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Tom Cotton

Republican, Arkansas
Current US Senator

Tom Cotton is serving as the U.S. Senator for Arkansas since 2015. He graduated from Harvard Law School and practiced law before enlisting in the U.S Army. Tom Cotton is 48 years old. Based on voting history, policy positions, and public statements, Tom Cotton demonstrates a Medium Right political bias. Compare Tom Cotton with other politicians in our Politician Bias Chart.

Analyst Rating
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Biasly’s analyst team evaluates politician twitter accounts, voting records, and statements made in the press to determine leanings. Our diverse analyst team includes equal representation from conservative, center, and liberal viewpoints on every article we rate.

Very Right

A.I. Policy Leanings
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Our policy leanings for Tom Cotton show what policies Tom supports and opposes including Tom's conservative and liberal leanings based on the news.

58% Medium Right

Extremely
Liberal

Very
Liberal

Moderately
Liberal

Somewhat Liberal

Center

Somewhat Conservative

Moderately
Conservative

Very
Conservative

Extremely
Conservative

-100%
Liberal

100%
Conservative

*Our bias meter rating uses data science including sentiment analysis, machine learning and our proprietary algorithm for determining biases in news articles. Bias scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores being more liberal and higher positive scores being more conservative and 0% being neutral. The rating is an independent analysis and is not affiliated nor sponsored by the news source or any other organization.

A.I. Media Portrayal
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The A.I. media portrayal of Tom Cotton shows how positively or negatively the media portrays Tom. Negative and positive sentiment scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores showing that more media companies see Tom in a negative light and higher positive scores showing that more media companies see Tom in a positive light.

46% negative

Tom Cotton’s Policy Stances:

Left
Center
Right
  • Criminal Justice
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Gov. Dependency
  • Healthcare
  • Immigration
  • National Security
  • Reduce Budget Deficit
  • War on Drugs
  • Criminal Justice
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Government Dependency
  • Healthcare
  • Immigration
  • National Security
  • Reduce Budget Deficit
  • War on Drugs
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  • Stances

  • Media Portrayal

  • Policy Leanings

  • News Mentions

  • Creations

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  • Contact

  • Criminal Justice

    Very Right

    Senator Tom Cotton has a Very Right stance on criminal justice and public safety. He strongly opposes criminal justice reform efforts, such as the First Step Act, that aim to reduce prison sentences and release certain offenders. Cotton believes the U.S. has an "under-incarceration problem" and that reducing sentences would lead to more crime and violence. He advocates for harsher penalties, increased police funding, and a tough-on-crime approach to address rising crime rates.
    Source: Manhattan Institute

  • Economy

    Very Right

    Senator Tom Cotton has a Very Right stance on economic policy. He advocates for strategic investment in critical industries and infrastructure to counter the economic threat posed by China, while opposing free trade agreements and favoring protectionist measures such as tariffs. Cotton believes the U.S. should pursue economic independence and reduce reliance on China, even if it means disrupting existing trade relationships. His economic views align closely with traditional Republican policies focused on strengthening domestic manufacturing and securing supply chains.
    Source: Select Committee on the CCP

  • Education

    Somewhat Right

    Senator Tom Cotton's stance on education policy appears to have shifted from a more conservative position of decentralizing federal control over curriculum and standards to a more interventionist approach. While he previously opposed federal meddling in education, Cotton has now introduced a bill that would effectively prohibit the use of the 1619 Project in public school curricula, demonstrating a more conservative leaning on this specific issue. Overall, Cotton's current stance on education policy can be characterized as Somewhat Right.
    Source: Real Clear Education

  • Energy

    Very Right

    Senator Tom Cotton has a Very Right stance on energy policy. He believes that wind and solar power will never fully replace oil and gas, and has criticized the Biden administration's efforts to transition to renewable energy. Cotton has warned that restricting the supply of fossil fuels will drive up energy costs and empower America's adversaries. He has also expressed concerns about the use of slave labor in China's solar panel industry, and has co-sponsored legislation to prohibit federal funds from being used to purchase Chinese-made solar panels. Overall, Cotton's energy policy positions align closely with traditional conservative views.
    Source: Rick Scott's Website

  • Government Dependency

    Very Right

    Tom Cotton has taken a conservative stance on the issue of government dependency. He has advocated for reducing welfare programs and promoting self-reliance, arguing that government assistance can create a culture of dependency that discourages work and personal responsibility. Cotton has supported policies that aim to limit eligibility for welfare benefits and encourage employment, such as work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents. Overall, his position on government dependency aligns with conservative principles of limited government and individual initiative.
    Source: Tom Cotton's Website

  • Healthcare

    Medium Right

    Senator Tom Cotton's stance on healthcare policy appears to lean towards the conservative side. He has expressed opposition to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and has advocated for its repeal and replacement with a more market-driven healthcare system that would make coverage more affordable and personalized. Cotton has also suggested combining healthcare reforms with an extension of the Trump tax cuts, indicating a preference for conservative economic policies. Overall, Senator Cotton's healthcare policy positions can be characterized as Medium Right.
    Source: The Washington Post

  • Immigration

    Very Right

    Senator Tom Cotton has taken a Very Right stance on immigration policy. He has pushed for significant reductions in legal immigration, including eliminating the diversity visa lottery and limiting family-based migration to only spouses and minor children. Cotton has also supported increased border security measures, such as building a border wall and expanding detention policies. While he has expressed some openness to providing a path to citizenship for DACA recipients, this has been contingent on implementing other restrictive immigration policies. Overall, Cotton's immigration platform aligns closely with the Trump administration's hardline approach.
    Source: Ideaspace

  • National Security

    Very Right

    Senator Tom Cotton has a Very Right stance on national security policy. He believes in a strong military and robust defense capabilities to protect American interests globally. Cotton has criticized progressive foreign policy approaches as being too idealistic and not sufficiently focused on safeguarding the national interest. He has advocated for increased defense spending, a tough stance against adversaries like China, and measures to enhance cybersecurity in critical sectors like agriculture. Overall, Cotton's national security views align firmly with a traditional conservative worldview.
    Source: Tom Cotton's Website

  • Reduce Budget Deficit

    Very Right

    Senator Tom Cotton has a Very Right stance on reducing the budget deficit. He believes the Budget Control Act of 2011, which aimed to reduce the deficit through spending caps, was "ill-conceived" and should be repealed. Cotton argues that the law only targeted discretionary spending, ignoring the main drivers of the deficit - entitlement programs and interest payments on the national debt. He advocates for Congress to take a more responsible approach to budgeting and pass annual budgets that adequately fund the military and other priorities.
    Source: Tom Cotton's Website

  • War on Drugs

    Very Right

    Senator Tom Cotton has a Very Right stance on the war on drugs. He has introduced and supported legislation to impose harsher penalties and sanctions on drug traffickers and cartels, including permanently controlling fentanyl analogs and designating certain criminal organizations as "Significant Transnational Criminal Organizations" to subject them to severe financial and immigration penalties. Cotton believes that tougher criminal justice measures are necessary to combat the opioid crisis and drug-related crimes, rather than focusing on public health approaches like addiction treatment and harm reduction. His policy positions align with traditional "tough on crime" Republican stances on drug policy.
    Source: Tom Cotton's Website

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Our politician ratings are based on recent news using data science and A.I. technology. We analyze hundreds of articles published by news sources daily to determine politicians and policy leanings.