Tom Cotton

Tom Cotton
United States Senator
from Arkansas
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Serving with John Boozman
Preceded by Mark Pryor
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
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
May 13, 1977
Dardanelle, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party Republican
Alma mater Harvard University (A.B., J.D)
Religion Methodism
Awards Bronze Star
Ranger Tab
Combat Infantryman Badge
Website Senate website
Campaign website
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch  United States Army
Years of service 2005–2009 (Active Duty); 2010–2013 (Army Reserve)
Rank Captain
Unit 101st Airborne Division/3rd Infantry Regiment. The Old Gaurd
Battles/wars Iraq War
Afghanistan War

Thomas Bryant "Tom" Cotton[1] (born May 13, 1977) is an American politician who is the junior United States Senator from Arkansas. A member of the Republican Party, Cotton has been serving in the Senate since January 3, 2015.

In August 2013, Cotton announced his intentions to run for the United States Senate in a challenge against two-term Democratic Senator Mark Pryor. Cotton won in an unopposed Republican primary and prevailed in the general election, obtaining 56% of the vote to Pryor's 39%. At age of 37, he is the youngest current U.S. Senator.

Early life and education

Cotton was born in Dardanelle, Arkansas, on May 13, 1977, son of Thomas Leonard Cotton and his wife Avis (née Bryant) Cotton, where he grew up on the family farm.[2] Cotton graduated from Dardanelle High School in June 1995,[3] He graduated from Harvard College, where he wrote for the Harvard Crimson,[4] and was a member of the Harvard Republican Club.

The summer before his final undergraduate year at Harvard, Cotton was admitted to California's Claremont Institute Publius summer fellowship program, a conservative think tank.[5][6] The institute’s president at the time, Larry Arnn, was also from a small town in Arkansas, and he took an immediate liking to Cotton.[7]

After obtaining his BA from Harvard, Cotton returned to Claremont to pursue a master’s degree at Claremont Graduate University, but abandoned it after a year, finding academic life "too sedentary"; but, conversely, he then immersed himself in three more years of academia when he enrolled in Harvard Law School.[7] He received his J.D. degree in June 2002.[3][8]

Pre-political employment

Cotton initially pursued a career in law and immediately after finishing law school served as a clerk at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit for Judge Jerry Edwin Smith from 2002–2003. Thereafter, Cotton entered private practice Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher for a few months, and Cooper & Kirk from 2003–2004.

In December 2004, Cotton's law career ended after one year of practice when he joined U.S. Army.[9] He did not continue his career in law as a military JAG officer; with his education he would have commissioned with the rank of captain. Instead, in January 2005, Cotton entirely quit all legal work, and entered the Army with the intent of becoming an infantry officer.[10] In March 2005 he entered Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on June 30, 2005.[10] In September 2009, after 1 year of military training, 2 years performing memorial ceremonies, and 16 months deployed overseas (one tour each in Iraq and Afghanistan), Cotton left the Army but did not return to the practice of law.[10] Instead, Cotton did sporadic consulting work at a business management firm, McKinsey & Company, working in various cities wherever the consultant work was needed.[7][11][12]

Thereafter, Cotton returned to the agricultural management of his family ranch, while also continuing his military service through the United States Army Reserve. During this time he would also commence his political career.[7][11] In 2009, Cotton's prior Publius Fellowship mentor, Larry Arnn, introduced him to a fellow alum, colleague and former congressman named Chris Chocola. Mr Chocola was the president of Club for Growth, one of the most influential republican PACs and an advocate of a staunch free-market philosophy and the radical reduction of the size and influence of government. With the influence and support of his education mentor at the The Club for Growth and others like the republican blog Power Line, Cotton was quickly promoted to political interests, with an attempt to draft him for Arkansas’s 2010 Senate race. In 2011, when the 12 year Arkansas Democratic congressman had retired, Cotton ran for office. Of the $2.2 million Cotton would raise for that campaign, the Club for Growth donors were responsible for $315,000 and were his largest supporters.[7][11]

