Press releases
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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230 rows where party = "Republican", state = "OK" and year = 2021 sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=472 | Hern leads bipartisan letter to Commerce Secretary Raimondo on lumber shortage | 2021-12-21 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo yesterday with 84 bipartisan cosigners from the House of Representatives. In the letter, the Members urge Secretary Raimondo to reconsider the decision to increase antidumping and countervailing duties on softwood lumber, which will raise prices on lumber even further, burdening American families. Representative Brian Higgins (D-NY) is a co-lead on the letter, and additional signers include Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), Chris Jacobs (R-NY), Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Mike Turner (R-OH), Bill Johnson (R-OH), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rick Allen (R-GA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Mary Miller (R-IL), Tim Walberg (R-MI), David Kustoff (R-TN), Peter Meijer (R-MI), Neal P. Dunn, M.D. (R-FL), Brad R. Wenstrup, D.P.M. (R-OH), Mike Bost (R-IL), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Cindy Axne (D-IA), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), David Valadao (R-CA), Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-IA), Scott Perry (R-PA), David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV), Betty McCollum (D-MN), J. Luis Correa (D-CA), William Timmons (R-SC), Ronny L. Jackson (R-TX), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Warren Davidson (R-OH) , Michael C. Burgess, M.D (R-TX), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Ben Cline (R-VA), Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN), Don J. Bacon (R-NE), Scott H. Peters (D-CA), John Rose (R-TN), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Chip Roy (R-TX), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Ron Kind (D-WI), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Roger Williams (R-TX), Bill Posey (R-FL), David P. Joyce (R-OH), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Fred Upton (R-MI), Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX), Anthony Gonzalez (OH), John Katko (R-NY), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Blake Moore (R-UT), Randy Weber (R-TX), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY), Victoria Spartz (R-IN), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Stephanie Bice (R-O… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-lucas-mullin-applaud-federal-grant-state-va-centers | Cole, Lucas, Mullin Applaud Federal Grant for State VA Centers | 2021-12-20 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) and Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) issued the following statements after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced a grant award totaling nearly $1.35 million to the State of Oklahoma. The funding will go toward the cost associated with replacing emergency generators at the Oklahoma Veterans Centers in Claremore, Clinton, Sulphur and Talihina. The Sulphur Veterans Center is located in the Fourth District of Oklahoma, represented by Cole, the Clinton Veterans Center is located in the Third District of Oklahoma, represented by Lucas and the Claremore and Talihina Veterans Centers are located in the Second District of Oklahoma, represented by Mullin. "I am very pleased that substantial federal funding has been directed to benefit our state's military heroes, including those living in the Fourth District of Oklahoma," said Cole. "Replacing the emergency generators in four of our Veterans Centers will provide for continuity of operations and ensure care is still available in emergency circumstances. This is a win for our state and our veterans." "Oklahoma's veterans served our country with pride and dignity, never wavering to answer the call of service. As a grateful nation, we owe it to ourselves to provide the best resources and utmost essential care for our veterans," said Lucas. "I thank the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for this federal funding and for their work ensuring Oklahoma's Veterans Affairs system has the critical infrastructure needed to provide care for our state's veterans." "This is great news for veterans across Oklahoma," said Mullin. "We owe no greater debt than to those who have put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms and it is imperative we keep our commitment to them. These grants will help ensure these Veterans Centers are able to operate in emergencies and continue to provide quality care to veterans." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-bice-budd-introduce-strategically-lowering-gas-prices-act | Reps. Bice, Budd Introduce Strategically Lowering Gas Prices Act | 2021-12-17 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Today, Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced the Strategically Lowering Gas Prices Act. The bill would prohibit President Biden from releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) until the executive orders blocking energy development on federal land are revoked. Read the full text of the bill here. Other original co-sponsors include: Reps. Scott Perry, Buddy Carter, Ashley Hinson, Louie Gohmert, Greg Steube, Tom Cole, and Bob Gibbs. Rep. Bice said in a statement: “President Biden’s actions continue to degrade our nation’s oil and gas industry and the high-paying jobs that it provides. Instead of turning to American companies to increase output, Biden used his executive power to release 50 million barrels of oil from our country’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help lower gas prices. That’s why the Strategically Lowering Gas Prices Act is important. This legislation would disallow the president from ordering a sell off from the SPR while executive orders or mandates are in effect blocking oil and gas leasing on federal lands. The SPR was created specifically to draw upon in times of emergency or significant shortage, not to help a president whose strategies have failed to save face with the American people.” Rep. Budd said in a statement: “President Biden has caused this energy crisis by blocking development of American fuel sources. That makes his recent use of the SPR nothing more than a band aid solution to a self-created problem. The best way to solve high fuel prices is for President Biden to reverse his radical environmentalist agenda and pursue an ‘all of the above’ strategy that gets us back to American energy independence.” Background: The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) was created in 1975 to offer a safety net for the U.S. to draw upon in times of emergency and significant shortage. On November 23, 2021, the Biden administration publicized plans to release 50 million barrels of oil from the SPR over the coming months in an effort to reduce u… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-votes-against-raising-debt-ceiling-third-time | Bice Votes Against Raising Debt Ceiling A Third Time | 2021-12-15 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Rep. Stephanie Bice released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed S.J. Res 33. Bice voted against the measure. “Today represents the third time this year House Democrats have voted to raise the debt ceiling, this time by $2.5 trillion and extending it through 2023. In doing so, Democrats bypassed longstanding rules of the U.S. Senate to pave the way to advance their multi-Trillion dollar social spending spree. Furthermore, this debt limit legislation makes no reforms to constrain future spending or to address the $29 trillion in federal debt we already have. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-votes-against-debt-limit-increase | Cole Votes Against Debt Limit Increase | 2021-12-15 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed S.J. Res 33, a measure to increase the debt limit by $2.5 trillion. Cole opposed the resolution. "While I understand the importance of addressing the debt limit to prevent default, I will not support a measure put forward by Democrats that is obviously intended to support trillions more in irresponsible spending," said Cole. "Not only does this $2.5 trillion increase represent the largest of the kind in history, but the resolution does nothing to reduce the deficit or slow the growth of the U.S. national debt. Unfortunately, this will inevitably make inflation even worse for the American people and have far reaching consequences for years to come." ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-introduces-bill-protect-paychecks-national-guardsmen | Bice Introduces Bill to Protect the Paychecks of National Guardsmen | 2021-12-09 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK-05) today introduced H.R. 6178, a bill to protect National Guard servicemembers from being discharged or having their pay withheld based on their COVID-19 vaccination status. This is the House companion of Sen. James Lankford’s bill, S. 3299. This legislation comes on the heels of the Biden Administration’s announcement last week of its intent to withhold the pay of Oklahoma National Guard soldiers and airmen who decline the COVID-19 vaccine. “Threatening the livelihood of our National Guard members based on their vaccine status is legally dubious, and frankly, a disgraceful way to treat those who protect and serve our country,” said Rep. Bice. “The Biden Administration must stop their overreach into the lives of all Americans through these vaccine mandates, but particularly members of the National Guard, who while serving until Title 32, report directly to their state governors, not the federal government.” Joining Rep. Bice as original cosponsors on the bill are Oklahoma Representatives Kevin Hern (OK-01), Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), and Frank Lucas (OK-03). | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=459 | Hern votes for increased sanctions on China in response to human rights abuses against the Uyghurs | 2021-12-08 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting in favor of HR 1155, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. “China’s repeated and egregious human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Region cannot and will not continue to go unpunished” said Rep. Hern. “China’s human rights abuses extend far beyond the Uyghur population, but this is accountability measure is an important step. The threat of Chinese communism not only puts the Uyghur people in danger, but the independence of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and free nations around the world – including the United States. I’m proud to support this bipartisan measure which further cracks down on importing goods produced with forced labor. I strongly encourage our trading partners, as well as independent businesses, to join us in boycotting purchases or imported goods produced by forced labor.” Background Information: H.R. 1155, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, along with its Senate companion S.65, continues to strengthen the ban on imports produced with force labor. China has placed at least 1 million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities into “re-education camps”, where they are subject to human rights abuses and forced into slave labor at factories in the region. The United States remains committed to snuffing out forced labor worldwide, and strongly encourages both its trading partners and independent businesses to do the same. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-applauds-bipartisan-passage-fy22-ndaa | Cole Applauds Bipartisan Passage of FY22 NDAA | 2021-12-07 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that reflects the bipartisan, bicameral agreement reached on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2022. The legislation authorizes funding for our nation's military personnel, readiness and operations, research, procurement and includes provisions that support the missions at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City and Fort Sill in Lawton, which are both located in the Fourth District of Oklahoma. With Cole's support, the bill passed the House this evening by a vote of 363-70. Critical to achieving this bipartisan agreement between the House and the Senate was the inclusion of $25 billion more in authorized defense spending than requested in President Joe Biden's budget. "Passage of this NDAA is a remarkable accomplishment and a reflection on what can be accomplished when members of Congress work across the aisle to pass meaningful legislation for the American people," said Cole. "Among many other things, this NDAA authorizes adequate funding to support our national defense needs, including providing a much-deserved 2.7 percent pay raise for our service members and civilian workforce, funding additional ships for the Navy and ensuring the warfighters of tomorrow have the weapons and assets they need to succeed on the battlefield. "It also rightly provides much-needed oversight of President Joe Biden's disastrous withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan that resulted in the loss of 13 American service members and left our allies in the region vulnerable to the threat of terror. This bill ensures the American people will receive the answers they deserve about the decisions that were made. "Although I am encouraged that both chambers of Congress are poised to advance the NDAA for the 61st consecutive year, President Biden and Democrats still support an effective cut in the current version of the annual defense appropriations bill. At a time when our a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=458 | Hern votes against swampy debt limit increase | 2021-12-07 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern released the following statement after voting against the House Amendment to S. 610, a bill changing the rules of the Senate to allow the Democrats to circumvent the 60-vote threshold for cloture, which they can already do using the reconciliation process. “Earlier this year, I led over 100 of my colleagues in the House in the commitment against voting for a debt limit increase,” said Rep. Hern. “Our Republican colleagues in the Senate signed a similar commitment, giving the Democrats several months’ notice that they would need to do this on their own. Instead of working ahead to avoid a default on our debts, Democrats waited until the last minute and are trying to rewrite the rules of the Senate instead of using the tools already at their disposal, like the reconciliation process. The American people don’t trust these swampy maneuvers; they see through the false statements from Democrats who control the White House and both chambers of Congress yet blame their gridlock on Republicans. “All this could have been avoided had Speaker Pelosi written a budget this spring. Not only did she fail to draft a budget, she instructed her Budget Committee Chairman not to even attempt it. Every crisis in our nation’s capital can be traced back to the budget.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=460 | Hern co-sponsors bill to reinstate Employee Retention Tax Credit, help small businesses | 2021-12-07 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) joined a bipartisan coalition of members from the House Committee on Ways and Means to introduce the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) Reinstatement Act, a bill to reinstate the ERTC meant to help small businesses rehire and retain employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERTC was overwhelmingly supported in the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed in March 2020. Representative Carol Miller (R-WV-03) is the lead sponsor and Representatives Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-07) and Terri Sewell (D-AL-07) joined Rep. Hern as original co-sponsors. “Eliminating the Employee Retention Tax Credit was the wrong decision and hurts our small businesses who are still recovering from the economic fallout of the pandemic,” said Rep. Hern. “We must provide certainty and predictability to American small business owners. I am proud to join my colleagues in support of this legislation and I hope to earn strong bipartisan support in the House. Background Information Originally, to be eligible for the ERTC, business owners had to demonstrate at least a 20% decline in gross receipts in either a given quarter compared to the same quarter in 2019 or the immediately preceding quarter. Alternatively, the business owner may have been eligible if the business is subject to a full or partial suspension of business operations due to a government order. Specifically, for this year’s third and fourth quarters, business owners can qualify for the ERTC as a “recovery startup business” or qualify as a “severely financially distressed employer.” To claim the ERTC as a “severely financially distressed employer,” the business must have suffered at least a 90% decline in gross receipts in a specific quarter compared to the same quarter in 2019. The ERTC was scheduled to expire at the end of 2021, but the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act disallowed this credit for the fourth quarter of 2021. Many small businesses have continued to take the tax credit in… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-announces-2022-military-academy-nominations | Cole Announces 2022 Military Academy Nominations | 2021-12-06 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) today announced the names of 12 students from the Fourth District of Oklahoma that he has nominated for entry into one of America's prestigious military academies. The United States service academies provide for the undergraduate education and training of commissioned officers for the United States Armed Forces. The academies that receive congressionally nominated students include the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy. The nomination process is highly competitive. Applicants are evaluated for academic performance and standing, including class rank, SAT/ACT scores and school records. Other criteria considered by Congressman Cole and the recommendation panel includes athletics, physical fitness, extracurricular activities, recommendations and leadership potential. Upon congressional nomination, students become eligible for consideration to receive an appointment to the service academy (or academies) to which they applied. "It is one of my greatest honors as a Member of Congress to each year recommend young leaders from the Fourth District of Oklahoma for potential appointment to one of the nation's prestigious military academies," said Cole. "This year, I am delighted to nominate 12 impressive students from our communities. Their desire to answer the call of duty and serve our nation with their talents and patriotism is truly inspiring." The list below includes the names, hometowns and high school information of the students, as well as the academies to which they have been nominated. Note that applications are still being