrastructure

In February 2019, Cotton was one of eleven senators to sign a letter to Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen urging them "to work with all federal, state and local regulators, as well as the hundreds of independent power producers and electricity distributors nation-wide to ensure our systems are protected" and affirming that they were "ready and willing to provide any assistance you need to secure our critical electricity infrastructure." [95]

Student loans

In August 2013, Cotton voted against the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013, which lowered interest rates on student loans. Cotton had received federally-subsidized student loans when he was a student but said he didn't want the government in the student loan business, noting that he and his family worked for years to afford his college education. [96]

Foreign policy

US congressional delegation at Halifax International Security Forum 2014 US congressional delegation at HISF 2014.jpg
US congressional delegation at Halifax International Security Forum 2014

Cotton's foreign policy views have been characterized as "hawkish". [97] [98]

In September 2016, Cotton was one of thirty-four senators to sign a letter to United States Secretary of State John Kerry advocating for the United States using "all available tools to dissuade Russia from continuing its airstrikes in Syria" from an Iranian airbase near Hamadan "that are clearly not in our interest" and stating that there should be clear enforcement by the US of the airstrikes violating "a legally binding Security Council Resolution" on Iran. [99]

In August 2018, Cotton and 16 other lawmakers urged the Trump administration to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act against Chinese officials who are responsible for human rights violations in western China's Xinjiang region targeting the Uyghur ethnic minority. [100] They wrote in a bipartisan letter: "The detention of as many as a million or more Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in "political reeducation” centers or camps requires a tough, targeted, and global response." [101]

In December 2018, after President Trump announced the withdrawal of American troops in Syria, Cotton was one of six senators to sign a letter expressing concern for the move and their belief "that such action at this time is a premature and costly mistake that not only threatens the safety and security of the United States, but also emboldens ISIS, Bashar al Assad, Iran, and Russia." [102]

In January 2019, Cotton was one of eleven Republican senators to vote to advance legislation intended to block President Trump's intent to lift sanctions against three Russian companies. [103]

Iran

In 2013, Cotton introduced legislative language to prohibit trade with relatives of individuals subject to U.S. sanctions against Iran. According to Cotton, this would include "a spouse and any relative to the third degree," such as, "parents, children, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, grandparents, great grandparents, grandkids, great grandkids." After Cotton's amendment came under harsh criticism regarding its constitutionality, he withdrew it. [104] [105]

In March 2015, Cotton wrote and sent a letter to the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran, signed by 47 of the Senate's 54 Republicans, attempting to cast doubt on the Obama administration's authority to engage in nuclear-proliferation negotiations with Iran. [106] The open letter was released in English as well as a poorly-translated Farsi version, which "read like a middle schooler wrote it", according to Foreign Policy . [107] Within hours, commentators [ clarification needed ] suggested that the letter prepared by Cotton constituted a violation of the Logan Act. [108] [109] Questions also were raised as to whether it reflected a flawed interpretation of the Treaty Clause of the United States Constitution. [110]

President Barack Obama mocked the letter, referring to it as an "unusual coalition" with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as well as an interference with the then-ongoing negotiations of a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. [111] In addition, Obama said, "I'm embarrassed for them. For them to address a letter to the Ayatollah – the Supreme Leader of Iran, who they claim is our mortal enemy – and their basic argument to them is: don't deal with our President, 'cause you can't trust him to follow through on an agreement ... That's close to unprecedented." [112]

Iran's Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, responded to the letter by saying "[the Senators'] letter in fact undermines the credibility of thousands of such mere executive agreements that have been or will be entered into by the US with various other governments". Zarif pointed out that the nuclear deal is not supposed to be an Iran–US deal, but an international one, saying that "change of administration does not in any way relieve the next administration from international obligations undertaken by its predecessor in a possible agreement about Iran's peaceful nuclear program." He continued, "I wish to enlighten the authors that if the next administration revokes any agreement with the stroke of a pen, as they boast, it will have simply committed a blatant violation of international law." [113]