Military service

Despite his many years of legal training, Cotton abandoned his work in law, and joined the United States Army with the intent of becoming a commissioned officer, serving both Active duty (2005–2009) and Reserves (2010–2013).[13][14] On January 11, 2005, Cotton joined the Active duty Armed Forces. According to his recruiter, LTC Roger Jones, commander of Army Recruiting Battalion Houston, Cotton decided not to pursue a commission as an officer at the rank of Captain in the Judge Advocate General's Corps, United States Army – the typical rank and specialty for a person with his education and training. Instead, Cotton chose to enlist under the US Army's Officer/Warrant Officer Enlistment Program, Enlistment Option 9D[15] at the rank of Specialist or Corporal, with the guaranteed opportunity to Officer Candidate School and pursue a commission as a military officer.[16][17][18] Cotton's relationship with his enlisted basic training drill Sergeant Master SGT Gordon Norton remained so good that years later Cotton would hire Norton to assist with his political campaign.[19]

In March 2005, Cotton entered Officer Candidate School, and on June 2005 was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.[16][17][18] As a newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Cotton was first stationed at Fort Benning, GA where he entered a 14 week Officer’s Basic Course; completing this in November 2005. Cotton then continued with more military training while he attended both the U.S. Army Airborne School and Ranger School but was not assigned to a Ranger Battalion.[3]

In May 2006, one year and 4 months after enlistment and subsequent officer training, 2LT Cotton deployed to Baghdad as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division. In Iraq, 2LT Cotton was responsible for a 41-man air assault infantry platoon in the 506th Infantry Regiment,[20] who planned and performed daily combat patrols.[14]

In December 2006, Cotton was promoted to 1st Lieutenant after nearly two years as 2LT. After the completion of his first 6 month deployment 1LT Cotton did not return to deployment active combat, instead became a member of the prestigious 3rd US Infantry Regiment's The Old Guard at Arlington National Cemetery; again as a platoon leader.[21] After nearly two years ceremonial duties, 1LT Cotton was allowed to return to his professed passion: active duty deployment.

In October 2008, 1LT Cotton deployed to eastern Afghanistan. 1LT Cotton was stationed within the Regional Command East at its Gamberi Forward operating base located in one of the command's fourteen province locations, Laghman Province. The overall mission at 1LT Cotton's duty station – the Gamberi FOB from April 2008 to June 2009, during Operation Enduring Freedom IX – included military logistics, civil reconstruction engineering, government organization, and training from a Joint Task Force. The Joint Task Force at Gamberi FOB included Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), the 101st Airborne Division, NATO, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Interagency Partners, and CJTF-101/Regional Command East Forces. These joint forces secured the citizenry governance, and helped reconstruct a sutainable economy in order to extend Afghanistan (GIRoA) authority as the legitimate government of the Afghan people.[22][23][24] According to Cotton's biography, he stated his assigned duty was as a military logistics officer of a Provincial Reconstruction Team, where he also helped plan logistical operations for counter-insurgency.[3][25] Cotton's eleven-month deployment to Gamberi FOB in Laghan province ended when he returned from Afghanistan on July 20, 2009.

In September 2009, CPT Cotton was honorably discharged from Active Duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. One year later in July 2010, according to Cotton's military service record brief, Officer Cotton re-enlisted in the United States Army Reserve.[13] Cotton's military record shows his final discharge from both Active duty and Reserve duty was in May 2013.

Final rank and awards

CPT Cotton's final military record brief states during his service in active and reserve U.S. Armed Forces he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal(non V), and earned the following: Ranger Training Tab (without active service in Ranger unit), Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and Iraq Campaign Medal.[13]

New York Times "espionage letter" scandal

In June 2006, during his first deployment while stationed in Iraq, 2LT Cotton gained international public attention after he wrote an open letter to The New York Times criticizing the paper's publication of an article detailing a Bush administration secret program monitoring terrorists' finances in which he called for the journalists responsible to be imprisoned for espionage. In the letter, Cotton asserted that the NYT 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.[26] A few days after the letter was published and subsequently widely circulated, Cotton learnt of the anger from his company commander, battalion commander, and the brigade commander. The letter had however, reached GEN Peter Schoomaker Chief of Staff of the United States Army and he forwarded it via e-mail to all his generals, stating: "Attached for your information are words of wisdom from one of our great lieutenants in Iraq ..." Cotton stated in an interview, that after meeting with his immediate commander, he was "nervous and worried all night long" about losing his position and even worse, possibly being court-martialed. When he finally met the battalion commander, he was simply told "Well, here’s a piece of advice: You’re new here. No one’s trying to infringe on your right to send a letter or whatnot. But next time, give your chain of command a heads-up."[3][11]