considered by the selection committees for potential admission at the various academies. Many of the students received nominations to multiple academies. U.S. Air Force Academy Caleb Cole, Duncan – Comanche High School Gabriella Frame, Oklahoma City – Moore High School Prestley Gabriel, Norman – Norman North High School Makayla Hall, Choctaw – Aviano M… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-mourns-loss-bob-dole | Cole Mourns Loss of Bob Dole | 2021-12-05 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Image Washington, D.C. –Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) issued the following statement after hearing about the passing of former Senator Bob Dole, who served the United States in many capacities for nearly eight decades. "Bob Dole was not only ‘Mr. Republican,' he was ‘Mr. America,' too. Senator Dole carried the scars of service to our country in combat for his entire adult life. The Senator served in peace as well as war as a county prosecutor in Kansas and a Member of both the U.S. House and Senate, where he rose to Majority Leader, one of the most powerful positions in American politics," said Cole. "Of course, Bob Dole's service to his beloved Republican Party was exemplary. He served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, the GOP vice presidential nominee in 1976 and, 20 years later, the Republican presidential nominee in an epic clash with former President Clinton. Dole lost that race, but his vigorous campaign held the highly regarded Clinton under 50 percent of the popular vote and probably saved the Republican majorities in the Senate and the House. "Despite his intense loyalty to his party, Bob Dole was widely admired on both sides of the aisle and was famous for his ability to assemble bipartisan coalitions in pursuit of important national legislation. His partnership on the issue of hunger with the late Democratic Senator George McGovern was legendary. So, too, were the coalitions he created between rural Republicans and urban Democrats to pass the famously bipartisan ‘Farm Bill.' It is revealing that in a gesture of respect and civility, his old adversary Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom for service to our country. "As a senior party official, a political consultant and a Member of Congress, I campaigned and interacted with Senator Dole on countless occasions beginning in the 1980s through the 2010s. And I bumped into him several times at the World War II Memorial escorting groups of his fellow Second World War veterans to and through ‘their Memorial' in Washing… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-introduces-safe-border-act | Bice Introduces SAFE Border Act | 2021-12-02 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK-05) today introduced H.R. 6120, the Securing American Families from Exploitation at the Border Act, or SAFE Border Act. This legislation would transfer $75 million of unobligated border construction funds that have gone unused by the Biden Administration to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish the Southern Border Landowner Security Grant Program. This grant program would enable American families living in high-risk areas of the U.S.- Mexico border to strengthen their own physical security against property damage, theft or other losses. The grant program would also provide modest compensation to landowners who have experienced property damage, theft, or other losses. Joining Rep. Bice as original cosponsors on the bill are Reps. Brian Babin (TX -36), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Jake Ellzey (TX-06), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Kevin Hern (OK-01), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Frank Lucas (OK-03), Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), August Pfluger (TX-11), and Randy Weber (TX-14). “Earlier this year I visited the Del Rio Sector of the border and saw with my own eyes the damage illegal border crossings continue to cause in our southern border communities. Something must be done to protect American citizens who live on or near the border," said Rep. Bice. "Since the Biden administration has chosen to halt construction of the wall, and refuses to effectively address the border crisis, Congress must find other ways to help people protect their property and this legislation will assist." The grant program would provide competitive grants to individuals based on their losses or their unmet security needs. In addition, applicants would be required to submit specific documentation to substantiate their claims to apply for the funds from FEMA. “Illegal border crossings continue to be a major issue in the states that border Mexico. This legislation provides a pathway to help landowners who are at risk or who have already been impacted," Bice said. In … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-statement-house-passage-continuing-resolution | Cole Statement on House Passage of Continuing Resolution | 2021-12-02 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6119, a continuing resolution to fund the government at current levels through February 18, 2022. Cole opposed the measure. "For nearly a year, Democrats have been so fixated on advancing their radical, multi-trillion-dollar policy priorities that they have failed to make any bipartisan progress on the basic task Congress has to provide full-year funding for the government. With their focus misplaced on making government bigger and putting more money on the taxpayer tab, Democrats haven't bothered to negotiate with Republicans on fulfilling the fundamental responsibility of adjusting existing annual spending to reflect the needs of the current fiscal year. As a result, Democrats are resorting to yet another short-term resolution that kicks the can down the road likely to another temporary solution. This is truly a failure to govern. Until there is real movement by Democrats to negotiate across the aisle and desire to actually do their jobs for the American people, I will not vote in favor of giving them additional time to do nothing." While managing the rule debate for H.R. 6119 earlier today, Cole made extensive remarks. Video is available here and remarks here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=457 | Hern votes against short-term funding bill, urges return to budget process | 2021-12-02 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting against HR 6119, providing short-term funding for the federal government through February. “Congress hasn’t passed a proper budget in years, and it’s been decades since we followed the timeline set out in the Congressional Budget Act,” said Rep. Hern. “No wonder our debt is soaring! The House continues to recklessly spend taxpayer dollars without any effort to create a budget or mitigate the debt crisis. It’s long past time to abandon these swampy spending measures and get back to work on common-sense spending reforms. “I’ve been consistent with my votes against short-term spending measures like this. These bills are not an adequate replacement for the proper budget process. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road and ignore the real problem – this is exactly the kind of broken system I came to Congress to fix.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-advances-bill-reaffirm-tribal-trust-agreements | House Advances Bill to Reaffirm Tribal Trust Agreements | 2021-12-01 | 2021 | 2021-12 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Rep. Sharice Davids issued the following statements after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4352, to reaffirm the trust status of tribal trust lands. Cole and McCollum are the original sponsors of the bill. Introduced in the House every Congress over the last decade, the legislation ensures that existing tribal lands continue to be held in trust by the federal government, reaffirms the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes and removes the uncertainty and ambiguities inherent within the Carcieri v. Salazar opinion. "More than a decade ago, the Supreme Court issued an opinion that jeopardized ownership of tribal trust lands, questioned the authority of the Secretary of Interior and reversed 75 years of precedent," said Cole. "While a permanent solution is still needed, I am proud the House has supported legislation to keep the promises made to tribes, respect their sovereign status and validate the status of tribal lands acquired in trust by the Secretary of Interior." "Tribal Nations should not be discriminated against because of their date of federal recognition," McCollum said. "That date has no bearing on their existence as sovereign nations – and so it should have no bearing on their right to reestablish their homelands. All federally recognized Tribal Nations must have the same right to place land into trust to support the needs of their communities and strengthen their self-governance. This bill affirms congressional intent that the Indian Reorganization Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to place land into trust for all federally recognized Tribal Nations, regardless of their date of recognition. As Members of Congress, it is our duty to honor the federal government's trust and treaty responsibilities, safeguard and empower Native American communities, and protect their treaty rights, lands, assets, and resources now and for generations to come. I thank my… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:37:48Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-opposes-biden-administration-decision-tap-strategic-petroleum-reserve | Cole Opposes Biden Administration Decision to Tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve | 2021-11-23 | 2021 | 2021-11 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Moore, OK – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement in opposition to the Biden Administration's announced decision to release 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in an attempt to lower gas prices. "The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is supposed be used during genuine national emergencies not as a mechanism to reduce the price of gasoline," said Cole. "If the Biden Administration wants to lower gasoline prices, it should end its war on the American oil and gas industry. It could do so by reversing its decision to limit new exploration and production on federal lands and authorizing construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The Trump Administration showed that when domestic production of oil and gas is encouraged, robust economic growth and low gasoline prices can also exist simultaneously. "The high prices Americans are paying at the pump are directly attributable to the Biden Administration's decision to punish the domestic oil and gas industry. That is exactly the wrong approach. In the end, all it does is raise energy costs all Americans are forced to pay, contribute to rapidly rising inflation and make the United States dangerously dependent on foreign countries and producers for its energy needs." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:30:49Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-leads-letter-biden-granholm-opposing-tapping-strategic-petroleum-reserve | Bice Leads Letter to Biden, Granholm Opposing Tapping Strategic Petroleum Reserve | 2021-11-22 | 2021 | 2021-11 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Friday, Representative Stephanie Bice (OK-05) led a letter to President Biden and Energy Secretary Granholm opposing their plan to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to help solve the administrations’ self-inflicted rising fuel costs. “Rising fuel prices are placing an undue burden on Americans at a time when few can afford the extra expense,” said Bice. “Instead of unleashing oil and gas leasing on federal lands or asking U.S. companies to increase crude supplies, the president has repeatedly asked OPEC, as well as pressuring China, Japan, Korea and India, to increase oil production. We should not rely on foreign supplies to lower U.S. gas prices, nor should we use our emergency reserves.” Bice was joined by Reps. Tom Cole (OK-4), Liz Cheney (WY-AL), Andrew Clyde (GA-9), Roger Williams (TX-25), August Pfluger (TX-11), Garret Graves (LA-6), Kevin Brady (TX-8), Julia Letlow (LA-5), Ann Wagner (MO-2), Yvette Herrell (NM-2), Greg Steube (FL-17), Jake LaTurner (KS-2), Markwayne Mullin (OK-2), Michael Guest (MS-3), Jody Hice (GA-10), Don Young (AK-AL), Randy Weber (TX-14), Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-1), Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-5), Kevin Hern (OK-1), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Alex Frank Lucas (OK-3), Alex Mooney (WV-2), Tracey Mann (KS-1), Andrew Garbarino (NY-2), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-2), Bob Good (VA-5), Brian Babin (TX-36), Steve Scalise (LA-1), Bruce Westerman (AR-4) and Tom Emmer (MN-6). The representatives wrote: “…We should not extract oil from the SPR to address a self-inflicted crisis caused by this administration. We must continue to reserve the world’s largest supply of emergency crude for national emergencies that cannot otherwise be prevented.” They continued: “There is no reason to use our country’s safety net to bail out President Biden’s failed policies and poor planning. Rather, it would be in our best interest to reopen oil and gas production on federal lands, which would equate to a 20 increase in our domestic oil production. If we were … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:30:49Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-bucks-build-back-broke-bill | Bice Bucks ‘Build Back Broke’ Bill | 2021-11-19 | 2021 | 2021-11 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Representative Stephanie Bice (OK-05) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5376. “Americans are already struggling with increased inflation, higher prices at the gas pump and the grocery store, and the passage of this legislation only promises more of the same. There are numerous reasons why I could not support the continuation of Biden and the Democrats’ spending spree, but first and foremost, the Hyde Amendment has been removed. For more than 40 years, there has been a bipartisan agreement to include the Hyde Amendment, but Democrats want to use tax dollars to pay for abortions. The majority of my constituents do not support that. This legislation reads like a left Christmas wishlist. Hidden inside is language allowing illegal immigrants to claim the child tax credit, making them eligible for $3,000 per child in 2022, as well as granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. The bill costs more than double what Democrats’ have previously stated, and it is not paid for. It provides for $4.5 trillion in new spending, $1.5 trillion in new taxes, including tax cuts for the wealthy and more taxes on low-income and middle class families, and $3 trillion in new debt. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:30:49Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-opposes-democrats-big-government-unpaid-monstrosity | Cole Opposes Democrats’ Big Government, Unpaid-For Monstrosity | 2021-11-19 | 2021 | 2021-11 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after he voted against H.R. 5376, a multi-trillion-dollar reconciliation spending bill meant to reflect President Joe Biden's so-called "Build Back Better" agenda. "Although President Joe Biden has repeatedly claimed his social spending bill would be fully paid for, that is not the case with the radical legislation cooked up by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and passed solely by Democrats in the House," said Cole. "According to the Congressional Budget Office's nonpartisan full cost estimate received just hours before the vote, the legislation would not only levy massive taxes on the American people, but it would increase the deficit by nearly $400 billion over the next 10 years. And on top of all that, if every program contained in the bill were made permanent, the actual cost would be at least $4 trillion. "Not only would this bill implement trillions in reckless spending and allow for more government control of our lives, but it also contains a wish list of controversial provisions, including expanding the IRS and granting mass amnesty and taxpayer-funded benefits to millions of illegal immigrants. "But as bad as this bill is, what is most telling is what this bill fails to address, and that is the current emergencies actually facing our nation. Democrats continue to do nothing to deal with the border crisis, nothing to address rising inflation, nothing to help small businesses get their workers back and nothing to address the looming threats America and our allies face abroad. Yet again, this charade shows how out of touch they truly are." Yesterday, the House Rules Committee met to consider a manager's amendment to H.R. 5376. During the meeting, Cole made remarks expressing his continued opposition to the reconciliation package. Video is available here and transcript here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:30:49Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=450 | Hern votes against socialist Build Back Broke plan | 2021-11-19 | 2021 | 2021-11 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting against HR 5376, Biden’s Build Back Broke legislation. “There’s not much that hasn’t already been said about this absolute train wreck of a bill,” said Rep. Hern. “I’ve made my position crystal clear: this bill is not only bad policy, it’s dangerous. I wish my colleagues could have the same bipartisan hatred for spending that we have for the other major threats to our sovereignty. The price tag for this is $4.5 trillion – the single largest spending bill in the history of the United States. The programs included amount to the largest expansion of the federal government in history; it amounts to a giant, unprecedented leap towards socialism, abandoning American job creators and leaving hardworking taxpayers to cover the bill. “The good news is that this legislation still has a long, uphill battle in the Senate. What passed the House today is unlikely to ever make it to the President’s desk, but it’s going to take all our effort to ensure these dangerous policies never become law. We must return to fiscally responsible leadership; we must work diligently to reduce our debts and start operating under a real budget.