Candidates for US House seat in Arkansas criticize Trump Russia diesel deal, split on other issues

Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman and Democratic challenger James Russell criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to purchase diesel from Russia but split on who’s to blame for rising gas prices as the two met for a debate on Monday.

The hourlong debate between the incumbent Westerman and Russell was the first of several hosted by Arkansas TV this week, and covered topics ranging from the war to funding for the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff. 

Westerman has represented the 4th Congressional District since 2015. The district is solidly red, with Westerman beating his 2024 Democratic opponent, Risie Howard, with more than 72% of the vote. The Cook Political Report ranks the district as solidly Republican.

The debate was without the personal attacks and name-calling seen in some contests in other states, though Westerman jabbed at Russell for living outside the district. The Democrat said he was actively looking to move.

“You know, the traditional form of carpetbagging is you move in and then you run,” Westerman said. “But this form is, ‘If you elect me, I’ll move to your district and represent you.’”

Russell pushed back by saying that he lives only a few miles outside the district presently and has deep family ties in the district.

Russell attacked Trump’s decision to attack Iran earlier this year. Westerman said gas prices were “only slightly higher” than they were during former President Joe Biden’s administration, and repeatedly tried to link current inflation and prices to the former Democratic president’s policies.

There were also areas of broad agreement — both men said they supported putting stronger protections in place as artificial intelligence continues to improve, and both agreed the nation’s healthcare system was broken — while simultaneously disagreeing over how to achieve the same end result.

War in Iran

Russell attacked the war in Iran as well as the U.S. support of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza amid criticism by some human rights groups and leaders that the nation is committing genocide against Palestinians — something Westerman adamantly disagreed with.

The war caused the price of gas and diesel to spike and exacerbated inflation. Voter anger over continued high prices has given Democrats hope as they try to flip the U.S. House and Senate.

“What’s happened is a disruption in the supply chain that has driven up prices worldwide, and that Arkansas consumers are seeing as a problem every single day in their lives,” Russell said. “What we need is a return to diplomatic solutions, not military solutions, so that we can get the economy under control on a global status and drive down prices for everyday consumers.”

Russell and Westerman both criticized Trump’s recent announcement that sanctions on Russian diesel would be lifted. 

Echoing bipartisan criticism of the deal, Westerman said the move would violat  the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, legislation recently passed by Congress and named after the late South Carolina Republican senator that allows for additional sanctions against Russia amid its war with Ukraine.

“I don’t think he’s actually purchased any of that fuel yet, but I think it’s in violation of the law that we just passed and that he signed,” Westerman said. “And diesel prices are high, but a temporary fix from buying diesel fuel from Russia right here before the midterm election is not the way to go.”

Westerman also linked current economic pain at the pump to the policies of Biden and touted the spending and tax cut legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Trump signed last year as the solution — though not an instant one.

Party splits

Both candidates were asked by a panel of Arkansas journalists to identify areas where they would split with their party’s leadership. Russell said he wanted a return to the “fairness doctrine,” the FCC policy that required broadcasters to devote time to contrasting views on matters of public importance. Russell said the policy should apply more broadly than just TV radio. 

“We have so many different avenues of gaining information in this age, and it is so ripe for abuse that we need legislation in place that ensures that information is being disseminated accurately, fairly, and truthfully above all else,” Russell said.

Opponents to the fairness doctrine policy said it infringed upon the freedom of speech, and large parts of the policy were rescinded during the Reagan administration.

Westerman said he opposed the decision by the Defense Department to livestream the execution later this year of Nidal Hassan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas in 2009.

“This guy killed 13 American service members, and he needs to be put to death. It just doesn’t need to be live streamed. It plays into (Hassan’s) goal of becoming a martyr,” Westerman said. “I think it undermines our justice system and it’s something that I hope President Trump will step in and stop this before it’s allowed to happen.”

Westerman also pointed to what he described as his record of bipartisanship and working across the aisle as the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee

Russell said his support of single-payer healthcare differed from Democratic U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader who said earlier this year that he did not currently support Medicare for all. 

Westerman noted that Russell did not distance himself from national Democrats on issues that Republicans have repeatedly criticized the party over nationally  such as transgender people playing on sports teams that do not match their sex assigned at birth.

“Where does he disagree with the Democratic Socialists group?” Westerman said. “It seems like there would be some pretty easy issues for him to disagree with the mainline Democrats in Washington D.C. and the policies that they continually vote for in lockstep.” 

During his rebuttal, Russell said that the issue of transgender people playing sports were non-issues, and that he wasn’t going to come after people’s guns or private property.

“I think that we simply need to allow people the freedoms and liberties to live their lives the way they want, as they want, without harming anyone else,” he said.