U.S. House of Representatives

2012 election

Cotton ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in Arkansas' 4th congressional district in the 2012 election, vacant as a result of Democratic U.S. Congressman Mike Ross' retirement.[27]

During the primary, in September 2011, the Democratic Party of Arkansas attacked Cotton for an article written 13 years earlier in his school newspaper, in which he questioned the value of the Internet as a teaching tool in the classroom.[28] Cotton has since stated that he believes the Internet has matured significantly over the past decade and has become a "vital tool for education and daily life" unlike the Internet of 1998.[29]

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.[30] In the primary on May 22, Cotton won the nomination, with 57% of the vote to Rankin's 38%.[31]

Cotton was endorsed by Senator John McCain.[32] Cotton was supported by and has close ties to both the Tea Party movement and the Republican establishment.[33][34][35][36]

On election day, November 6, Cotton defeated State Senator Gene Jeffress, 59%–37%. Cotton is the second Republican to represent the 4th district since Reconstruction.[37]

Tenure

On January 3, 2013, Cotton was sworn into the U.S. House by House Speaker John Boehner.[38] As a freshman, he has been considered as a rising star in the Republican Party. Politico named him "most likely to succeed."[39][40]

Domestic issues

In January 2014, Cotton voted against the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, also known as the Farm Bill, a $1 trillion bill expanding crop insurance by $7 billion over the next decade and creating new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop.[41][42]

In August 2013, Cotton voted against federal student loan legislation in Congress. Cotton said that his vote was based on his opposition to the nationalization of the student-loan business which he wrote had been a component of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Cotton stated, "I'm committed to bringing affordable higher education to every Arkansan and ending the federal-government monopoly on the student-lending business."[43]

Cotton has stated his support for the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[44] In June 2013, Cotton voted in favor of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a bill to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization.[45]

In February 2013, Cotton voted for the Federal Pay Adjustment Act, which prevents a 0.5% pay increase for all federal workers from taking effect.[46]

In September 2014, Cotton said he would vote for the Arkansas Minimum Wage Initiative, a November 2014 statewide ballot initiative that calls for raising Arkansas' minimum wage from $6.25 an hour to $8.50 an hour by 2017.[47]

Foreign issues

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." When Cotton's amendment came under harsh criticism regarding the constitutionality of the amendment, he withdrew it.[48][49]

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2014 election

On August 6, 2013 Cotton officially announced he would challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Mark Pryor.[50] Stuart Rothenberg of Roll Call called Pryor the most vulnerable Senator seeking re-election.[51] Cotton was endorsed by former Presidential nominee Mitt Romney,[52] the fiscally conservative Club for Growth PAC, Senator Marco Rubio, and the National Federation of Independent Business.[53][54][55][56][57] Romney campaigned for Cotton in the state.[58]

Cotton defeated Pryor in the general election, 56.5% to 39.5%.[59]

Tenure

Cotton was sworn into office on January 6, 2015.

Committee assignments

Letter to Iran's leaders

On or about March 9, 2015, Senator 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.[60] The open letter was released in English as well as a poorly-translated Persian version (which "read like a middle schooler wrote it" according to Foreign Policy).[61] Within hours, commentators suggested that the letter prepared by Cotton constituted a violation of the Logan Act.[62][63] Questions also were raised as to whether it reflected a flawed interpretation of the Treaty Clause of the United States Constitution.[64]

President Barack Obama mocked the letter, referring to it as an "unusual coalition" with Iran's hard-liners as well as an interference with the then-ongoing negotiations of a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear program.[65] In addition, during a Vice News Interview, President Barack 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, because you can't trust him to follow through on an agreement... That's close to unprecedented."[66]

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".[67]

Senator Cotton on March 15, 2015 defended the letter he and fellow Senate Republicans sent to Iranian leaders about their nuclear negotiations with the United States, amid criticism that it undermined the president's efforts. "It's so important we communicated this message straight to Iran," he told CBS News' Face the Nation "No regrets at all," and "they already control Tehran, increasingly they control Damascus and Beirut and Baghdad and now Sana’a as well."[68][69][70] 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’re 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."[71]