Cotton defended the letter amid criticism that it undermined the president's efforts, "It's so important we communicated this message straight to Iran... No regrets at all... they already control Tehran, increasingly they control Damascus and Beirut and Baghdad and now Sana'a as well." [114] [115] [116] He continued to defend his action in an interview with MSNBC by saying, "There are nothing but hardliners in Iran. They've been killing Americans for 35 years. They kill hundreds of troops in Iraq. Now they control five capitals in the Middle East. There are nothing but hardliners in Tehran and if they do all those things without a nuclear weapon, imagine what they'll do with a nuclear weapon." [117]

Cotton received extensive financial support from pro-Israel groups due to his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal and for his hawkish stance toward Iran. Several pro-Israel Republican billionaires who contributed millions of dollars to William Kristol's Emergency Committee for Israel spent $960,000 to support Cotton. [118]

In May 2019, Cotton said that in the event of a war with Iran, the United States could easily win in "two strikes. The first strike and the last strike." [97] He said there would be a "furious response" by the United States if there was any provocation from Iran. [97]

Personal life

Cotton married attorney Anna Peckham in 2014. The couple have two children. [119] Their first child, a boy, was born on April 27, 2015. [120] [121]

Cotton is a member of the United Methodist Church. [122]

Cotton has said that Walter Russell Mead, Robert D. Kaplan, Henry Kissinger, Daniel Silva, C.J. Vonn, and Jason Matthews are among his favorite authors. [123]

Electoral history

Arkansas's 4th Congressional District Republican Primary Election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%+%
RepublicanTom Cotton20,89957.55%
RepublicanBeth Anne Rankin13,46037.07%
RepublicanJohn Cowart1,9535.38%
Arkansas's 4th Congressional District Election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%+%
RepublicanTom Cotton154,14959.53%
DemocraticGene Jeffress95,01336.69%
LibertarianBobby Tullis4,9841.92%
GreenJoshua Drake4,8071.86%
U.S. Senate Election in Arkansas, 2014
PartyCandidateVotes%+%
RepublicanTom Cotton478,81956.50%
DemocraticMark Pryor*334,17439.43%
LibertarianNathan LaFrance17,2102.03%
GreenMark Swaney16,7971.98%
Write-in votesWrite-in votes5050.06%

