This is a piece about the elections, but at first it won’t seem like it

Arkansas’s congressional delegation is powerful.

It comprises five committee chairmen and one Appropriations Subcommittee chair: Senate Ag Committee Chair John Boozman; Senate Intelligence Chair Tom Cotton; House Financial Services Chair French Hill; House Intel Chair Crawford; House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman; and Rep. Steve Womack, Appropriations Subcommittee Chair of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. Rep. Womack probably doesn’t mind being a subcommittee chair. On appropriations, there are good reasons why they are called cardinals. 

A powerful delegation, but here’s my question: why do they seem so powerless? 

On Jan. 1, 2014, the first Arkansans began enjoying health insurance coverage under Arkansas’s innovative and bipartisan version of Medicaid expansion. For over a decade it has been a godsend for Arkansas families, workers, and providers including our financially stressed hospitals. 

But last year, led by a newly elected President Trump, our delegation in Washington enthusiastically supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. In the House, the 218-214 vote was so close the bill would have not passed without our delegation’s support. 

One result for Arkansas: this year, the request to extend our successful way to expand Medicaid and keep Arkansans with good health insurance was denied by the Trump administration. 

Why? Because of language in the Big Beautiful Bill. I have to assume this language was budgetary jargon that was as big a surprise to our delegation as it was to patients, doctors, hospitals, and everyone else who have benefited from such a successful program. 

Then why isn’t our delegation raising hell about it? Or attaching clarifying language to a must-pass, non-controversial bill? Or meeting with our president and request a clarifying interpretation that resolves the problem without ending the program; and if not successful, slow the president’s priorities down until the language issues are resolved? They have that kind of power should they choose to use it. Why do they seem so powerless?

Here’s another example. During the debate between Chris Jones and Hill, a question was asked about healthcare. Part of Hill’s response: 

“One of the worst decisions took place before any of us were thinking about being in Congress. And that is how CMS, the Medicare-Medicaid system in the U.S., reimburses in Arkansas. It is systematically unfair. And since I’ve been in Congress working with John Boozman, with Tom Cotton, we’ve tried to get that reimbursement rate higher. And it’s not. That’s the most fundamental thing we can fight for.”

My own view is that having quality health insurance affordable for all Arkansans does more for Arkansas families and providers than increasing the federal reimbursement rate, but adequate reimbursement is important too. So here’s the question: the Big Beautiful Bill needed the votes of our delegation. If this reimbursement rate was “fundamental” in Rep Hill’s words, then why didn’t he and the delegation “fight,” again using his words, to include it in the bill? A powerful delegation controlling the future of the President’s number one priority, but nothing happened for Hill’s “fundamental thing we can fight for.” Why do they seem so powerless?

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaskan Republican, has some fight in her. The president and the Senate needed her vote for the Big Beautiful Bill. One of the things she fought for was favorable tax treatment for whale boat captains. Whale boat captains! Surely Arkansas hospitals and affordable health insurance for Arkansans are as important to fight for as whale boat captains. 

I have an answer, and it’s about our elections. Okay, it is not an answer. Call it a hunch. At first I thought our Republican delegation was afraid of getting a vigorous primary opponent, but nothing seemed different once the primary was over. 

A few days ago one of my Republican consultant friends told me that Boozman is likely not running for reelection in 2028, and they outlined for me who was running for what. So here’s the answer/hunch: some in our Arkansas Republican delegation think the next election to be afraid of is the 2028 primary, not our General Election on Nov. 3. Billionaire money and Donald Trump will still be active. What I perceive as powerlessness may be political fear for 2028. Too bad for affordable health insurance and robust rural hospitals now.