Military action against Iran

Sen. Tom Cotton accused President Obama of holding up a "false choice" between his framework deal on Iran's nuclear program and war. He also seemed to diminish what military action against Iran would entail.[72] Sen Cotton also said: "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." "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."[73]

Personal life

Cotton married attorney Anna Peckham in 2014.[74] Their first child, a boy, was born April 27, 2015.[75]

References

  1. ↑ "The Courier – Your Messenger for the River Valley – Patterson". couriernews.com. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  2. ↑ New Arkansas Rep. Cotton Draws Spotlight; 113th Congress Sworn In, The Times Record, swtimes.com; accessed November 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Electing Fiscal Conservatives, combatveteransforcongress.org; accessed November 5, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Writer: Tom Cotton". Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Publius Fellowship Undergraduate Summer Program". Claremont Institute. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "Publius Alumni". Claremont College Publius Fellowship Alumni. Claremont College. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Publius Alumni". The Atlantic. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Tom Cotton About". www.cottonforcongress.com. October 14, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Tom Cotton Biography" (PDF). Lobbyist Political Info. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Combat Vet Tom Cotton Fact Sheet". Combat Veterans for Congress. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Tom Cotton Bio – four Part Interview". National Review. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "McKinsey & Co". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Tom Cotton Army Service Record". US Armed Forces via F.O.I.A. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Senator Tom Cotton". www.combatveteransforcongress.org. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  15. ↑ http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r601_210.pdf
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Older Military Enlistee: 27yo Tom Cotton". Houston Chronicle news. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Tom Cotton Biography" (PDF). National Defense PAC. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Tom Cotton". Snopes. Snopes; Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Tom Cotton Basic Training Drill Instructor Assists Campaign". US NEWS. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  20. ↑ 69th "Anniversary of D-Day", cotton.house.gov; accessed November 5, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Cotton makes early noise in 4th District race". www.thecitywire.com. August 22, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Understanding War Regional Command List". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  23. ↑ "Laghman Province Provincial Reconstruction Team". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  24. ↑ "Provincial Reconstruction Team uses infantry soldiers to bolster joint patrols". United States Central Command. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  25. ↑ "Tom Cotton Biography" (PDF). Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  26. ↑ Baumann, Nick. "The GOP Candidate Who Wants Journos Jailed". Mother Jones. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  27. ↑ "Rep. Mike Ross to retire". www.thehill.com. July 25, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  28. ↑ "Tom Cotton learns value of Internet". www.arktimes.com. September 1, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Ark. House hopeful's college writings targeted". www.chron.com. September 1, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  30. ↑ "GOP's Richmond drops out of 4th district race". www.fox16.com. February 23, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  31. ↑ "Cotton wins south Arkansas Republican congressional primary; Democrats head to runoff". www.therepublic.com. May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  32. ↑ Miller, Joshua (May 3, 2012). "Arkansas: Tom Cotton Gets John McCain Endorsement". Roll Call. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Tea Party Express Endorses Tom Cotton in Arkansas". teapartyexpress.org. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  34. ↑ "He has close ties to both the Tea Party and the establishment wing of the party, thehill.com; accessed November 5, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Democrats may lose Hope in Arkansas despite Clinton legacy". Los Angeles Times. July 15, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  36. ↑ "10 Things Everyone Should Know About Tom Cotton, The Arkansas Politician Who Should Scare The Hell Out Of Democrats". Business Insider. August 12, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  37. ↑ Arkansas 4th District – Cotton vs. Jeffress from RealClearPolitics.com, retrieved 19 March 2015