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References

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  3. ↑ "New Arkansas Rep. Cotton Draws Spotlight; 113th Congress Sworn In". Times Record News . January 4, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ball, Molly (September 17, 2014). "The Making of a Conservative Superstar". The Atlantic .
  5. 1 2 3 Bolduc, Brian (October 7, 2011). "G.I. Tom". National Review .
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  8. 1 2 Toobin, Jeffrey (November 13, 2017). "Is Tom Cotton the Future of Trumpism?". The New Yorker .
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  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "NATIONAL DEFENSE PAC today announces with extreme pride its endorsement of Congressman Thomas Cotton" (PDF) (Press release). National Defense PAC. October 6, 2014.
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  16. ↑ Johnson, Scott (October 23, 2012). "A FATEFUL LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES". Power Line.
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  18. ↑ Baumann, Nick (November 10, 2011). "The GOP Candidate Who Wants Journos Jailed". Mother Jones .
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  30. ↑ Merica, Dan (December 3, 2012). "Freshman's House office search foreshadows the legislator he might be". CNN.
  31. ↑ Kranz, Michal (November 30, 2017). "Meet Tom Cotton, the Arkansas senator with Trump's ear who graduated from Harvard in 3 years and might become the next head of the CIA". Business Insider.
  32. ↑ NOCERA, KATE (January 2, 2013). "The freshman most likely to ________". Politico.
  33. ↑ Rubin, Jennifer (December 5, 2012). "Tom Cotton: No ordinary freshman congressman". The Washington Post.
  34. ↑ "HR 273 – Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees – Voting Record". Project Vote Smart .
  35. ↑ Huey-Burns, Caitlin (July 16, 2013). "Tom Cotton a Key House Voice on Immigration Reform". RealClearPolitics .
  36. ↑ "House Floor Activities Legislative Day of January 29, 2014". House of Representatives.
  37. ↑ Nixon, Ron (February 4, 2014). "Senate Passes Long-Stalled Farm Bill, With Clear Winners and Losers". The New York Times .(subscription required)
  38. ↑ Liberto, Jennifer (February 4, 2014). "Senate passes farm bill". CNNMoney.
  39. 1 2 Montanaro, Domenico (April 8, 2015). "Tom Cotton: Military Action Against Iran Would Take Only 'Several Days'". NPR .
  40. ↑ Kendall Breitman (April 8, 2015). "Sen. Tom Cotton says U.S. could pursue targeted attack on Iran". POLITICO.
  41. ↑ Fabian, Jordan; Wong, Kristina (July 26, 2015). "White House launches Iran side deals counterattack". The Hill.
  42. ↑ Schulberg, Jessica (December 19, 2016). "John Kerry's Confident The IAEA Can Handle Iran, But Congress Isn't Buying It". The Huffington Post .
  43. ↑ Condon, Stephanie (August 6, 2013). "Republican Rep. Tom Cotton announces bid to challenge Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark". CBS News.
  44. ↑ Rothenberg, Stuart (June 9, 2014). "Mark Pryor: Still This Cycle's Most Vulnerable Senator". Roll Call.
  45. ↑ Gentilviso, Chris (August 7, 2013). "Tom Cotton 2014 Senate Run Gets Early Club For Growth Endorsement". The Huffington Post .
  46. ↑ Judis, John (October 16, 2013). "The Shrinking Club for Growth". The New Republic .
  47. ↑ Joseph, Cameron (August 7, 2013). "Club for Growth endorses Tom Cotton, launches ads in Arkansas Senate race". The Hill .
  48. ↑ Strauss, Daniel (September 17, 2013). "Rubio Endorses Rep. Tom Cotton for Senate". Talking Points Memo .
  49. ↑ Urban, Peter (July 1, 2014). "Small-business group endorses Cotton". Arkansas News .
  50. ↑ Ramsey, David (August 21, 2014). "Mitt Romney endorses Tom Cotton". Arkansas Times.
  51. ↑ Brantley, Max (August 20, 2014). "Mitt Romney to campaign for Asa Hutchinson and Tom Cotton; Democrats comment". Arkansas Times .
  52. ↑ "November 4, 2014 General election and nonpartisan runoff election Official results". Secretary of State of Arkansas.
  53. 1 2 3 Bruni, Frank (June 7, 2016). "An Obama Nominee's Crushed Hopes". The New York Times .
  54. ↑ Restuccia, Andrew (November 18, 2016). "Donald Trump's Cabinet-in-waiting: What we know so far". Politico . Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  55. ↑ Byrnes, Jesse (December 1, 2016). "Trump announces Mattis as Defense pick" . Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  56. ↑ Baker, Peter (November 30, 2017). "White House Plans Tillerson Ouster, to Be Replaced by Mike Pompeo, Within Weeks". New York Times . Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  57. ↑ )O'Brien, Connor (December 20, 2018). Politico https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/20/trump-next-defense-secretary-mattis-replacement-1049135 . Retrieved December 20, 2018.Missing or empty |title= (help)