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:30:49Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=449 | Hern votes against politically motivated censure, condemns Democrat hypocrisy | 2021-11-17 | 2021 | 2021-11 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting against a resolution to censure Representative Paul Gosar (AZ-04), citing partisan focus and Democrats’ refusal to discipline their own members. “Let’s be clear: violence is never okay,” said Rep. Hern. “I condemn threats of violence from both sides of the aisle – something Speaker Pelosi has thus far been unwilling to do. A censure for Rep. Gosar would carry much more weight if Pelosi were willing to take similar action against members of the Democratic Caucus who have made threats, incited violence against political enemies, and minimized actual violence from their political allies. Unlike previous Congressional censures, there has been no ethics investigation into Rep. Gosar’s actions, further betraying Pelosi’s true intentions. Until I see Pelosi treat members of her own party the way she treats Republicans, her politically-motivated witch hunt will remain illegitimate.” Rep. Hern previously supported a vote in the House to sanction a Republican following an ethics investigation into violations of campaign finance rules. The last U.S. Representative to be censured by the House was former Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) in 2010, which followed a long ethics investigation. The House has censured Members only 23 times in history, the vast majority happening in the 19th century. Since 1966, when the modern Ethics Committee was formed, the censure has only been used 6 times and is generally preceded by an investigation. Background Information Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) has a lengthy history of encouraging violence against political enemies, including threats of violence against the judicial system. Democrats celebrated her remarks, repeated them, and acted on them. (Here, here, here, and here.) Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, further undermined the judicial system when he made inflammatory remarks in the middle of an active trial just this week. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) has made countless o… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:30:49Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-slams-democrats-irresponsible-bad-bad-bad-legislation | Cole Slams Democrats’ Irresponsible, “Bad Bad Bad” Legislation | 2021-11-05 | 2021 | 2021-11 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) on Friday made remarks on the House floor in opposition to two connected pieces of legislation, a Senate-passed infrastructure package (Senate Amendment to H.R. 3684) and an unscored multi-trillion-dollar reconciliation bill (H.R. 5376). The infrastructure legislation passed the House late Friday evening and will proceed to the president's desk. For the reconciliation legislation, a resolution was approved to provide for its further House consideration in the future. Madam Speaker, we have purportedly a $3 trillion package in two different parts in front of us today. We are not going to talk a lot about the first part of the package, the so called "infrastructure package." But I want to talk about it because it didn't come through the Rules Committee. It didn't need to. And it's not going to be subject to much debate here. But we ought to talk about it. Now, of the two bills we are purportedly dealing with, it's the better of the two, but it is abominable. It's unpaid for. The CBO has told us it's $400 billion, $398 billion to be precise. The Senate process that produced it did not go through the committee of jurisdiction. Worst of all, it's the most egregious surrender of House prerogatives I have ever seen in my time here. It's not come through any committee. We've not had anything to do with it. We're just going to simply accept what a few Senators negotiated and went through and call it a victory and call it bipartisan. It's nothing of the sort. Worse than that is the bill that this rule is to advance. That is the so called "BBB" bill. Now my Democratic friends call it the "Build Back Better" bill. I call it the "Bad Bad Bad" bill. It's been cobbled together in a convoluted process of missed deadlines, broken promises and legislative sleight of hand. The defects are almost, Madam Speaker, too many to mention. And my friends will say it's paid for. It's not. Quite frankly, they have about "$1.5 trillion" in revenue, as far as we can tell, and they have "$1.75… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:30:49Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-host-telephone-town-hall-november-9-2021 | Cole to Host Telephone Town Hall - November 9, 2021 | 2021-11-03 | 2021 | 2021-11 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) announced today that he will host a constituent telephone town hall to discuss and answer questions about the latest legislative news and updates from Congress. "During the last several weeks in Congress, all eyes have been on Democrats and their failed attempts to finalize and advance a big government spending package and fiscally irresponsible infrastructure bill," said Cole. "To provide my perspective and answer questions on a wide range of topics, I look forward to connecting with my constituents during my next telephone town hall." Details for participating in the call are below: Date: Tuesday, November 9, 2021 Time: 12:00-1:00 p.m. CT DialIn: (833) 305-1727 In addition, to sign up to be called directly or to listen to a live audio webcast of the event, constituents can visit cole.house.gov/telephone-town-halls. For more information or questions, please call Cole's Norman office at (405) 329-6500. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:30:49Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=461 | Hern participates in Small Business Roundtable with Republican Leader McCarthy | 2021-11-03 | 2021 | 2021-11 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) joined Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) and five other Members of Congress for a roundtable discussion on small business taxes, regulations, and reduced workforce with small business owners from across the country. Watch Rep. Hern’s remarks here. Watch the full roundtable discussion here. Leader McCarthy, Rep. Hern, and the other attendees discussed how the Democrats’ Build Back Broke agenda will destroy jobs and force small and local businesses to compete with the government, making it even harder and more expensive to operate a small business in America. Additional attendees: Representatives Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), Jackie Walorski (IN-02), Fred Keller (PA-12), David Schweikert (AZ-06), and Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), and business leaders Andrew Gruel, Founder and Executive Chef of Slapfish Restaurant; Joe Shamess, Cofounder of Flags of Valor; Larry Allison, Owner of Allison Crane and Rigging; Jeff Salters, Founder of Salty's BBQ and Catering; and Andrew Ray, Owner of Brightstar Care. Excerpts from the discussion: Rep. Hern: “[Small businesses’] biggest competitor in America, unfortunately, today is the federal government. Democrats are trying to crush small businesses, so that big businesses can prosper. That ought to scare us all to death… The Democrats’ idea of the American Dream today is forever dependence on the federal government. You’re not smart enough, you’re not intelligent enough, you don’t have the wherewithal unless the federal government is engaged in everything you do and all aspects of your business.” Leader McCarthy: “One thing that small businesses are struggling with today is a severe labor shortage that is a direct result of policies that pays people more money to stay home than to go to work… By removing a work requirement, the government is putting itself in competition with small businesses. And as the last year has proven, small businesses operating on tight margins are no match for the government printing press or mandate machine.” Andr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:30:49Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/co-chairs-cole-davids-celebrate-native-american-heritage-month | Co-Chairs Cole, Davids Celebrate Native American Heritage Month | 2021-11-02 | 2021 | 2021-11 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – As co-chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus and tribal members, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) and Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03) issued the following statements in celebration of Native American Heritage Month. This month-long observance during November of each year recognizes the hundreds of tribes across the United States and their incredible contributions and achievements throughout American history. Cole is a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, and Davids is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation. "As a member of the Chickasaw Nation and Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus, I am always proud that the month of November is devoted to celebrating the significant contributions of tribal nations to the American story and their incredible achievements as part of our collective history," said Cole. "Growing up in Oklahoma, I was very fortunate to live in a state rich in tribal heritage, but I also had the privilege of being surrounded by family members who were actively involved in tribal affairs and who sought to preserve our unique history and culture for future generations. Their examples early on in my life continue to influence my attention in Congress to federal issues affecting tribes nationwide and their unique constitutional and enduring role in American society. With the recent opening of the First Americans Museum in my home state of Oklahoma, this year's observance of Native American Heritage Month is particularly special to me because it permanently symbolizes all that the ‘First Americans' have done for our state and country throughout a long and distinguished history." "Native American's countless contributions and accomplishments are rooted in the very foundation of our country and touch every part of American life today," said Davids. "This month, we honor our elders, veterans, teachers, artists, healthcare workers, families, and youth who will carry our languages, cultures, and traditions for the next seven generations. There is much to cele… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:30:49Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-votes-extend-highway-funding-after-democrats-fail-agree-infrastructure | Bice Votes to Extend Highway Funding After Democrats Fail to Agree on Infrastructure | 2021-10-28 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Rep. Stephanie Bice (OK-05) issued the following statement today after the House voted to pass H.R. 5763, the Further Surface Transportation Extension Act. Bice supported the measure. "Tonight, rather than work on a bipartisan infrastructure package, House Democrats kicked the can down the road and put up another short-term extension for highway programs until December 3rd. The country is headed for a December fiscal cliff, which will include hitting the debt ceiling, an end to highway funding and no agreement on government funding. This is no way to govern this country. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-disapproves-irs-private-bank-account-spying | Cole Disapproves of IRS Private Bank Account Spying | 2021-10-22 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – During remarks delivered on the House floor yesterday, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) urged Democrats to allow consideration of legislation he cosponsored, H.R. 5586, the Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act. The bill would prohibit the implementation of a Democratic proposal that would authorize the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to require financial institutions to report private bank account data of Americans. As my good friend from Georgia explained, if we defeat the previous question, we will immediately move to bring up his bill, H.R. 5586. This bill is critically important to ensure that there is no expansion of Internal Revenue Service requirements for financial institutions to report the ins and outs of bank accounts. Members may remember this issue during debate on Obamacare, when the Democrats tried to require anyone who received a payment of more than $600 to be given a 1099. People were rightly outraged by this provision, and it was repealed before it ever went into effect. Now, with their new reconciliation bill, the Democratic majority is yet again looking for payfors and are willing to sacrifice the privacy of all Americans in that quest. Every threshold being discussed for inclusion will give the IRS full access to what's in the bank account of every American. And what is the justification for that, Mr. Speaker? It's to help the IRS identify tax cheats. Well, I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, the Democratic proposal will make everyone who pays rent or a mortgage a target and won't do anything to help the IRS close the tax gap. Mr. Speaker, the Democratic plan is an astonishing breach of privacy. Giving the IRS the power to snoop around financial accounts, even with no accusation of wrongdoing, violates every protection have against the overreach of government power. Americans have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their homes and in their personal lives, including their financial lives. And yet if the majority has their way, the IRS will be empowered to go digging aroun… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=445 | Hern demands answers from Biden Admin on Afghan refugees headed to Oklahoma | 2021-10-22 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) sent a letter to President Joe Biden yesterday asking several questions regarding the 1,800 Afghan refugees sent to Oklahoma. Oklahoma is set to receive the 3rd largest number of refugees in the country. The letter can be found here and below. October 21, 2021 President Joseph R. Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Biden, I write with growing concern over the lack of transparency you Administration has demonstrated over the past several months. There has been an influx of migrants in the U.S. and now a frantic relocation of Afghan refugees around our country, with Oklahoma receiving the third highest amount in the nation. As you know, my home state of Oklahoma received 1,800 Afghan refugees, eight hundred of them relocating in Tulsa. An honorable and effective plan to protect our allies should be adopted. However, we cannot ignore basic vetting processes for any immigrants migrating to our country, which is exactly what happened during the chaotic withdrawal in Afghanistan. In order to protect our homeland and my constituents in Oklahoma, I request answers to the following questions that have come directly from the people of Oklahoma’s First District. What are the numbers of refugees the U.S. and Oklahoma have received to-date? How many more refugees are expected in the U.S. and Oklahoma by the end of the year? What is the amount of federal taxpayer dollars allocated to Oklahoma to assist these refugees? What is the amount of taxpayer dollars Oklahoma is expected to provide out of the state budget to assist these refugees? What, if any, federal benefits are these refugees receiving? How has your administration determined where the refugees are going and how many each state will receive? Where are these refugees being housed across Oklahoma? How many, if any, are being housed at U.S. military bases? If so, are they allowed to leave the bases? What is the current vetting process of these refugees? Were these ref… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-kind-introduce-fairness-rural-medicare-beneficiaries-act | Cole, Kind Introduce Fairness for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Act | 2021-10-21 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) and Congressman Ron Kind (WI-03) today introduced the Fairness for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Act. This bipartisan legislation would change an existing policy that requires Medicare beneficiaries at rural critical access hospitals (CAHs) to pay more in coinsurance than patients who receive the same care at larger acute care hospitals. "I am proud to join my colleague Congressman Ron Kind in introducing bipartisan legislation that improves access and affordability of hospitals for older Americans living in rural communities. Specifically, our commonsense bill, the Fairness for Rural Beneficiaries Act, brings needed parity for Medicare beneficiaries to the costs associated with receiving care, whether that is in a rural or urban facility," said Congressman Tom Cole, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. "Critical Access Hospitals serve families across Wisconsin, especially in rural regions, but many Medicare beneficiaries are stuck paying higher prices just because of where they obtain care. The Fairness for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Act will help right this wrong and make sure Medicare beneficiaries aren't financially penalized for accessing care close to home," said Congressman Ron Kind. "The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) applauds Representatives Cole and Kind for introducing the Fairness for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Act. Under current law, when a patient goes to a critical access hospital (CAH) they are billed 20 percent of the cost of charges submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In other hospital settings, because they're reimbursed through a different fee schedule, patients are billed 20 percent of the reasonable costs determined by CMS for that procedure. Unfortunately, what this looks like on the ground is rural patients being charged more for coinsurance because of where they obtain care geographically. This is wrong. NRHA… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=447 | Hern leads Members of Congress against Biden’s ‘Build Back Broke’ reconciliation plan | 2021-10-20 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Yesterday, Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) led 14 Members of Congress on the floor of the House of Representatives last night during a Special Order on Biden’s reckless spending agenda. The Members discussed the failures of the Biden Administration and the hidden policies included in the ‘Build Back Broke’ plan, including raised taxes, increased regulations on small businesses, Green New Deal provisions to kill domestic energy production, and more. Additional speakers included: Representatives Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Tim Burchett (TN-01), Dan Meuser (PA-09), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Blake Moore (UT-01), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Jerry Carl (AL-01), Chip Roy (TX-21), Jim Baird (IN-04), and Bill Posey (FL-08). Rep. Hern’s remarks as prepared: Tonight we're going to hear the truth about a truly bad bill. Biden' failed leadership has created an America where grocery store shelves are empty, gas stations are running out of gas, crime is skyrocketing, our schools are failing, and our borders are wide open - completely at the mercy of the cartels. This isn't the America any of us want. Whether we succeed or fail, we do it as one. Republican or Democrat, our future is the same. That's why it's so important to point out the truth of what's in this reconciliation package. The Biden Administration has ignored crisis after crisis, putting all their eggs into this 'Build Back Broke' basket. So how come no one actually knows what's in it? We spent over 40 hours in Ways and Means marking up the Build Back Broke plan last month, and several other committees did the same... but we already know that the policies have changed since then. Democrats are adding radical, unnecessary provisions while the American people aren't looking. For example, they're trying to make the IRS spy on American families' bank accounts. That's right, they want banks to give information to the IRS on any transaction over $600. This is a giant step towards living in a surveill… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-mourns-loss-general-colin-powell | Cole Mourns Loss of General Colin Powell | 2021-10-18 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after learning of the loss of former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell. "It was with great sadness that I learned of the unexpected passing of Colin Powell," said Cole. "America has lost not only a great warrior and respected statesman but a genuinely wise and decent man. Secretary Powell was a role model and a patriot revered and respected by millions of Americans of every race, ethnicity and political persuasion. "During my time in politics and in Congress, I had the privilege of interacting with Colin Powell. While we didn't agree on every issue, I respected his perspective, his thoughtful approach to every issue, his deep patriotism and his long and selfless service to our country. "I extend my sympathy to the Powell family, including his wife of 59 years, Alma Powell, and his loving children and grandchildren. All America grieves with them in their loss. "In the words of our greatest president, Abraham Lincoln, Colin Powell spoke to ‘the better angels of our nature.' His calm voice in these turbulent times will be greatly missed." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=448 | Hern Joins Bill Preventing IRS from Invading Americans Citizens’ Privacy | 2021-10-18 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) joined a bill introduced by Representative Drew Ferguson (GA-03), theProhibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act, to ban the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from implementing any new reporting requirements for banks or other financial institutions as part of the Biden Administration's aggressive bank surveillance regime. Strong concerns have been raised about individual’s privacy, the IRS's ability to safeguard private bank account information, and undue burdens on families and small businesses. Every Republican member of the Ways and Means Committee, the chief tax-writing committee in Congress, is an original cosponsor of the legislation. “At a time when trust in government is at an all-time low, expansion of IRS surveillance power is the last thing that people want,”Rep. Hern said. “Rather than writing a sensible bill that can be responsibly paid for, Democrats have instead produced a bloated socialist wish-list that they say will be paid for by ‘reducing tax fraud.’ What they mean to say is that they will snoop around Americans’ personal finances trying to generate revenue that might not exist. The Federal Government has no right to monitor American citizens’ everyday transactions. I am proud to join this measure and send a clear message to the Biden Administration that Americans do not need this and will not stand for it.” “The IRS bank surveillance scheme in the Democrats’ ‘reconciliation’ bill is a dangerous threat to our privacy that targets farmers, families and small businesses,”House Ways and Means Republican Leader Kevin Brady said. “Americans should not accept this, nor Speaker Pelosi’s demand to unleash 80,000 more IRS agents on hardworking taxpayers.” "We should not allow the IRS to invade the privacy of Americans by snooping into their bank accounts,”Congressman Ferguson said. “The Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats have clearly demonstrated their intent to instate a broad financial surveillance regime using Americans’ private financial information.… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=442 | Hern criticizes Biden Admin for flouting federal court rulings on Remain in Mexico Policy | 2021-10-14 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) joined over 40 Members of Congress on a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in response to the recent announcement of its intention to issue a new memo terminating the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy. Representative Rick Allen (GA-12) led the letter. Joining Representatives Hern and Allen on the letter are: Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Ann Wagner (MO-02), Virginia Foxx (NC-05), Matthew Rosendale Sr. (MT-AL), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Carlos Gimenez (FL-26), Ted Budd (NC-13), Bill Posey (FL-08), Thomas P. Tiffany (WI-07), Garret Graves (LA-06), Scott DesJarlais (TN-04), Brian Babin, D.D.S (TX-36), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Jody Hice (GA-10), Michael Waltz (FL-06), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Bob Gibbs (OH-07), Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26), Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Eric A. “Rick” Crawford (AR-01), Fred Keller (PA-12), Glenn 'GT' Thompson (PA-15), Liz Cheney (WY-AL), Austin Scott (GA-08), Fred Upton (MI-06), Robert E. Latta (OH-05), Mike Bost (IL-12), David Kustoff (TN-08), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Richard Hudson (NC-08), Andrew S. Clyde (GA-09), Earl L. 'Buddy' Carter (GA-01), Barry Moore (AL-02), Dan Bishop (NC-09), Stephanie Bice (OK-05), W. Gregory Steube (FL-17), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Ken Calvert (CA-42), Randy K. Weber (TX-14), Pete Sessions (TX-17), and Madison Cawthorn (NC-11). The text of the letter can be found here and below. October 13, 2021 The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security 2707 Martin Luther King Jr Ave. SE Washington, D.C. 20528 Dear Secretary Mayorkas: We write to you today to express our deep concern over your recent announcement to terminate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico Policy.”1 MPP was issued in 2018 to provide an orderly process for asylum cases and curb the flow of illegal immigrants being released into the United States.2 Section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act gives your Depar… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-again-votes-no-raising-debt-ceiling | Bice Again Votes ‘No’ on Raising the Debt Ceiling | 2021-10-12 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Representative Stephanie Bice (OK-05) released the following statement after the House passed a rule that would raise the debt ceiling through the end of Fiscal Year 2022. Bice voted against the resolution for the second time. “Tonight’s vote was just another Trojan Horse House Democrats are using to pass an increase to our nation’s debt ceiling without actually having to vote on it. Instead of a direct vote on a bill to raise the debt limit, we voted on a self-executing rule, packed with three additional unrelated pieces of legislation, to allow House Democrats a temporary extension of $480 billion for the debt ceiling. I again voted no. More concerning, raising the debt limit will allow the Democrats’ reckless spending to continue. They now control the House, the Senate and the White House, and are set on funding their $5.5 trillion dollar tax and spend liberal agenda and placing the onus on the backs of all Americans. Raising the debt ceiling would help fund a Green New Deal youth patrol to the tune of $3.5 billion to establish a work program for jobless climate activists. It would also allocate American taxpayer dollars to fund a new surveillance program that gives the IRS permission to monitor every bank transaction made over $600. Until House Democrats can introduce bipartisan legislation to appropriately fund our government, I will continue to fight back against their outrageous wish lists.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-slams-democrats-sham-process-raise-debt-limit | Cole Slams Democrats' Sham Process to Raise the Debt Limit | 2021-10-12 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Norman, OK – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives approved a rule deeming passage of a measure to raise the public debt limit by $480 billion. "I am deeply concerned by the method House Democrats used to raise the debt ceiling, skipping normal debate and bypassing a standalone vote on the measure going to the president's desk," said Cole. "Deploying this sham process on a matter of such consequence should concern all Americans, who trust their representatives to give an item like this due floor time and full consideration. "While I certainly recognize the need to address the debt ceiling, this third attempt by Democrats is still deeply flawed because it fails to include responsible provisions to reduce the deficit and slow the growth of the national debt. Indeed, like the last two times, I still cannot support a measure that ultimately gives Democrats license to pave a superhighway to a socialist America and great entitlement society. Unfortunately, that is exactly what they intend to do." During consideration of the measure in the House Rules Committee earlier today, Cole made extensive remarks. Video is available below and transcript here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=438 | Hern condemns Pelosi’s announcement of overreaching IRS reporting requirements | 2021-10-11 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed she plans to add provisions to the socialist spending package requiring private financial institutions to report transaction-level data on the inflow and outflow of any bank accounts over $600. “We spent over 40 hours marking up the radical reconciliation bill in the Ways and Means Committee, but it was all a waste of time,” said Rep. Hern. “Pelosi never intended to keep the bill that made it out of committee; every day, it seems, she announces new additions to the already-untenable socialist plan. Today, she confirmed millions of Americans’ worst fears and announced the creation of a surveillance state monitoring the financial transactions of American families. This is the number one issue Oklahomans are contacting me about. This overreach is unprecedented and wholly unacceptable. The American people will no longer tolerate Pelosi and Biden’s willful ignorance to the needs of working-class families.” Rep. Hern previously joined Rep. Tom Emmer (MN-06) on a letter to Democrat leadership raising concerns about the reporting requirements. Rep. Hern also joined Republican members of the House Committee on Ways and Means as a cosponsor of legislation to prevent such requirements from being put in place. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=441 | Hern votes against swampy maneuver to raise debt ceiling | 2021-10-11 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting against Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s rule vote to ‘deem’ the debt limit increase passed without a vote on any real legislation. “Today, the House of Representatives voted to raise the debt ceiling rather than confront the true problem: unchecked spending,” said Rep. Hern. “Democrats are unwilling to slow down, so their options are raise the debt ceiling or crash right through it and send the country into a debt crisis. Let me be clear: this is a crisis of the Democrats’ own making. Pelosi repeatedly proves that she doesn’t care about bipartisanship in the bills she brings to the floor, so she should not expect bipartisanship to save her from defaulting on our debts. To make matters even worse, they’re passing the debt limit increase disguised in a rule vote. That’s cowardly, undemocratic, and incredibly misleading to the American people. It’s long past time to restore fiscal responsibility and legislative integrity to Congress.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/duncans-nrwa-receive-nearly-7-million-support-water-infrastructure-workforce | Duncan’s NRWA to Receive Nearly $7 Million to Support Water Infrastructure & Workforce Improvements in Oklahoma | 2021-10-08 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Moore, OK – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) congratulated the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), headquartered in Duncan, after it was announced that the non-profit will receive two federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, totaling nearly $7 million. Both awards come from the Water and Waste Disposal Technical Assistance and Training grant program, which provides funding to qualified non-profits for projects and training to solve water and waste-related issues. The first award, totaling more than $4.5 million, of which a portion of will support efforts in Payne County to establish a set of highly skilled water workers to ensure water infrastructure is strong, modern, safe and sustainable for the communities. The program will also help create jobs in the area, advance technological innovation at small water and wastewater systems and create economic development opportunities. The second award, totaling more than $2.6 million, of which a portion of will support projects in Stephens County to develop rural communities and grow local economies as well as enhance the sustainability of utility system governance, management and operations through project development and the delivery of the Sustainable Utility Management program and hands-on technical assistance. "I am delighted that the Fourth District's own National Rural Water Association will receive substantial funding from the USDA to support water infrastructure improvements and strengthen the workforce in two key areas of our state," said Congressman Tom Cole. "Along with paving the way for the creation of jobs and increasing economic opportunities statewide, the investment in rural Oklahoma will help maintain safe water and modern and sustainable infrastructure for the future." "Investments to strengthen Oklahoma's workforce and improve water infrastructure are important to communities across our great state," said Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03), whose district includes Payne County. "I'm thankful for the work done… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=436 | September jobs report falls short of Biden’s promises | 2021-10-08 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after the September jobs report was released, showing only 194,000 jobs created. “Biden’s leadership has failed the American people on every front,” said Rep. Hern. “We’re nearly 1 million jobs short of what the President promised with his American Rescue Plan at the start of the year. It’s time for him to admit what we’ve all known from the start – socialist policies don’t work. They’re not bringing jobs back; instead, they’re causing the American people to suffer under record-high unemployment and unending inflation. Republicans stand ready to put proven pro-growth policies in place, I just hope it isn’t too late.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its unemployment report for September showing only 194,000 jobs created. Including revisions, President Biden is falling short of jobs promised as part of the March American Rescue Plan stimulus by 944,000 jobs. Biden will need nearly 1.5 million jobs to close the gap next month. The unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.8%, and labor force participation remains stuck at 61.6 percent. This is still 1.7 percentage points lower than pre-pandemic level of 63.3 percent. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-statement-retirement-nih-director-francis-collins | Cole Statement on Retirement of NIH Director Francis Collins | 2021-10-05 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Moore, OK – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) issued the following statement after it was announced that Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will retire at the end of 2021 after a 12-year tenure under three consecutive presidential administrations. Cole is the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee that provides funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the NIH. "It is with very mixed emotions that I learned of the retirement at the end of this year of Dr. Francis Collins, long-time director of the National Institutes of Health," said Cole. "Naturally, I am pleased that someone who has worked so long and hard for the American people and for all of humanity is going to have an opportunity to take some time and smell the roses along the way. However, as a strong supporter and advocate of the NIH, I know how much he will be missed at the Institute, by the biomedical community, in the halls of Congress and amongst his scientific peers around the world. "Dr. Collins has served with exceptional distinction. The only person appointed by three different presidents to directorship of the NIH, I have often called him the ‘best politician in Washington, D.C.' Who else could be appointed by President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden? The fact that Dr. Francis Collins holds this unique distinction is a testament to the high regard in which he is held across the political spectrum. "A brilliant scientist in his own right, no one matches the ability of Dr. Collins to marshal and focus the scientific community. His concentrated attention to the well-being and health of people all over the world are literally unmatched. During his tenure, Dr. Collins advocated for greater federal investment in the NIH's budget, and he worked to advance many biomedical research initiatives focused on such ailments as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Indeed, his crowning achievement was probably the critical role he played in coordinat… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-congratulates-national-blue-ribbon-school-chickasha | Cole Congratulates National Blue Ribbon School in Chickasha | 2021-10-01 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) congratulated Pioneer School, located in the Fourth District of Oklahoma, following its selection by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School. This recognition is awarded to schools for overall academic performance as well as successful efforts to close achievement gaps and facilitate exceptional classroom environments and learning. "I am thrilled to congratulate the Fourth District's own Pioneer School in Chickasha for its well-deserved recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School," said Congressman Tom Cole. "The hard work and creativity of every teacher, administrator and faculty member of Pioneer School certainly resulted in this prestigious title. Educators are a gift to society and when they focus on the unique needs of their communities, they can ensure children have the best learning environment to prepare them for the future." "Teachers everywhere are worthy of recognition for their courageous efforts during these most recent stressful times. As educators we believe that what we do is essential to a productive and successful society. Pioneer School is