  38. ↑ "Representative Cotton Sworn Into Office". cotton.house.gov. January 3, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  39. ↑ "The freshman most likely to _______" by Kate Nocera, POLITICO.com; accessed November 5, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Right Turn". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  41. ↑ "House Floor Activities Legislative Day of January 29, 2014". House of Representatives. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  42. ↑ Nixon, Ron (February 4, 2014). "Senate Passes Long-Stalled Farm Bill, With Clear Winners and Losers". New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  43. ↑ McAuliff, Michael (August 1, 2013). "Tom Cotton, Arkansas Rep., Took Student Loans, Voted Against Them". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  44. ↑ Ramsey, David (April 14, 2014). "How Tom Cotton talks when he talks about Obamacare". Arkansas Times. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  45. ↑ "House Vote 251 – Approves New Abortion Restrictions". New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  46. ↑ "HR 273 – Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees – Voting Record". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  47. ↑ Bobic, Igor (September 5, 2014). "Tom Cotton Says He Will Vote For Minimum Wage Hike 'As A Citizen'". Huffington Post. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  48. ↑ Waldman, Paul (March 11, 2015). "For Tom Cotton, letter to Iran is anything but a ‘fiasco’". Washington Post. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  49. ↑ Carter, Zach (March 17, 2015). "Here's Why Republicans Love Tom Cotton's Letter To Iran". Huffington Post. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  50. ↑ Condon, Stephanie (August 6, 2013). "Republican Rep. Tom Cotton announces bid to challenge Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.". CBS News. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  51. ↑ Rothenberg, Stuart (June 9, 2014). "Mark Pryor: Still This Cycle’s Most Vulnerable Senator". Roll Call. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  52. ↑ Romney endorses Tom Cotton, arktimes.com; accessed November 5, 2014.
  53. ↑ Gentilviso, Chris (August 7, 2013). "Tom Cotton 2014 Senate Run Gets Early Club For Growth Endorsement". Huffington Post. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  54. ↑ Judis, John (October 16, 2013). "The Shrinking Club for Growth". The New Republic. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  55. ↑ Joseph, Cameron (August 7, 2013). "Club for Growth endorses Tom Cotton, launches ads in Arkansas Senate race". The Hill. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  56. ↑ Strauss, Daniel. "Rubio Endorses Rep. Tom Cotton for Senate". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  57. ↑ Urban, Peter (July 1, 2014). "Small-business group endorses Cotton". Arkansas News. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  58. ↑ "Romney to campaign for Cotton in Arkansas". KSPR-ABC. August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  59. ↑ "November 4, 2014 General election and nonpartisan runoff election Official results". Arkansas Secretary of State. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  60. ↑ Baker, Peter (March 9, 2015). "Angry White House and G.O.P. Senators Clash Over Letter to Iran". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  61. ↑ Foreign Policy Staff (March 30, 2015). "Sen. Tom Cotton's Farsi Version Of His Explosive Letter to Iranian Leaders Reads Like a Middle Schooler Wrote It". Foreign Policy. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  62. ↑ Waldman, Paul (March 9, 2015). "Republicans are beginning to act as though Barack Obama isn’t even the president". Washington Post. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  63. ↑ Bump, Philip (March 9, 2015). "What an 18th century non-war with France has to do with the Senate’s letter to Iran". Washington Post. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  64. ↑ "Obama, Iranian official slam GOP letter on deal". CNN. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  65. ↑ Obama mocks Republican letter to Iran over nuclear talks from BBC News, 9 March 2015, retrieved 19 March 2015
  66. ↑ Obama: 'I'm Embarrassed' For Republicans Who Sent Letter To Iran from The Huffington Post, 13 March 2015, retrieved 19 March 2015
  67. ↑ Dr. Zarif`s Response to the Letter of US Senators from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iran), 9 March 2015, retrieved 19 March 2015
  68. ↑ "Freshman GOP Senator Cotton says no regrets about letter warning Iran about Nuclear Deterrent". Fox News. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  69. ↑ "Face the Nation". CBS. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  70. ↑ "Tom Cotton, US Senator, apparently does not know the capital of Iran". The Independent. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  71. ↑ "Tom Cotton: I want complete nuclear disarmament". MSNBC. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  72. ↑ http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2015/04/08/398345234/tom-cotton-military-action-against-iran-would-only-take-several-days
  73. ↑ http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/tom-cotton-iran-targeted-attack-116768.html
  74. ↑ Henry, Larry (March 18, 2014). "Tom Cotton Ties The Knot". 5newsonline.com. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  75. ↑ https://mobile.twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/593178724276768768. Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

Wikisource has original works written by or about:
Tom Cotton
United States 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
United States 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–present 		Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
James Lankford		 United States Senators by seniority
93rd 		Succeeded by
Steve Daines