  58. 1 2 "Sen. Tom Cotton: U.S. has 'under-incarceration problem'". POLITICO. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  59. ↑ "Were there no hearings on bipartisan criminal justice bill?". @politifact. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  60. ↑ EVERETT, BURGESS; SCHOR, ELANA. "Cotton wields sex offender report to tank prisons bill". Politico. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  61. ↑ Levin, Marianne. "Senate approves Trump-backed criminal justice overhaul". Politico. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  62. ↑ "NRA Endorses Tom Cotton for U.S. Senate in Arkansas" (Press release). National Rifle Association. September 9, 2014.
  63. ↑ Shelbourne, Mallory (October 3, 2017). "Cotton: Las Vegas shooter's weapon sounded like 'belt-fed machine gun'". The Hill .
  64. ↑ "4th District hopefuls split on health care law". Associated Press. September 26, 2012.
  65. ↑ Ramsey, David (April 14, 2014). "How Tom Cotton talks when he talks about Obamacare". Arkansas Times .
  66. ↑ O'Keefe, Ed (April 24, 2014). "38 GOP lawmakers join Ron Johnson's Obamacare lawsuit". The Washington Post .(subscription required)
  67. ↑ Bash, Dana; Fox, Lauren; Barrett, Ted (May 9, 2017). "GOP defends having no women in health care group". CNN .
  68. ↑ "Tom Cotton on Immigration". On the Issues .
  69. 1 2 Costa, Robert (July 15, 2013). "Picking Tom Cotton: On immigration, a freshman speaks for the right flank of the House GOP". The National Review .
  70. 1 2 Lizza, Ryan (July 20, 2016). "Occupied Territory: The Republican élite struggles over whether to resist Trump or capitulate". The New Yorker .
  71. ↑ Max Brantley, January 18, 2018, Arkansas Times, Activists say Tom Cotton has issued do-not-call-or-write notice to some constituents. UPDATE. Such letters sent in 'extreme circumstances' says Cotton's office., Retrieved January 18, 2018, "...Fleming said he knew several people who'd received such a letter. He said he believed they all had made repeated phone calls to deliver similar talking points, but he said they were unlikely to have made rude or disparaging remarks....."
  72. ↑ Blake, Aaron (January 29, 2017). "Coffman, Gardner join Republicans against President Trump's travel ban; here's where the rest stand". The Denver Post .
  73. ↑ "A new effort to narrow the route to permanent residency in America". The Economist . February 16, 2017.
  74. ↑ Alvarez, Priscilla (August 21, 2017). "Can a Decades-Old Immigration Proposal Pass Under Trump?". The Atlantic .
  75. ↑ "Cotton Statement on the Violence in Charlottesville" (Press release). United States Senate. August 13, 2017.
  76. ↑ Ali Vitali, Trump referred to Haiti and African nations as 'shithole' countries, NBCnews.com, January 12, 2017.
  77. ↑ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sen-cotton-says-trumps-words-sentiments-on-immigration-were-misrepresented/
  78. ↑ Ashley Killough, January 12, 2017, CNN, 2 Republican senators in Trump meeting say they don't recall 'shithole' comment
    "...We do not recall the President saying these comments specifically but what he did call out was the imbalance in our current immigration system,..."
  79. ↑ Ruth Brown, January 12, 2017, New York Post, "GOP lawmakers 'do not recall' Trump's 'shithole' slur", Retrieved January 14, 2017, "...Republican Sens. David Perdue and Tom Cotton say they "don't recall" President Trump "specifically" smearing Haiti and African nations as "shitholes" ..."
  80. ↑ Dawsey, Josh; Costa, Robert; Parker, Ashley (January 15, 2018). "Inside the tense, profane White House meeting on immigration". The Washington Post .
  81. ↑ https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/368963-cotton-attacks-durbin-for-claims-of-trumps-shithole-countries
  82. ↑ "E3 bill dies thanks to Senator Tom Cotton and incredibly, an Irish journalist Neil Munro". IrishCentral.com. December 21, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  83. ↑ "What is the E3 visa and what does it mean to the Irish?". IrishCentral.com. December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  84. ↑ "Irish E3 visas face further blow as another senator places hold on bill". IrishCentral.com. December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  85. ↑ "Senator Tom Cotton refused to take Irish leader phone calls on E3 Irish visas". IrishCentral.com. December 22, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  86. ↑ Carney, Jordain. "Senate approves border bill that prevents shutdown". The Hill.
  87. ↑ Bobic, Igor (September 5, 2014). "Tom Cotton Says He Will Vote For Minimum Wage Hike 'As A Citizen'". The Huffington Post .
  88. ↑ Ramsey, David (September 28, 2014). "The not-so-principled stand of Tom Cotton on the minimum wage". Arkansas Times .
  89. ↑ "House Vote 251 – Approves New Abortion Restrictions". The New York Times .
