Rick Crawford (Arkansas)

Rick Crawford

U.S. House Arkansas District 1

Tenure

2011 - Present

Term ends

2019

Years in position

7

Republican Party

Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000/year

Net worth

(2012) $-175,001

Education

Bachelor's

Arkansas State University, 1996

Military

Service / branch

United States Army

Years of service

1985 to 1989

Personal

Religion

Christian

Contact

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Official Facebook

Campaign Facebook

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Rick Crawford is the Republican representative from Arkansas' 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House. Crawford is running in the general election on November 6, 2018, after advancing from the primary on May 22, 2018.

Crawford won re-election in 2016.

Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Crawford is an average Republican member of Congress, meaning he will vote with the Republican Party on the majority of bills.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Crawford's academic, professional, and political career:

• 2011-Present: U.S. Representative from Arkansas' 1st Congressional District
• 1996: Graduated from Arkansas State University, Jonesboro with B.S.
• 1985-1989: United States Army

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Crawford was assigned to the following committees:

• Committee on Agriculture
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

2015-2016

Crawford served on the following committees:

• Agriculture Committee
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings & Emergency Management
  • Subcommittee on Highways & Transit
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources & Environment

2013-2014

Crawford served on the following committees:

• Agriculture Committee
  • Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development & Credit (Chair)
  • Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Vice Chair
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

2011-2012

• Agriculture Committee
  • Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Credit
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
  • Subcommittee on Nutrition and Horticulture
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Vice Chair
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

• Votes on domestic policy (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2 (second vote))

   Bill Passed (193-231) on June 21, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. It also proposed modifying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as the food stamp program.

  Voted Yea on: Securing America’s Future Act of 2018 (HR 4760)

   Bill Failed (193-231) on June 21, 2018

  Proposed funding a border wall, limiting legal immigration, a mandatory worker verification program, allowing DACA recipients to apply for legal status, and preventing separation of families at the border.

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Farm bill) (HR 2)

   Bill Failed (198-213) on May 18, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for agricultural subsidies and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), among other things.

  Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36)

   Bill Passed (237-189) on October 3, 2017

  Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill provided exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.

  Voted Yea on: Kate's Law (HR 3004)

   Bill Passed (257-167) on June 29, 2017

  Proposed increasing criminal penalties for individuals in the country illegally who were convicted of certain crimes, deported, and then re-entered the U.S. illegally.

  Voted Yea on: No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (HR 3003)

   Bill Passed (228-195) on June 29, 2017

  Proposed withholding federal funds from states and localities that chose not to follow federal immigration laws.

  Voted Yea on: American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)

   Bill passed (217-213) on May 4, 2017

  Proposed modifying the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.

• Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (361-61) on September 26, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.

  Voted Yea on: Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (193-231) on September 13, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (359-49) on June 28, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.

  Voted Yea on: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (235-179) on June 8, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.

  Voted Yea on: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S 2155)

   Bill Passed (258-159) on May 22, 2018

  Proposed exempting some banks from the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

  Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)

   Bill Passed (256-167) on March 22, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)

   Bill Passed (240-186) on February 9, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Further Extension Of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1892)

   Bill Passed (245-182) on February 6, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

   Bill Passed (266-150) on January 22, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

   Bill Passed (230-197) on January 18, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 16, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)

   Bill Passed (231-188) on December 21, 2017

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (227-203) on December 19, 2017

  Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes (HJ Res 123)

   Bill Passed (235-193) on December 7, 2017

  Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017.

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (227-205) on November 16, 2017

  Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses.

  Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Bill Passed (216-212) on October 26, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. (This bill proposed adopting the Senate's budget resolution.)

  Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Bill Passed (219-206) on October 5, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027.

  
  

  Voted Yea on: Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3354)

   Bill Passed (211-198) on September 14, 2017

  Proposed providing FY2018 appropriations for the federal government. It combined 12 appropriations bills.

  Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)

   Bill Passed (316-90) on September 8, 2017

  Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts.

  Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 601)

   Bill Passed (419-3) on September 6, 2017

  Proposed providing $7.85 billion for disaster relief requirements, including response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey.

  Voted Yea on: Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (HR 10)

   Bill passed (233-186) on June 8, 2017

  Proposed amending the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, among other acts.

  Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)

   Bill passed (309-118) on May 3, 2017

  Proposed a $1.2 trillion budget to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017.

• Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (HR 5515)

   Bill Passed (351-66) on May 24, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)

   Bill Passed (250-166) on January 30, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for military functions administered by the Department of Defense and for other purposes, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018.

  
  

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018—Conference report (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (356-70) on November 14, 2017

  Proposed authorizing FY2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths.

  Voted Yea on: Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3219)

   Bill Passed (235-192) on July 27, 2017

  Proposed making appropriations for defense, military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Legislative Branch, energy and water development, and for other purposes for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)

   Bill Passed (419-3) on July 25, 2017

  Proposed providing congressional review and measures to counter aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180, second vote)

   Bill Passed (380-35) on July 28, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

  Did not vote on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180)

   Bill Failed (241-163) on July 24, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (344-81) on July 14, 2017

  Proposed authorizing fiscal year 2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It did not provide budget authority.

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 1301)

   Bill passed (371-48) on March 8, 2017

  The $577.9 billion fiscal year 2017 defense spending bill proposed $516.1 billion in base budget funding and $61.8 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism funding.

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Crawford's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 Trade adjustment assistance On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Crawford was one of 158 Republicans to vote against TAA. Trade promotion authority On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Crawford was one of 191 Republicans to support the measure. Trade promotion authority second vote After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining their original positions on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Crawford was one of 190 Republicans to vote in favor of the amendment. Trade adjustment assistance second vote The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Crawford was one of 132 Republicans to vote against HR 1295. Defense spending authorization On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Crawford voted with 227 other Republicans and 41 Democrats to approve the bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Crawford voted with 234 other Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, voted against the resolution. Crawford voted with 13 other Republicans against the bill. 2015 budget On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Crawford voted with 166 Republicans against the bill. It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Crawford voted with 222 other Republican representatives to approve the bill. Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Crawford voted with 243 Republicans and 25 Democrats against the bill. Suspension of Iran sanctions relief On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Crawford voted with 244 Republicans and two Democrats for the bill. Presidential non-compliance of section 2 On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Crawford voted with 244 Republicans for the resolution. Export-Import Bank On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods. Crawford voted with 116 Republicans and one Democrat against the bill. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Crawford voted with 195 Republicans and 142 Democrats to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Crawford voted with 237 Republicans in favor of the bill. Cyber security On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies. Crawford voted with 219 Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill. On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Crawford voted with 201 Republicans and 105 Democrats in favor of the bill. Immigration On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137. The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Crawford voted with 241 Republicans and 47 Democrats in favor of the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Crawford's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security NDAA Crawford voted for HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote. DHS Appropriations Crawford voted for HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 that was largely along party lines. CISPA (2013) Crawford voted for HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party. Economy Farm bill On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop. It also cut the food stamp program an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Crawford voted with 161 other Republican representatives in favor of the bill. 2014 Budget On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582 page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency and protected the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. Crawford joined with the 63 other Republicans and 3 Democrats who voted against the bill. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. Crawford voted to approve the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate. The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Crawford voted for HR 2775. Paul Ryan Budget Proposal In March 2013 the Republican controlled House passed the budget proposal set out by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (R) for the third straight year. However, not all Republican representatives voted in favor of the proposal. Crawford was one of the 10 Republican Representatives who voted against Ryan's budget proposal. The proposal was killed after being voted down in the U.S. Senate with a 40-59 vote. The proposal would have cut about $5 trillion over the next decade and aimed to balance the budget by the end of the 10-year period. The 2013 bill had opposition from 10 Republicans — the same number that voted against it in 2012. In 2011 only four Republicans cast a vote in opposition. Democrats have unanimously voted against the bill every year. Federal Pay Adjustment Act Crawford voted for HR 273 - Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees. The bill passed the House on February 15, 2013, with a vote of 261 - 154. The bill called for stopping a 0.5 percent pay increase for all federal workers from taking effect. The raises were projected to cost $11 billion over 10 years. Immigration Morton Memos Prohibition Crawford voted for House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines. Healthcare Healthcare Reform Rules Crawford voted for House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires that all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines. Social issues Abortion Crawford voted for HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The resolution passed the House on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 228 - 196 that largely followed party lines. The purpose of the bill was to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization. Government affairs HR 676 See also: Boehner's lawsuit against the Obama administration On July 30, 2014, the U.S. House approved a resolution 225 to 201 to sue President Barack Obama for exceeding his constitutional authority. Five Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Steve Stockman of Texas—voted with Democrats against the lawsuit. Crawford joined the other 224 Republicans in favor of the lawsuit. All Democrats voted against the resolution. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal Cliff Crawford voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was 1 of 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.