committed to providing the best possible education tailored to the individual needs of our students. This national recognition is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our teachers, support staff, parents and community. When these groups base their relationships on genuinely caring for each other, success is imminent. We are humbled by the honor and very proud of this accomplishment. Thank you to National Blue Ribbon Schools for acknowledging our success," said Tod Harrison, Superintendent and Principal of Pioneer School. The 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony for all honorees will be held on Thursday, November 4 and Friday, November 5. For more information on the awards, please see the U.S. Department of Education's official announcement on this year's recipients here. To learn more about the individual efforts and achievements of Pioneer School, c… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-congratulates-national-blue-ribbon-school-southwest-okc | Cole Congratulates National Blue Ribbon School in Southwest OKC | 2021-10-01 | 2021 | 2021-10 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) congratulated Brink Junior High, located in the Fourth District of Oklahoma, following its selection by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School. This recognition is awarded to schools for overall academic performance as well as successful efforts to close achievement gaps and facilitate exceptional classroom environments and learning. "I am thrilled to congratulate the Fourth District's own Brink Junior High for being named a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School," said Congressman Tom Cole. "While the pandemic made providing instruction more challenging for educators nationwide, the exceptional collaboration and creativity of staff ensured that Brink's student-centered model was maintained and continued to facilitate a meaningful learning experience for students." "MPS has a rich history of not only performing well at our 35 school sites, but we seek ways to improve the education process for our students," saidMoore Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Romines. "We develop strategies to improve, implement them, and evaluate our results. Brink Junior High's honor of being named a National Blue Ribbon School speaks to those efforts, and we are so proud of their commitment to excellence in education." "We are so honored to be named a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education," saidBrink Junior High Principal Dan Schwarz. "At Brink, we know that it takes all aspects of our community to earn an honor like this. We are lucky to be supported by a strong central leadership team; we have a wonderful staff that is dedicated to the growth of every student; we have parents and guardians who are concerned and willing to help at any point, and we have students who are respectful and dedicated to their own education." The 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony for all honorees will be held on Thursday, November 4 and Friday, November 5. For more information on the awards, please see the U.S. Department of… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:24:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-votes-prevent-government-shutdown | Cole Votes to Prevent a Government Shutdown | 2021-09-30 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term continuing resolution that funds the federal government at fiscal year 2021 levels until December 3, 2021. Cole supported the legislation. "While a continuing resolution is never ideal, a government shutdown is a far worse alternative, which would deal expensive and damaging consequences. Indeed, keeping the government open and operating is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of Congress" said Cole. "With an already shaky economy and inflationary crisis, due to the socialist policies and unprecedented spending pushed by Democrats in recent months, the last thing the American people need is a costly and avoidable government shutdown. In the days and weeks ahead, I remain hopeful that both parties and both chambers can work together to negotiate and pass full-year funding for fiscal year 2022." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-demands-answers-disastrous-afghanistan-withdrawal | Bice Demands Answers for Disastrous Afghanistan Withdrawal | 2021-09-29 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Representative Stephanie Bice, a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), today questioned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and General Kenneth McKenzie, Commander of U.S. Central Command, on the Biden Administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. “Americans deserve to know the reasons for the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan and today’s hearings were an opportunity to demand answers for the complete failure of President Biden’s actions,” Bice said. “We must also hold the intelligence community accountable for their role in this situation and discover if a failure to provide accurate or timely information played a part.” Bice began her line of questioning by discussing the numerous calls from her constituents, including members of the military, veterans and their families, who expressed outrage at the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the abandonment of Afghan allies and American Citizens. “I, too, am deeply outraged and have been equally stunned by the lack of leadership shown by President Biden throughout all of this. The American people deserve to have a full accounting of the President’s decision making processes and what ultimately led to this disastrous outcome,” Bice said. Bice then pressed the witnesses on the decision to use the Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) instead of Bagram Air Base to evacuate American citizens. “During the Senate testimony yesterday, Gen. Austin, you said the choice to abandon Bagram was made carefully based on the mission to protect the embassy. What aspect of security at HKIA made it more secure than Bagram? And following that you mentioned in your opening statement that Bagram had little strategic value. If could elaborate on those please,” Bice asked. “…In the event of an evacuation, we would have to start with evacuating the embassy first, and so Kabul makes all, it provides everything you need to be able to do that,” Austin answered. Bice further quest… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-hudson-urge-removal-red-flag-law-ndaa | Bice, Hudson Urge Removal of Red Flag Law from NDAA | 2021-09-29 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Stephanie Bice (OK-05), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), along with 157 of their colleagues, sent a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, urging the full removal of a “red flag” provision in H.R. 4350, the House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) during the conference committee process. The letter expresses deep concern that if Sec. 529 of the NDAA were to be enacted, the Second Amendment rights of U.S. military servicemembers would be violated by allowing military judges and magistrates to issue military court gun confiscation orders. Such orders could be issued on an ex parte basis, without the servicemember even being present in court to defend themselves. “The NDAA is necessary legislation to fund our military and defense, as well as to provide salary and benefits for our soldiers and retirees. It is unfortunate that once again Democrats are doing everything they can to erode the Second Amendment rights of Americans, including those that protect and serve this country, by inserting red flag provisions into this bill,” said Rep. Bice. “My vote in support of the NDAA was to reject Biden’s efforts to gut our military, to ensure we’re able to stand up to Russia and China, and to begin investigations into the Biden Administration’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, not to remove our military’s Second Amendment rights. I will fight to ensure this provision is stripped from the final version of the NDAA.” “The National Defense Authorization Act funds our entire Defense Department for the year and included provisions I secured critical for our troops and Fort Bragg. While I was proud to support these provisions, I strongly opposed Democrats once again inserting a section on red flag laws that threaten the Second Amendment rights of our servicemembers,” said Rep. Hudson. "Like last year, I am proud to help lead efforts to ensure these provisions are remo… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-votes-against-suspending-debt-limit-again | Cole Votes Against Suspending the Debt Limit, Again | 2021-09-29 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the House Amendment to S. 1301, a measure to suspend the debt limit through the end of 2022. This vote comes after House Democrats last week put forward and passed a continuing resolution with the same suspension of the debt limit, which has stalled in the U.S. Senate. Cole opposed the legislation. "While it is correct that Democrats and Republicans have come together in the past to address the debt ceiling, the circumstances were drastically different. Moreover, such efforts were often paired with provisions seeking to reduce the deficit and slow the growth of the national debt, which is not the case with today's measure," said Cole. "However, while both parties have shared the responsibility of dealing with the debt limit before, it is categorically false for Democrats, especially current members of leadership, to act as if they have always participated and been supportive. "Indeed, the same Democratic leaders who are blasting Republicans now refused to raise the debt limit on more occasions than not when Republicans controlled the White House and both chambers. In fact, during the last five times Congress addressed the debt limit under unified Republican control, now House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer only voted to raise it once out of five times. "Regarding this current situation, Republicans have made it known for months that they would not support raising the debt limit as long as Democrats peddle their bloated and irresponsible spending plans and socialist-style policies. Since the beginning of the year, Democrats have been pushing their radical and wildly expensive policy agenda despite having the bare minimum of a majority in both the House and Senate. The results have been shocking: more big government socialism, increased spending, rising inflation and higher taxes. Just as Democrats have been perfectly fine with moving their radical policie… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-statement-passage-national-defense-authorization-act | Bice Statement on Passage of National Defense Authorization Act | 2021-09-24 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-votes-defend-sanctity-life | Bice Votes to Defend the Sanctity of Life | 2021-09-24 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK-05) issued the following statement after passage of H.R. 3755 by the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Bice, a member of the Pro-Life Caucus, voted against the bill. “Today I voted against H.R. 3755, the Women’s Health Protection Act. I cannot, in good conscience, support legislation that would allow an abortion up until birth. This bill eliminates all current state and federal laws related to abortion and, going forward, would ban states from passing commonsense pro-life laws. Under this act, every state will be a late-term abortion state with no accountability or protections for women. I will continue defend the sanctity of life and protect American taxpayers’ dollars from being used to provide on-demand abortion.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-votes-protect-unborn | Cole Votes to Protect the Unborn | 2021-09-24 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), a member of the Pro-Life Caucus, issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3755. Although the legislation purports to simply codify in statute the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, it would in practice preempt any state laws regarding the protection of unborn life. Cole voted against the legislation. "Make no mistake. H.R. 3755 is an abortion-on-demand bill masked by Democrats as legislation to strengthen women's healthcare," said Cole. "If enacted into law, this bill would effectively remove the rights of individual states to pass laws to protect the lives of unborn children. Indeed, this bill represents the greatest threat to defending innocent life that we have seen in the past 50 years. "Instead of allowing commonsense regulations to protect the unborn, every single state in the country would be required to allow abortion on demand at any time up to the point of birth. States would also no longer be allowed to protect the conscience rights of Americans, to ban certain barbaric procedures such as dismemberment abortion or to prevent sex-selective abortions or abortions targeting fetuses with Down Syndrome, which 70 percent of Americans oppose. "Defending life, particularly for the most vulnerable among us, is one of my highest priorities as a Member of Congress. As enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the right to life is one of those unalienable rights endowed by our Creator. It is with that in mind that I strenuously oppose this bill and urge Democrats to change course." Earlier this week on the House floor, while managing rule debate providing for consideration of H.R. 3755, Cole made remarks in opposition to the legislation. Video is available here and below. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=429 | Hern stands up for life, holds Biden Admin accountable for fetal tissue research | 2021-09-24 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Today, Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) voted against HR 3755, a bill to strip states of their legislative powers and enact federal late-term abortion, overriding any pro-life legislation at the state level. Rep. Hern spoke on the House floor against HR 3755, more appropriately named “The Abortion on Demand Act”. You can watch Rep. Hern’s full remarks here. Additionally, Rep. Hern joined almost 100 members of Congress on a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra demanding answers on Pittsburgh University’s federally funded fetal tissue research. The letter is a response to recently obtained records showing that researchers from the University altered abortion procedures in order to harvest organs from babies who were old enough to live outside the womb. Research of this manner is strictly prohibited by federal law. Joining Rep. Hern on the letter are: Senators James M. Inhofe (R-OK), James Lankford (R-OK), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Steve Daines (R-MT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Boozman (R-AR), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Thune (R-SD), James E. Risch (R-ID), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Mike Braun (R-IN), M. Michael Rounds (R-SD), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Rick Scott (R-FL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Rand Paul (R-KY). Representatives Jim Banks (R-IN-03), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-02),Lisa McClain (R-MI-10), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-03), Jim Jordan (R-OH-04), Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-04), Rodney Davis (R-IL-13), Jake LaTurner (R-KS-02), Jeff Duncan (R-SC-03), Michael Cloud (R-TX-27), Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), Randy Weber (R-TX-14), Ralph Norman (R-SC-05), Brian Babin (R-TX-36), Chris Jacobs (R-NY-27), Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15), William R. Timmons, IV (R-SC-04), Ann Wagner (R-MO-02), Tim Walberg (R-MI-07), Steven M. Palazzo (R-MS-04), Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ-04), Jake Ellzey (R-TX-06), Steve Womack (R-AR-03), Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04), Matther Rosendale, Sr. (R-MT-AL), Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), Ben Cline (R-VA-06), Michael Guest (… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=430 | Hern supports the Job Creators Network’s lawsuit against unconstitutional vaccine mandate | 2021-09-24 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Earlier this week, Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) met with Alfredo Ortiz, President and CEO of the Job Creators Network, to discuss their lawsuit against the Biden Administration’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate on American small businesses. Rep. Hern previously announced his intent to pursue both legislative and legal actions against Biden’s executive order directing the Department of Labor to force the COVID-19 vaccine on businesses with 100 or more employees. Rep. Hern voted against funding for the Department of Labor earlier this week, as he promised to do, to prevent the Department of Labor from implementing Biden’s executive order. “President Joe Biden’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate is already causing hardship on millions of hardworking Americans facing the terrible decision to receive a vaccine they do not want or lose their livelihoods,” said Rep. Hern. “The federal government has no right to put this mandate on the shoulders of small businesses and their employees, which I intent to prove in court in partnership with the Job Creators Network. Biden’s mandate is an undue burden on businesses, especially small businesses, at a time when job creation is essential. Businesses are having a hard enough time hiring as it is; we should be empowering job creators to hire new staff and grow their businesses.” Alfredo Ortiz, President and CEO of the Job Creators Network, said, “The Job Creators Network appreciates Rep. Hern's support of our forthcoming lawsuit against the Biden Administration for its unconstitutional vaccine mandate on American small businesses. Rep. Hern's success as a small business owner gives him the unique perspective to understand this mandate's threat to small businesses, which are already suffering from a historic labor shortage. The House of Representatives needs more small business defenders like him to defeat the war on small businesses being waged by the Biden Administration.” The Job Creators Network lawsuit is supported by small business members of the JCN. Small business… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-statement-house-passage-fy22-ndaa | Cole Statement of House Passage of FY22 NDAA | 2021-09-23 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4350, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. The legislation authorizes funding for our nation's military personnel, readiness and operations and includes provisions that support the missions at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City and Fort Sill in Lawton, which are both located in the Fourth District of Oklahoma. With Cole's support, H.R. 4350 passed the House