  90. 1 2 "Tom Cotton on Abortion". On the Issues . Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  91. ↑ "H.R.217 - Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act". United States Congress .
  92. 1 2 "Tom Cotton on Civil Rights". On the Issues . Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  93. ↑ "H.R.3133 - Marriage and Religious Freedom Act". United States Congress . September 19, 2013.
  94. ↑ "S.2034 - Thin Blue Line Act". United States Congress . September 15, 2015.
  95. ↑ Thomsen, Jacqueline (February 25, 2019). "Key senators say administration should ban Huawei tech in US electric grid". The Hill.
  96. ↑ McAuliff, Michael (August 1, 2013). "Tom Cotton, Arkansas Rep., Took Student Loans, Voted Against Them". The Huffington Post .
  97. 1 2 3 Axelrod, Tal (May 14, 2019). "Cotton: US could win war with Iran in 'two strikes'". TheHill. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  98. ↑ Willick, Jason (December 9–10, 2017). "A Foreign Policy for 'Jacksonian America'". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved August 5, 2018.(subscription required)
  99. ↑ Kheel, Rebecca (September 19, 2016). "GOP pressures Kerry on Russia's use of Iranian airbase". The Hill.
  100. ↑ "Chairs Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging Administration to Sanction Chinese Officials Complicit in Xinjiang Abuses". www.cecc.gov. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC).
  101. ↑ "China rejects US lawmakers' sanctions call over Muslim camps". Associated Press. August 30, 2018.
  102. ↑ "Senators call on Trump administration to reconsider Syria withdrawal". The Hill. December 19, 2018.
  103. ↑ "Senate advances measure bucking Trump on Russia sanctions". The Hill. January 15, 2019.
  104. ↑ Waldman, Paul (March 11, 2015). "For Tom Cotton, letter to Iran is anything but a 'fiasco'". The Washington Post .
  105. ↑ Carter, Zach (March 17, 2015). "Here's Why Republicans Love Tom Cotton's Letter To Iran". The Huffington Post .
  106. ↑ Baker, Peter (March 9, 2015). "Angry White House and G.O.P. Senators Clash Over Letter to Iran". The New York Times .
  107. ↑ "Sen. Tom Cotton's Farsi Version Of His Explosive Letter to Iranian Leaders Reads Like a Middle Schooler Wrote It". Foreign Policy . March 30, 2015.
  108. ↑ Waldman, Paul (March 9, 2015). "Republicans are beginning to act as though Barack Obama isn't even the president". The Washington Post .
  109. ↑ Bump, Philip (March 9, 2015). "What an 18th century non-war with France has to do with the Senate's letter to Iran". The Washington Post .
  110. ↑ Jaffe, Alexandra (March 11, 2015). "Obama, Iranian official slam GOP letter on deal". CNN.
  111. ↑ "Obama mocks Republican letter to Iran over nuclear talks". BBC News. March 9, 2015.
  112. ↑ Lavender, Paige (March 13, 2015). "Obama: 'I'm Embarrassed' For Republicans Who Sent Letter To Iran". The Huffington Post .
  113. ↑ Zarif, Javad (March 9, 2015). "Dr. Zarif`s Response to the Letter of US Senators". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iran).
  114. ↑ "Freshman GOP Senator Cotton says no regrets about letter warning Iran about Nuclear Deterrent". Fox News. March 15, 2015.
  115. ↑ "Face the Nation: March 15 Kerry, Cotton, Manchin". CBS News. March 15, 2015.
  116. ↑ Guion, Payton (March 16, 2015). "Tom Cotton, US Senator, apparently does not know the capital of Iran". The Independent .
  117. ↑ "Tom Cotton: I want complete nuclear disarmament". MSNBC. March 15, 2015.
  118. ↑ Lipton, Eric (April 4, 2015). "GOP's Israel support deepens as political contributions shift". The New York Times .(subscription required)
  119. ↑ Brantley, Max (March 17, 2014). "Tom Cotton still mum on marriage details". Arkansas Times .
  120. ↑ Cotton, Tom (April 28, 2015). "Hello, world! Since everyone is asking, my name is Gabriel". Twitter.
  121. ↑ Gangitano, Alex (December 7, 2016). "Sen. Tom Cotton Welcomes Second Child". Roll Call .
  122. ↑ "TOM COTTON ANNOUNCES U.S. SENATE CAMPAIGN" (Press release). Tom Cotton. August 6, 2013.
  123. ↑ Takala, Rudy (June 27, 2016). "Tom Cotton: 'Deterrence, once lost, is very hard to regain'". The Washington Examiner .
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Mike Ross 		Member of the  U.S. House of Representatives
from Arkansas's 4th congressional district
2013–2015		Succeeded by
Bruce Westerman
Party political offices
Vacant
Title last held by
Tim Hutchinson 		Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Arkansas
(Class 2)
2014 		Most recent
U.S. Senate
Preceded by
Mark Pryor 		U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Arkansas
2015–present
Served alongside: John Boozman 		Incumbent
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Chris Murphy 		Baby of the Senate
2015–2019		Succeeded by
Josh Hawley
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
James Lankford 		United States Senators by seniority
74th		Succeeded by
Steve Daines
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