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Issues

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Crawford endorsed Donald Trump for the 2016 presidential general election. Crawford endorsed Marco Rubio for the Republican presidential primary.

See also: Endorsements for Donald Trump

Targeted by Club for Growth Action

In February 2013, the Club for Growth Action, a fiscally conservative Super PAC, launched a website called "www.PrimaryMyCongressman.com." According to the Club for Growth Action, "the purpose of the website is to raise awareness of Republicans In Name Only (RINOs) who are currently serving in safe Republican seats....The website will offer Club members and the general public the opportunity to recommend primary opponents to the incumbents highlighted by Club for Growth Action, as well as to recommend primary challengers for any Republican member of Congress. Club for Growth Action will rotate liberal Republicans through the website to highlight their failed records on limiting government." Crawford was one of the first nine incumbent Republicans to be targeted by the site, which gave him a lifetime Club for Growth rating of 56%.

Campaign themes

2012

Crawford's campaign website listed the following issues:

• Healthcare Reform – Repeal and Replace

Excerpt: "If I am elected, I will vote to repeal this law and replace it with reforms that will preserve the best parts of the American healthcare system while addressing the problems of access and affordability."

• America’s Budget Crisis

Excerpt: "The single greatest threat facing the United States right now is our growing national debt and Washington’s insatiable desire to spend ever-increasing amounts of borrowed money. "

• ENERGY – Affordable Fuel and Domestic Security

Excerpt: "Our nation and our economy rely on energy, and the United States needs to pursue a comprehensive energy policy that ensures affordable, available energy to all Americans."

Elections

2018

See also: Arkansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Arkansas District 1

Incumbent Rick Crawford, Chintan Desai, and Elvis Presley ran in the general election for U.S. House Arkansas District 1 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate
		Rick Crawford  (R)
		Chintan Desai  (D)
		Elvis Presley  (L)

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Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 1

Chintan Desai won election in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 1 on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Chintan Desai  (D)

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There were no incumbents in this race.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 1

Incumbent Rick Crawford won election in the Republican primary for U.S. House Arkansas District 1 on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Rick Crawford  (R)

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Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

2016

See also: Arkansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Rick Crawford (R) and Mark West (L) ran unopposed in their respective primaries. Crawford defeated West in the general election on November 8, 2016. No Democratic candidates filed to run for the seat.

U.S. House, Arkansas District 1 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rick Crawford Incumbent	76.3%	183,866
	Libertarian	Mark West	23.7%	57,181
Total Votes				241,047
Source: Arkansas Secretary of State

2014

See also: Arkansas' 1st Congressional District

Crawford won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He was unopposed in the Republican primary election on May 20, 2014. Crawford defeated Jackie McPherson (D) and Brian Scott Willhite (L) in the general election on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, Arkansas District 1 General Election, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rick Crawford Incumbent	63.3%	124,139
	Democratic	Jackie McPherson	32.4%	63,555
	Libertarian	Brian Scott Willhite	4.4%	8,562
Total Votes				196,256
Source: Arkansas Secretary of State

2012

See also: Arkansas' 1st Congressional District elections, 2012

Crawford won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Arkansas' 1st District. He ran unopposed in the May 22 Republican primary. He defeated Scott Ellington in the general election on November 6, 2012.

U.S. House, Arkansas District 1 General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Scott Ellington	39.1%	96,601
	Republican	Rick Crawford Incumbent	56.2%	138,800
	Green	Jacob Holloway	2%	5,015
	Libertarian	Jessica Paxton	2.6%	6,427
Total Votes				246,843
Source: Arkansas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Rick Crawford, click [show] to expand the section.
2010 On November 2, 2010, Rick Crawford won election to the United States House. He defeated Chad Causey (D) and Ken Adler (G) in the general election. U.S. House, Arkansas District 1 General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Rick Crawford 51.8% 93,224      Democratic Chad Causey 43.5% 78,267      Green Ken Adler 4.6% 8,320 Total Votes 179,811

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor history

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.
Why is that? While candidates and parties must file detailed expenditure reports, independent organizations and unions are not required to file reports in every case. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer.
Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website.

Comprehensive donor information is shown below. Based on available campaign finance records, Crawford raised a total of $4,167,187 in elections. Ballotpedia updates the information below in the years following a general election.

Rick Crawford (Arkansas) campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2016	U.S. House, Arkansas District 1		$668,981
2014	U.S. House (Arkansas, District 1)		$907,123
2012	U.S. House (Arkansas, District 1)		$1,338,445
2010	U.S. House (Arkansas, District 1)		$1,252,638
Grand total raised			$4,167,187
Source: Follow the Money

2016

Crawford won re-election to the U.S. House in 2016. During that election cycle, Crawford's campaign committee raised a total of $668,981 and spent $777,792. This is less than the average $1.46 million spent by U.S. House winners in 2016.

Cost per vote

Crawford spent $4.23 per general election vote received in 2016.

U.S. House, Arkansas District 1, 2016 - Rick Crawford (Arkansas) Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$668,981
Total Spent	$777,792
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$0
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$0
Top contributors to Rick Crawford (Arkansas)'s campaign committee
American Council of Engineering Cos	$10,000
American Crystal Sugar	$10,000
American Pistachio Growers	$10,000
Farm Credit Council	$10,000
Majority Cmte PAC	$10,000
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Crop Production & Basic Processing	$147,650
Agricultural Services/Products	$52,250
Health Professionals	$43,000
Construction Services	$19,900
Retired	$19,549
Source: Open Secrets

2014

Crawford won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. During that election cycle, Crawford's campaign committee raised a total of $907,123 and spent $665,075. This is less than the average $1.45 million spent by House winners in 2014.

Cost per vote

Crawford spent $5.36 per general election vote received in 2014.

U.S. House, Arkansas District 1, 2014 - Rick Crawford (Arkansas) Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$907,123
Total Spent	$665,075
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$284,800
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$279,780
Top contributors to Rick Crawford (Arkansas)'s campaign committee
Stephens Group	$18,600
Riceland Foods	$12,750
Wal-Mart Stores	$10,500
American Bankers Assn	$10,000
American Crystal Sugar	$10,000
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Crop Production & Basic Processing	$122,750
Agricultural Services/Products	$48,466
Health Professionals	$41,952
Leadership PACs	$39,500
Retail Sales	$27,850

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.
Breakdown of the source of Crawford's campaign funds before the 2014 election.

Below are Crawford's FEC reports.

Rick Crawford (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	April 10, 2013	$155,981.82	$60,076.11	$(62,242.30)	$153,815.63
July Quarterly	July 11, 2013	$153,815.63	$99,185.65	$(84,068.96)	$168,932.32
October Quarterly	October 9, 2013	$168,932.32	$185,952.06	$(48,556.19)	$306,328.19
Year-End	January 27, 2014	$306,328	$86,684	$(59,386)	$333,626
April Quarterly	April 15, 2014	$33,626	$97,455	$(70,556)	$360,524
Pre-Primary	May 7, 2014	$360,524	$29,155	$(10,938)	$378,740
July Quarterly	July 13, 2014	$378,740	$94,295	$(43,570)	$429,465
October Quarterly	October 14, 2014	$429,465	$187,305	$(107,552)	$509,218
			Running totals
			$840,107.82	$(486,869.45)

2012

Crawford won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Crawford's campaign committee raised a total of $1,338,445 and spent $1,211,036. This is less than the average $1.5 million spent by House winners in 2012.

Cost per vote

Crawford spent $8.73 per vote received in 2012.

U.S. House, Arkansas District 1, 2012 - Rick Crawford (Arkansas) Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$1,338,445
Total Spent	$1,211,036
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$372,375
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$370,676
Top contributors to Rick Crawford (Arkansas)'s campaign committee
Stephens Group	$50,400
Wal-Mart Stores	$11,250
Riceland Foods	$10,600
Every Republican is Crucial PAC	$10,000
Freedom Project	$10,000
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Crop Production & Basic Processing	$120,850
Leadership PACs	$106,500
Securities & Investment	$61,600
Health Professionals	$59,516
Retired	$42,514

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.
Breakdown of the source of Crawford's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

2010

Crawford won election to the U.S. House in 2010. During that election cycle, Crawford's campaign committee raised a total of $1,252,638 and spent $1,172,563.

His top five contributors between 2009-2010 were:

U.S. House, Arkansas District 1, 2010 - Rick Crawford (Arkansas) Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$1,252,638
Total Spent	$1,172,563
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$1,601,832
Total Spent by General Election Opponent	$1,584,473
Top contributors to Rick Crawford (Arkansas)'s campaign committee
Moore Farms	$10,100
National Restaurant Assn	$10,000
AT&T Inc	$9,250
Baughn Construction	$9,200
Assoc Radiologists	$9,100
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Leadership PACs	$104,203
Health Professionals	$83,933
Crop Production & Basic Processing	$76,332
Retired	$75,916
Candidate Committees	$35,500

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.
Breakdown of the source of Crawford's campaign funds before the 2010 election.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Crawford's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $-230,000 and $-120,002. That averages to $-175,001, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican representatives in 2012 of $7,614,097.96. Crawford ranked as the 436th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2009 and 2012, Crawford's calculated net worth decreased by an average of 374 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Rick Crawford Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2009	$17,124
2012	$-175,001
Growth from 2009 to 2012:	-1,122%
Average annual growth:	-374%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Crawford received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Crop Production & Basic Processing industry.

From 2009-2014, 28.99 percent of Crawford's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Rick Crawford (Arkansas) Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$3,254,988
Total Spent	$2,762,923
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Crop Production & Basic Processing	$288,932
Leadership PACs	$238,703
Health Professionals	$174,901
Retired	$128,880
Securities & Investment	$112,154
% total in top industry	8.88%
% total in top two industries	16.21%
% total in top five industries	28.99%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Crawford was a "rank-and-file Republican" as of July 2014. This was the same rating Crawford received in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Crawford most often votes with:

• Steve Womack
• John Barrow

Crawford least often votes with:

• Walter Jones
• James McGovern

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Crawford missed 129 of 3,315 roll call votes from January 2011 to September 2015. This amounted to 3.9 percent, which was higher than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Crawford paid his congressional staff a total of $894,913 in 2011. He ranked 115th on the list of the lowest paid Republican representative staff salaries and ranked 140th overall of the lowest paid representative staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Arkansas ranked 38th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Crawford ranked 116th in the conservative rankings in 2013.

2012

Crawford ranked 103rd in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

Crawford ranked 113th in the conservative rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Crawford voted with the Republican Party 95.8 percent of the time, which ranked 40th among the 234 House Republican members as of July 2014.

2013

Crawford voted with the Republican Party 95.6 percent of the time, which ranked 162nd among the 233 House Republican members as of June 2013.

Personal

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Crawford and his wife, Stacy, have two children.

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term Rick + Crawford + Arkansas + House

Rick Crawford News Feed

See also

• United States House of Representatives
• United States congressional delegations from Arkansas
• Arkansas' 1st Congressional District elections, 2014
• Arkansas' 1st Congressional District

External links

Suggest a link

 

• Campaign website

• Biographies:
  • U.S. Congress
• Political profiles:
  • GovTrack
  • CongressMerge
  • OpenCongress
  • Project Vote Smart
• Financial (federal level):
  • FEC contributions
  • OpenSecrets.org
  • LegiStorm.com
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • On The Issues
  • Project Vote Smart
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Voting record:
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Washington Post
• Media appearances:
  • C-SPAN
• Media coverage:
  • Washington Post

• Facebook page
• Twitter feed

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Marion Berry	U.S. House - Arkansas District 1 2011-Present	Succeeded by -