today by a vote of 316-113. "I am very pleased that Democrats and Republicans in the House were able to come to an agreement and pass a bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act that ensures that our armed forces receive funding commensurate with our national needs," said Cole. "However, I am more pleased that this NDAA rejects President Biden's proposed underfunding of American defense. "Indeed, the House Armed Services Committee should be commended for its work on this measure, and its efforts should serve as a model for the House. Since the beginning of this Congress, Republicans have been asking for bipartisanship and to work with Democrats on solving our nation's problems. We see now what can be accomplished when we allow committees to work together, across the aisle, to produce important legislation without interference from House leadership. "Along with many other provisions of this bill, this NDAA rightly authorizes a 2.7 percent pay increase for servicemembers along with unprecedented investments in emerging technologies. It also continues funding for nuclear triad modernization, declares the record number of illegal crossings at our southern border a national security crisis and prepares our military to prepares us to prevail in conflict with a wide range of potential adversaries. "This legislation also includes more than 20 provisions to hold the Biden Administration accountable for its appalling withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. These include requiring the U.S. Departm… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-votes-against-suspending-debt-limit | Cole Votes Against Suspending the Debt Limit | 2021-09-21 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5305. This measure includes a continuing resolution to fund the government at current (fiscal year 2021) levels through December 3, 2021, with additional items attached, including a provision that would suspend the debt limit until the end of 2022. Cole voted against the legislation. "As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I certainly recognize the importance of keeping the government open and operating. However, I could not support the short-term funding measure brought to the House floor by Democrats this week due to the irresponsible inclusion of a provision to suspend the debt limit until the end of next year," said Cole. "Such action would effectively deliver a blank check enabling President Biden and Democrats to plow further ahead on their monstrous spending spree on radical, socialist-style priorities and programs. "Since taking control of the White House and the Senate, Democrats have shown no desire to restore fiscal sanity and revealed every intention to tax and spend unlike any other time in American history. Indeed, enacting legislation to suspend the debt limit, conveniently until after the midterm elections next year, would only pave the way for more big-government spending that has already led to higher taxes on businesses and the taxation of inflation on the American people. "Considering that Democrats control the legislative and executive branches, if they want to continue to push their misguided, out-of-control spending, it should be up to them to figure out how to pay for it themselves. But in the meantime, Democrats will certainly not receive any help from Republicans in their quest to bankrupt future generations. "Funding the government is one of the most fundamental roles of Congress, and I am disappointed that Democrats have chosen to add controversial items to a measure to prevent a shutdown. Once Democrats come to their senses, I look forward … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=424 | Hern hosts virtual town hall with nearly 7,000 attendees | 2021-09-21 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Yesterday, Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) hosted a virtual town hall with constituents from across the 1st District. The call included 6,855 participants both online and by phone. Rep. Hern discussed recent issues including the crisis on the southern border, the impending depletion of the Social Security and Medicaid funds, and the fight against the Democrats’ $3.5T Budget Resolution. Rep. Hern also took live questions from participants on the call. Excerpts from the call are below. Angela in Tulsa: Back in the 90s Newt Gingrich did a contract with America where he very clearly spelled out certain goals that he had for the country. Do you anticipate that the Republicans could do the same thing, and maybe do things like balancing the budget or reinstating Trump's border policies, etc., and getting America back to work? Rep. Hern: Last year, after talking to many hundreds of thousands of people across America through our offices, [we] came up with an idea of a commitment to America about getting people back to work [with] less dependency on the federal government… The fundamental [function] of the federal government is to protect us. What does that mean to protect us? That means protect us from bad actors abroad, it means protect our sovereignty like our southern border, it also means protect us from one another. The fundamental constitutional responsibility of the federal government is not to send out checks every month. It's to make sure we have a strong military presence that protects us from bad people around the world who want to take away your and my freedom and destroy the United States of America. It also means we have to protect our borders; with no borders you have no nation. And also to protect us from one another: protect our ability to own property and have individual freedoms and personal liberties. If you look at those three things: first thing, protect us from abroad. Look what President Biden has done. He's got every [American] ally now… totally disgusted with him. If you look at our souther… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=426 | Hern votes against Continuing Resolution, urges return to budget process | 2021-09-21 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting against HR 5305, the Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government. “Once again, the Democrat majority has put the federal government on autopilot,” said Rep. Hern. “What are we doing here? Our constituents did not send us here to do the same thing over and over and over again. We must interrupt this never-ending cycle of apathetic governance and do the hard work of passing a budget. The text of the continuing resolution we voted on tonight was not public as of this morning, we received the text with just hours to read it before the vote. The deadline is next week, we didn’t have to rush this to the floor tonight.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=423 | Hern plans legislative action against Biden’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate | 2021-09-16 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) held a press conference this afternoon after meeting with local business leaders to discuss President Biden’s recent vaccine mandate on all employers with 100+ employees. While the President has the power to issue Executive Orders, it is up to Congress to fund them. Rep. Hern plans to take legislative action to withhold funding from the Department of Labor for the implementation of this mandate. Rep. Hern has not ruled out legal action. You can watch the video here. Excerpts from Rep. Hern’s remarks are below: I’ve spent several days discussing the negative effects of the Biden Administration’s recent executive order that requires all private businesses with employees of 100 or more to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine or they’ll be subject to a massive fine. Our small businesses have been crushed during this pandemic... Like most instances in a free market, small businesses have been leading the way in creativity, ingenuity, innovation, and overall best practices during this COVID era. The executive order will only hinder small business’s productivity and wreak havoc on the workforce during an economic time where workers are already scarce. How does the government show appreciation to [small businesses]? By implementing more punitive regulations… Not only is this EO in violation of our small busines owners’ rights as private entities, but it also intrudes on doctor-patient relationships of individual employees across America and here in Oklahoma… [The Biden Administration’s] approach ensures that the normal rulemaking procedures will be circumvented while as many as 80 million of Americans and thousands of businesses will be forced into compliance before they even have the ability to comment to their government. Those who do not comply will suffer massive fines, which will put businesses in a difficult way and will cause financial hardships that will be unrecoverable… Over the past few days, I’ve received a clear message from small businesses and individual consti… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=422 | Hern votes against tax increases, rampant spending in reconciliation markup | 2021-09-15 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting against the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package in a Ways and Means Committee markup today. The committee spent four days over the last week debating amendments on pieces of the legislation under Ways and Means jurisdiction. “Speaker Pelosi’s priorities are not in line with the American peoples’ priorities,” said Rep. Hern. “We spent four days marking up the largest expansion of the federal government in history when we knew from the start that many of these provisions will not become law. Not only are the policies we debated over the last four days unpopular among the American people, they are also unpopular among many Democrats, including multiple Senators and several House Democrats. Just earlier today, we saw the Pelosi’s drug pricing proposal rejected in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, with several Democrats voting against it. I believe we will see more of this as the reconciliation package continues to make its way through House committees.” Rep. Hern offered five amendments over the course of the 4-day markup; each was rejected by the Democrat majority. Amendment #1 – on Universal Paid Family and Medical Leave (Subtitle A). Offered on Thursday, September 9. Rep. Hern’s amendment would protect Americans’ existing paid family and medical leave plans and prevent unfairly forcing the middle class to subsidize corporations’ paid leave plans. You can watch Rep. Hern’s statement on this amendment here. Amendment #2 – on Medicare Dental, Hearing, and Vision Coverage (Subtitle E). Offered on Friday, September 10. Rep. Hern’s amendment would ensure access to hearing, vision, and dental benefits in private Medicare plans in rural and underserved communities of color. Rep. Hern added a letter to the record with 14 Republican Members of the Ways and Means Committee in support of Medicare Advantage, urging protections as Medicare approaches insolvency. You can watch Rep. Hern’s statement on this amendment here. Amendment #… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=416 | Hern leads Ways & Means Republicans on letter in support of Medicare Advantage | 2021-09-13 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) led Republican members of the House Committee on Ways and Means on a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging protection of the Medicare program as it inches closer to insolvency. The letter calls on Democrat leadership to reconsider proposals that threaten the Medicare Advantage program for seniors. The letter was entered into the record during last week’s Ways and Means markup during debate for an amendment offered by Rep. Hern that would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to certify that Medicare Advantage plans would not be cut under the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending plan. The letter is supported by Heritage Action. Garrett Bess, Vice President of Heritage Action said, "Currently, Medicare is set to become insolvent in 2026. However, instead of working to address solvency issues and guarantee health care for America's seniors, Democrats have opted to pour more funding into long time, left-wing political agendas that ultimately will result in less health care coverage. With this in mind, we applaud Rep. Hern for putting Speaker Pelosi on notice for playing politics with seniors’ healthcare benefits." Rep. Hern was joined in this effort by Representatives Drew Ferguson (GA-03), Devin Nunes (CA-22), Adrian Smith (NE-03), Jackie Walorski (IN-02), Mike Kelly (PA-16), David Schweikert (AZ-05), Carol Miller (WV-03), Tom Reed (NY-23), Darin LaHood (IL-18), Jason Smith (MO-08), Brad Wenstrup (OH-02), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Tom Rice (SC-07), and Lloyd Smucker (PA-11). Background Information In 2003, Congress created Medicare Advantage as an alternative option for seniors’ healthcare. Medicare Advantage offers seniors the choice to pick private health plans that provide more comprehensive health benefits, including hearing, dental and vision services. As part of the partisan reconciliation process, Democrats proposed legislation that threatens the Medicare Advantage program last week, in which more than 26 million seniors are enrolled in. The text of the letter… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-statement-biden-vaccine-mandate | Bice Statement on Biden Vaccine Mandate | 2021-09-10 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | This directive continues the long list of overreaching executive orders that began on day one of Biden’s term. As he laid out the details of this latest order, Biden said: ‘This is not about freedom or personal choice,’ but it is about this very thing. This type of federal overreach is unconstitutional, and yet another example of Democrats’ efforts to grab power at every opportunity. The RNC has already indicated their intent to challenge the authority of this executive order in federal court, a move I wholeheartedly support. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=414 | ICYMI: Hern criticizes Democrats for focus on reckless spending, ignoring national crises | 2021-09-10 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) spoke during the House Committee on Ways and Means’ markup yesterday, criticizing their continued focus on moving the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package through Congress as quickly as possible while ignoring the crisis at our Southern border, the domestic oil shortage, the inflation crisis, the crime crisis, and the crisis in Afghanistan that led to hundreds of Americans stranded behind Taliban lines. Key Background: Both the left-leaning Tax Policy Center and the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) agree working families will see their taxes go up. According to the Tax Policy Center, President Biden’s tax plan will raise taxes on 75 percent of middle-class families next year, rising to 95 percent of middle-class families over the long term – contradicting his pledge not to raise taxes on middle-class Americans. The JCT analysis shows that more than 66.3 percent of the corporate tax burden would be borne by lower- and middle-income taxpayers, and 172 million taxpayers would bear the burden of the increased corporate tax rate – and disproportionately harm U.S. workers, retirees, and small businesses. Remarks as prepared: It’s interesting how the Speaker is so quick to end recess in the name of urgency to pass the largest, most unnecessary spending package in history, raising taxes on American families to do so, when there is zero urgency to aid Americans left behind by the Biden Administration in Afghanistan, and zero urgency to address the border crisis, or even the inflation crisis. Eight months of Democrat control over Washington and we have a crisis on nearly every front. How do our colleagues respond? By spending more taxpayer dollars, of course. And those tax dollars are not going to help domestic oil producers increase production or give our border agents the resources they need to keep our border communities safe. It’s not even going towards infrastructure, as so many promised, but to radical programs that the American people don’t want. Several polls… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=411 | Hern criticizes Biden order to require vaccines for small businesses | 2021-09-09 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after Biden announced his plan for the Department of Labor to institute a vaccine mandate on private companies employing more than 100 people. “The federal government has once again overstepped into the lives and livelihoods of American citizens,” said Rep. Hern. “Private companies, especially small businesses, are already suffocating under the oppressive restrictions put in place at the start of the public health emergency last year. My colleagues and I have warned of the slow march to socialism for years, and we were called liars for it. Turns out it’s not so much a slow march as it is a sprint. More restrictions, more mandates, more socialist policies are never the answer.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-applauds-dots-award-infrastructure-grants-lawton-fort-sill | Cole Applauds DOT’s Award of Infrastructure Grants in Lawton-Fort Sill | 2021-09-01 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) provided notification that the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport, located in Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District, will receive more than $3 million in multi-year grant funding. This multi-year grant will improve the movement of passengers in the existing terminal building by reconstructing the passenger hold room, ticketing lobby and exit corridor. "I am delighted that the U.S. Department of Transportation has selected the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport to receive more than $3 million in grant funding that will support critical facility improvements," said Cole. "Remodeling this key infrastructure installation in southwest Oklahoma will not only benefit Fort Sill Military personnel, their families and the Lawton community, it will also help attract more travel to the area and ultimately strengthen and potentially grow the local economies." "We are very excited about this multi-year grant that will enable us to complete the long-awaited terminal project. The final phases will include a new boarding gate and screening area with ramps to jet bridges, interior and exterior updates to make the terminal more energy efficient and relocating TSA checked bag equipment to behind the airline counters. The last terminal project was completed in 1995. Since that time, security has changed with the addition of TSA personnel and equipment. This project will take us into the future," said Barbara McNally, Lawton-Fort Sill Airport Director. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-mourns-passing-state-senator-charles-ford | Cole Mourns the Passing of State Senator Charles Ford | 2021-09-01 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Moore, OK – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) today issued the following statement on the passing of the longest serving Republican state legislator in Oklahoma history, Charles Ford of Tulsa. "I learned of Senator Ford's passing with a heavy heart. He was a colleague, a personal friend and a great Oklahoman who served our state with great integrity, skill and decency over the course of a long and distinguished career in the Oklahoma Legislature. "Both my late mother, Helen Cole, and I had the privilege of serving with Senator Charles Ford in the Oklahoma State Senate. And during my tenure as Secretary of State and Chief Legislative Liaison for Governor Frank Keating, Charlie Ford was an invaluable ally, wise counselor and critical voice in moving Oklahoma forward. "Senator Ford was respected on both sides of the aisle and brokered many a deal between the two parties in the Oklahoma Legislature. Everyone who served with him respected his wisdom and wit. Charlie made his points with a home spun humor that made legislators laugh and pushed them toward making the deals necessary to move the state forward. "No one loved and revered the Oklahoma legislature as an institution and a fraternity more than my friend, Senator Ford. He founded and served as president of the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Fund, Inc. When my mother passed, Senator Ford helped me to secure the funding for an appropriate memorial — a portrait of my mother's revered Aunt Te Ata, the famous Chickasaw artist and storyteller, painted in the 1920's. It now is permanently displayed at the Oklahoma State Capitol. "Charles Ford was a visionary Oklahoma leader who served our state and his party with distinction, honor, integrity and great professionalism. He was the greatest Republican legislator of his era and probably in the history of Oklahoma. "We have lost a great Oklahoman and I have lost a wonderful mentor, trusted advisor and dear friend. I will miss Charlie Ford. Oklahoma will miss him even more." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=410 | Hern hosts first subcommittee meeting on affordability for GOP Healthy Futures Task Force | 2021-09-01 | 2021 | 2021-09 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01), chair of the Healthy Futures Task Force subcommittee on affordability, hosted the first meeting of subcommittee members on Monday this week. Members of the subcommittee include Representatives Rick Allen and Victoria Spartz. “Americans have been demanding an answer to rising health care costs,” said Rep. Hern. “Today we took our first step towards a solution. It’s going to take time, but we are committed to empowering patients and lowering the cost of healthcare.” Hern invited several witnesses to join the subcommittee for a discussion on how best to define affordability and identify the root causes of increased healthcare costs. The witnesses were: Brian Blasé, CEO of Blasé Policy Strategies and senior research fellow at the Galen Institute and at the Foundation for Government Accountability, and former special assistant to the President on the White House’s National Economic Council (NEC); Doug Holtz-Eakin, President of the American Action Forum, a former CBO Director and Chief Economist of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA); Eric Hargan, Founder and CEO of the Hargan group, and former Deputy Secretary and Chief Regulator Officer at the Department of Health and Human Services; Kevin Kuhlman, Vice President of Federal Government Relations at the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB); and Benedic Ippolito, Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:17:01Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409 | Hern leads over 100 members on letter promising no GOP support to raise debt ceiling | 2021-08-31 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) led 106 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives on a letter to the American people yesterday, affirming their commitment to fiscal responsibility and promising not to participate in any attempt from the Democrats to raise the debt ceiling. Historically, negotiations to raise the debt ceiling have been bipartisan. “Over the last year, Pelosi hijacked a global pandemic to rationalize rampant spending, and has since used the pandemic to justify and normalize unprecedented, reckless spending levels,” said Rep. Hern. “I will not be a part of it, and that includes raising the debt ceiling. Democrats have the majorities in both chambers; they have the White House. They have the power to spend the money on their own, so they have the ability to raise the debt ceiling on their own.” This letter follows a similar letter signed by 46 Republican Senators earlier this summer, promising no Republican support for any Democrat-led efforts to raise the debt ceiling. Rep. Hern, who serves as the Budget and Spending Task Force Chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), is joined on the letter by RSC Chairman Jim Banks, Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, and 103 additional Members of Congress: Ralph Norman (SC-05), Ted Budd (NC-13), Randy Weber (TX-14), Gregory Steube (FL-17), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Billy Long (MO-07), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Mark Green (TN-07), Dan Meuser (PA-09), Greg Murphy (NC-03), Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), Jack Bergman (MI-01), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Kelly Armstrong (ND-AL), Bill Huizenga (MI-02), Richard Hudson (NC-08), Virginia Foxx (NC-05), Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Carol D. Miller (WV-03), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Darin LaHood (IL-18), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Jake LaTurner (KS-02), Brian Babin (TX-36), John H. Rutherford (FL-04), John Joyce (PA-13), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), Mo Brooks (AL-05), Debbie Lesko (AZ-08), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Adrian Smith (NE-03), R… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/bice-statement-us-action-afghanistan-casualties | Bice Statement on U.S. Action in Afghanistan, Casualties | 2021-08-30 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Representative Stephanie Bice (OK-05) released the following statement: “I am both saddened and angered by the attacks on the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan yesterday. The execution of President Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal that lacked proper strategy or planning, has resulted in a staggering loss of life, both of our American service members and innocent bystanders. The United States should respond swiftly and with force directed at ISIS-K and others who executed yesterday’s attack. In addition, Congress must launch an investigation into the decisions made by President Biden and his administration that led to such a disastrous outcome so that those responsible can be held accountable. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-statement-deadly-kabul-airport-attack-and-loss-several-us-service-members | Cole Statement on Deadly Kabul Airport Attack and Loss of Several U.S. Service Members | 2021-08-26 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after news of the attack on the Kabul airport that claimed the lives of at least 12 U.S. military service members and left many other innocent bystanders injured. "I am deeply saddened and distraught by the tragic loss of at least 12 of our brave service members, who were killed in the line of duty while evacuating innocent Americans and Afghanis from the evil clutches of the Taliban. "In the response to the horrific and despicable attack that occurred at the Kabul Airport today, America must quickly deliver justice to those who planned and executed it. Moreover, Congress must conduct an immediate investigation into the policies and decisions of the Biden Administration that led to this tragic loss of life. In my opinion, this avoidable tragedy was a direct consequence of the faulty assumptions and the poor execution of the Afghanistan withdrawal strategy devised and implemented by the Biden Administration. "Make no mistake, both ISIS-K and the Taliban are terrorist organizations, and left unchecked, this likely will not be the last attack in the region. The betrayal of the people of Afghanistan is the worst betrayal of a country and a people by a western power since Munich in 1938. President Biden must act like Commander in Chief and take the necessary actions to protect our troops, allies and our country from the terrorist regime. "This is indeed a dark day. My thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with those injured and the families, friends and loved ones of our brave service members who lost their lives while selflessly trying to rescue others. My heart also goes out to the many service members who sought to bring hope and prosperity to the people of Afghanistan these last 20 years. My prayers also remain with our deployed service members who are confronting an impossibly unfair position, never tiring in their relentless professionalism and selflessness to execute their duty, which is why they are the best in the worl… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=407 | Hern statement in response to the death of American marines in Kabul | 2021-08-26 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after learning about the death of four U.S. Marines in an attack at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. “President Biden now has the blood of American patriots on his hands,” said Rep. Hern. “This tragedy can only be a direct result of his lack of leadership. He has failed the American people as Commander-in-Chief and does not deserve the respect of that title any longer. Vice President Harris should not be left off the hook for this disaster either. She laughed when a reporter asked her about the crisis in Afghanistan the other day – does she think it’s funny now? American soldiers have fought and died in Afghanistan for the last twenty years, and she treats questions about it like a joke. There is no leadership in the White House right now. Biden and Harris both need to resign for dereliction of duty.” Rep. Hern concluded, “My heart goes out to the families of these four incredible Americans, who gave their lives to help rescue Americans from Taliban terrorists. I pray for peace and comfort in this time of intense pain and confusion.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-slams-pelosi-reckless-budget-and-irresponsible-process | Cole Slams Pelosi for Reckless “Budget” and Irresponsible Process | 2021-08-24 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives adopted H. Res. 601, which included a provision that deemed passage of S. Con. Res. 14. This allowed Democrats to bypass debate and a separate vote on the Senate-passed budget for fiscal year 2022, which includes reconciliation instructions to usher in $3.5 trillion in new federal spending on socialist-style programs. "I am astounded by the irresponsible manner in which Speaker Pelosi operated the House this week, simply because she could not get members of her own party in line and on board with her will and wishes," said Cole. "As a result, Speaker Pelosi had the House skip critical debate and an individual vote on a consequential budget resolution solely intended to trigger $3.5 trillion worth of radical tax-and-spend legislation. Instead of going through the normal process, the reckless budget was buried in another measure to ensure its adoption, whether a majority of support actually existed within the Democratic Caucus. "Considering that inflation is already at its highest level in decades and with mounting crises across the nation and around the world, this behavior is not only disgraceful, it is a disservice to the American people. This fight is far from over as the House will be considering the reconciliation and infrastructure bills later in the fall." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=396 | VIDEO: Hern slams Biden’s $3.5 trillion spending bill, criticizes Democrats for reckless spending | 2021-08-24 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) spoke at a press conference held by the Republican Study Committee (RSC) this afternoon on the $3.5 trillion reconciliation plan working through Congress. Rep. Hern serves as the Budget and Spending Task Force Chairman within RSC. Remarks as prepared: Thank you all for joining us today. I spent the first five months of this year as the Republican Study Committee Budget and Spending Task Force chair working alongside many of these incredible men and women behind me on the RSC budget. As the Speaker has said on multiple occasions, “show me your budget, I’ll show you your values.” Her budget shows us she wants to bankrupt America, an atrocity for the American people. When I look at this so-called budget the Democrats are putting forward, it’s clear they have no respect for the taxpayer. Far too many Democrats here have forgotten this most basic fact: the US government has no money of our own. Every dollar comes from the American taxpayers. $3.5 trillion is an unimaginable sum, more than any of us can fathom. That money isn’t coming out of thin air – it’s going to come from you. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, families in my home state of Oklahoma received an average tax cut of $1,700. Pelosi’s budget would reverse that tax relief and place the burden of her unpopular agenda on American families. Let’s talk about debt for a minute. Every American family has to live within their means, or else accumulate debt. Your debts impact your credit and your budget. If you have debts, your family must adjust spending levels to accommodate paying off debt. Like every American family, the government has to factor in our debt to the decisions we make. Except Democrats like to act like our debts don’t exist. They think that it’s impossible for the United States to default on our debts, that we can spend as much as we want, when we want, with no consequences. When I first came to Congress at the beginning of 2019, our national debt was $19 trillion. By next year, we will hit $34 trillion… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-host-telephone-town-hall-august-30-2021 | Cole to Host Telephone Town Hall - August 30, 2021 | 2021-08-23 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) announced today that he will host a constituent telephone town hall to discuss and answer questions about the latest legislative news and updates from Congress. "I look forward to connecting with my constituents again during another telephone town hall," said Cole. "Between my travels across the Fourth District of Oklahoma, legislative business in Washington this week and the latest misguided actions out of the Biden Administration, there is a lot to discuss during this next phone call event." Details for participating in the call are below: Date: Monday, August 30, 2021 Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m. CT DialIn: (833) 305-1727 In addition, to sign up to be called directly or to listen to a live audio webcast of the event, constituents can visit cole.house.gov/telephone-town-halls. For more information or questions, please call Cole's Norman office at (405) 329-6500. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=406 | Hern’s District Work Highlights | 2021-08-20 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | In wrapping up the last three weeks of district work, Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) engaged in dozens meetings across Oklahoma’s First Congressional District with civic organizations, small business owners, non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, police officers, firefighters, medical institutions, veterans, agriculture leaders, local press and even the Tulsa Drillers. “The people at home are the true leaders of our nation” said Rep. Hern. “We are at a crossroads in our country where we must decide who has earned our trust and respect. Who has earned the right to lead and influence our communities? Parents, pastors, teachers, small business leaders, civic organizations, local governments, or Washington D.C.? We have reached the point where we must ask ourselves if there is a sphere of society where we don’t want the federal government to dictate terms. People in D.C. would like you to think they are the smartest people in the world, but I know better. Those who demonstrate competence, character and consistency in our local communities on a daily basis are the experts and the leaders we need most.” Rep. Hern continued, “These are the leaders I need to speak with and learn from, and it’s these leaders I intend to empower, not Washington D.C. I am honored to serve and represent you, and I am determined to do you proud in our great nation’s capital.” HERN’S DISTRICT WORK HIGHLIGHTS: Law Enforcement Roundtable Discussion Time: 3:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, August 2. Location: Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, 303 W 1st St, Tulsa. Participants: Sheriffs from Tulsa, Wagoner, and Rogers counties, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and police chiefs or their representatives from Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Glenpool, Owasso, and Bartlesville. Background: Congressman Hern held this roundtable to discuss solutions for rising concerns surrounding the recruitment, retention, and retirement of local law enforcement. Tulsa Fire IAFF Meeting (Local 176) Time: 6:00PM-7:00PM, Monday, August 2. Location: Tulsa Fire Museum, 1010… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/statement-fall-afghanistan | Statement on the Fall of Afghanistan | 2021-08-16 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Oklahoma City – Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban. “I am deeply disappointed in the lack of leadership demonstrated by President Biden to the events unfolding in Afghanistan. Yesterday, rather than addressing the world to provide direction or reassurance, Biden remained silent. The President has once again jeopardized the security of our nation, just as is occurring with the crisis at our southern border. I fear that President Biden’s miscalculation in Afghanistan will lead to the region once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists fixated on attacking our homeland and our way of life. The actions of this administration demonstrate a lack of foresight on the situation in Afghanistan. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=392 | Hern: Biden is “spectacularly incompetent” | 2021-08-16 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement in response to President Joe Biden’s address to the nation this afternoon. “Joe Biden seems to have taken a page out of the ‘blame anyone but me’ playbook from one of the biggest failures of the Democratic Party: Hillary Clinton,” said Rep. Hern. “Biden took a few hours break from his vacation in order to blame President Trump, President Obama, the Afghan government, and the Afghan military – anyone but himself and his Administration. Following his speech, where he took zero questions, Biden is headed back to his vacation when the world needs American leadership the most. “The truth is, Biden owns this. This is a tragedy of his own making. Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Defense Secretary Austin either lied to the American people, or they are spectacularly incompetent. They reassured us that Afghanistan would not fall, that the Taliban would not take Kabul, and that Americans would not be put in harm’s way. Not only were they wrong, they were proven wrong almost immediately. I’d love to see fact-checkers correcting Biden’s lies, but I’m not holding my breath.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-statement-disastrous-situation-afghanistan | Cole Statement on the Disastrous Situation in Afghanistan | 2021-08-15 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Moore, OK – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement in response to the ongoing and worsening situation in Afghanistan. "The unfolding and accelerating disaster in Afghanistan is a human tragedy and a severe threat to the long-term security and credibility of the United States," said Cole. "No American should doubt that our enemies around the world are celebrating this defeat. The fact that even our own safe evacuation of the embassy is requiring the redeployment of U.S. troops underscores the Biden Administration's lack of understanding of the situation on the ground. They were, unfortunately, taken completely by surprise at the Taliban's utter and almost instantaneous reconquering of the nation. "More importantly, those adversaries will take the collapse of the Afghan government as a sign of American weakness and lack of resolve. We can expect our enemies to try and exploit this setback by challenging the United States on a range of fronts in a variety of ways. "Americans should have no illusions about the nature of the evil regime about to take power in Afghanistan. The Taliban are enemies of America. They hosted and sheltered Osama bin Laden, and they maintain robust relations with the likes of ISIS and Al-Qaeda. They can be expected to impose a brutal, medieval fundamentalist Islamic regime that will oppress minorities and women. It will be the antithesis of the democratic and egalitarian values championed by the United States. "A disaster of this magnitude has many causes and involves multiple administrations and Congresses. However, there is no doubt that the Biden Administration's decision to ignore the advice of military experts led to this precipitate and chaotic collapse on the ground. The president was warned repeatedly that the modest American force in Afghanistan that he chose to withdraw was critical to maintaining stability and holding the Taliban at bay. Unfortunately, the president ignored that advice in the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=393 | Hern statement on the situation in Afghanistan | 2021-08-15 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern released the following statement on the Taliban’s violent takeover of Afghanistan, destruction of democracy. “The foreign policy disaster unfolding in Afghanistan, which many previously predicted, seems to come as a surprise to President Biden and his Administration,” said Rep. Hern. “Now, they are caught flat-footed and seem to have no answers to the questions that Americans are asking. This morning, I and my colleagues attempted to get answers from the Biden Administration including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. These individuals have been left leaderless by a vacationing President Biden and they refused to let Republicans ask important questions including: “What is the Biden Administration’s plans for protecting Americans abroad including many who are still in Afghanistan? “With reports and video of thousands of terrorists being freed from jails in Afghanistan, what is Biden doing to keep our citizens safe, including protecting the gaping hole on our southern boarder? “What is the status of the taxpayer funded, high-tech equipment left behind for the Afghan Security Forces?” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=391 | Hern slams Biden Admin for bad energy policy, targeting domestic oil industry | 2021-08-11 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement criticizing President Biden’s recent efforts urging OPEC to increase oil production after irreparably damaging Americans’ ability to produce oil domestically. “Hypocrisy is nothing new in this White House,” said Rep. Hern. “President Biden catered to supporters of the radical Green New Deal when he ended the Keystone Pipeline and used Executive Orders to cripple domestic oil production on the first day of his presidency. It was a hollow virtue signal to the left that resulted in the decimation of our domestic oil supply, the loss of thousands of quality energy-sector jobs, and increased gas prices to unreasonable heights. Now, Biden wants OPEC – made up of several countries who wish harm on America – to increase their oil production to make up for his failures. Make no mistake, these decisions were not about clean energy; American oil and gas are some of the cleanest in the world. OPEC countries do not have the same standards we do and contribute heavily to global pollution. “Whereas President Trump made decisions to strengthen America and make us energy independent regardless of the baseless criticism he received for it, Biden is willing to destroy the economy and irreparably damage domestic energy production to cater to the anti-science, anti-America socialist Democrats.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-host-telephone-town-hall-august-12-2021 | Cole to Host Telephone Town Hall - August 12, 2021 | 2021-08-06 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Moore, OK – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) announced today that he will host a constituent telephone town hall to discuss and answer questions about the latest legislative news and updates from Congress. "With the U.S. House of Representatives out of legislative session for the customary August district work period, I look forward to connecting with thousands of my constituents during another telephone town hall in between on-the-ground visits in the Fourth District of Oklahoma," said Cole. "During the upcoming call, I will discuss recently passed legislation, what to expect when the House returns and the latest news out of the Biden Administration." Details for participating in the call are below: Date: Thursday, August 12, 2021 Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m. CT DialIn: (833) 305-1727 In addition, to sign up to be called directly or to listen to a live audio webcast of the event, constituents can visit cole.house.gov/telephone-town-halls. For more information or questions, please call Cole's Norman office at (405) 329-6500. Stay tuned for additional announcements regarding opportunities to connect with Cole in the coming weeks. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-bice-joins-87-other-house-colleagues-effort-protect-small | Congresswoman Bice Joins 87 other House Colleagues in Effort to Protect Small Businesses and American Farmers from Harmful Tax Policies | 2021-08-04 | 2021 | 2021-08 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05) joined U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04) and 87 of their House colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden, urging him to renounce his plan to cap like-kind exchanges — a policy that would result in higher taxes for farmers and small businesses owners. “Rural communities and family farmers are an important part of our economy in Oklahoma,” said Rep. Bice. “Ensuring agricultural workers have the opportunity to improve and expand their land or business is critical. Capping like-kind exchanges would not only negatively impact the ag industry, but also small businesses and hard-working families.” “The Biden administration is pursuing a number of bad policies in their misguided effort to redistribute wealth. They are failing to recognize the detrimental impact their proposals will have on America’s heartland,” said Rep. Feenstra. “Like-kind exchanges are important for farmers looking to retire and pass their property on to the next generation, for rural communities that benefit from incentives for economic investment, and for small business owners who are looking to improve and expand their companies. I urge President Biden to abandon his plan to cap like-kind exchanges, which will place a harmful tax burden on farmers, hardworking families, and main street business owners.” In their letter to President Biden, Feenstra and his colleagues argue President Biden’s proposal to cap like-kind exchanges would discourage investment at a critical moment for the economy. Additionally, they call attention to the devastating impact this move would have on family farmers and family-owned businesses. “We urge you and your administration not to damage the livelihood of farmers everywhere by repealing or changing like-kind exchanges,” the members wrote. “For the agricultural community, a cap on like-kind exchanges would limit farmers’ ability to improve their operations through combining acreage, purchasing more productive land, and mitigating environme… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:11:17Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-opposes-partisan-fy22-appropriations-house | Cole Opposes Partisan FY22 Appropriations in House | 2021-07-30 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives considered annual funding bills for fiscal year 2022. Advanced along party lines, the legislation passed by Democrats this week included H.R. 4502, a seven-bill package, along with H.R. 4373 and H.R. 4346. Together, the legislation covers nine of the 12 annual federal government funding bills. "Although there are certain items and priorities that I support in the annual appropriations bills pushed through the House by Democrats this week, each piece of legislation advanced is largely flawed, unworkable, unrealistic and destined for failure," said Cole. "Unfortunately, Democrats in the House Appropriations Committee ensured that all of their reported bills would be doomed from the start by severely underfunding defense, overfunding domestic programs and removing longstanding, bipartisan language that saves lives and protects the conscience rights of all Americans. "Unless key pro-life protections are restored and bipartisan agreement is struck on funding levels, Republicans cannot come to the table or vote on final appropriations. Moreover, Senate Democrats do not have the votes needed to further advance these bills to the president's desk on their own. At the end of the day, if Democrats continue to refuse to compromise and fail to work with Republicans, in either chamber, then they will have only themselves to blame. And they will bear the responsibility for the inevitable consequences: a continuing resolution, or even worse, a government shutdown. The American people deserve better." During debate on the rule for H.R. 4502, Cole made opposing remarks, explaining his opposition to the underlying legislative package as well as Democrats' misguided and partisan approach to annual appropriations for fiscal year 2022. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=385 | Hern joins Dobbs v. Jackson amicus brief | 2021-07-30 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) officially joined an amicus brief in support of Dobbs v. Jackson, a case headed to the Supreme Court. In Dobbs v. Jackson, SCOTUS granted review to a challenge of a Mississippi law prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks. The question before the Supreme Court is whether all pre-viability prohobitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional. In the amicus brief, Rep. Hern and the other signatory Members argue that SCOTUS should uphold the constitutionality of pre-viability restrictions on abortion and uphold the Mississippi law or return it to the lower courts for full consideration. “I’ve seen in my own family the importance of life and ensuring every child, no matter their disability, has the right to life,” said Rep. Hern. “I’ve told my story before, but spina bifida runs in my family. My mother, sister, and nieces were all told by doctors that they should abort their children because of the risk of spina bifida – each one made the decision to protect life, and as a result, our family has grown in love, kindness, and empathy. Every choice to protect a human life should be celebrated. I am glad to give my support to this amicus brief and I look forward to this important decision from the Supreme Court.” The amicus brief points out that SCOTUS has previously failed to clarify viability or tie it to any legal and medical principles, and that federal courts have mistakenly interpreted viability as a hard line to strike down arguments. The brief points out that fetuses feel pain as early as 12 weeks. The amicus brief is signed by 44 US Senators and 189 US Representatives. Amici Curiae from the Senate include Roger F. Wicker (MS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), John Barrasso (WY), Marsha Blackburn (TN), Roy Blunt (MO), John Boozman (AR), Mike Braun (IN), Richard Burr (NC), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (LA), John Cornyn (TX), Tom Cotton (AR), Kevin Cramer (ND), Mike Crapo (ID), Steve Daines (MT), Joni K. Ernst (IA), Deb Fischer (NE), Lindsey O. Graham (SC), Charles E. Grassley (IA), Bill Hagerty (… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=577 | Hern joins Dobbs v. Jackson amicus brief | 2021-07-30 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) officially joined an amicus brief in support of Dobbs v. Jackson, a case headed to the Supreme Court. In Dobbs v. Jackson, SCOTUS granted review to a challenge of a Mississippi law prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks. The question before the Supreme Court is whether all pre-viability prohobitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional. In the amicus brief, Rep. Hern and the other signatory Members argue that SCOTUS should uphold the constitutionality of pre-viability restrictions on abortion and uphold the Mississippi law or return it to the lower courts for full consideration. “I’ve seen in my own family the importance of life and ensuring every child, no matter their disability, has the right to life,” said Rep. Hern.“I’ve told my story before, but spina bifida runs in my family. My mother, sister, and nieces were all told by doctors that they should abort their children because of the risk of spina bifida – each one made the decision to protect life, and as a result, our family has grown in love, kindness, and empathy. Every choice to protect a human life should be celebrated. I am glad to give my support to this amicus brief and I look forward to this important decision from the Supreme Court.” The amicus brief points out that SCOTUS has previously failed to clarify viability or tie it to any legal and medical principles, and that federal courts have mistakenly interpreted viability as a hard line to strike down arguments. The brief points out that fetuses feel pain as early as 12 weeks. The amicus brief is signed by 44 US Senators and 189 US Representatives. Amici Curiae from the Senate include Roger F. Wicker (MS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), John Barrasso (WY), Marsha Blackburn (TN), Roy Blunt (MO), John Boozman (AR), Mike Braun (IN), Richard Burr (NC), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (LA), John Cornyn (TX), Tom Cotton (AR), Kevin Cramer (ND), Mike Crapo (ID), Steve Daines (MT), Joni K. Ernst (IA), Deb Fischer (NE), Lindsey O. Graham (SC), Charles E. Grassley (IA), Bill Hagerty (T… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-offers-motion-recommit-advocating-bipartisan-pro-life-protections | Cole Offers Motion to Recommit Advocating for Bipartisan Pro-Life Protections | 2021-07-29 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, offered a motion to recommit (MTR) on the House floor to restore longstanding, bipartisan pro-life protections to annual appropriations bills for fiscal year 2022. Before Democrats removed these provisions from the bills reported by the Appropriations Committee earlier this month and considered on the floor this week, every single Democrat in the House – except new members this Congress – had previously voted in support of annual funding bills with the language included. Cole's motion was blocked by Democrats this afternoon during consideration of H.R. 4502. As offered, text of Cole's MTR is available here. Cole made the following remarks regarding the MTR on the House floor yesterday: While I have many concerns with the bills reported out of the House Appropriations Committee, none is more alarming than the removal of longstanding provisions to protect the lives of unborn babies and preserve the conscience rights of American taxpayers. If my motion to recommit passes, Republicans will restore essential prolife protections that have been stripped from these bills. We will restore the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal tax dollars from funding abortions on demand and has been included in appropriations bills every year for the past 40 years with bipartisan, bicameral support. We will restore the Weldon Amendment, which protects American doctors, nurses and other health care professionals from participating in or providing an abortion if they have a moral objection. We will restore the Dornan Amendment, which prevents District of Columbia resident taxpayer monies from being used for abortions on demand. We will restore the Smith Amendment, which prevents the Federal Employee Health Benefit plan from subsidizing abortions on demand for federal workers. And we will restore the Helms Amendment, which prevents American taxpayers from financing abortions in foreign organizations or countries. Regard… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=380 | Hern speaks in support of 20% spending cuts | 2021-07-28 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) spoke on the House floor yesterday in support of his amendments to HR 4502. Six amendments from Rep. Hern were ruled in order for the mini-bus. The amendments were presented en bloc, each one cutting 20% from different divisions of the appropriations package. Remarks as prepared: Last year, we lost Senator Tom Coburn, a dear friend of mine, and a legend in both this chamber and across the Capitol for his consistency and dedication to fiscal responsibility. Tom taught me so much about the way our government works, about our broken budget process, and the importance of spending American tax dollars wisely. It’s pretty clear that a lot of my colleagues have forgotten one monumentally important fact: the federal government has no money of our own. Every dollar comes from the American people. When we’re in this chamber debating spending another billion here, and a trillion there, it doesn’t come from some bottomless bank account. It comes from the hard-working American people; we can never take that for granted. I have with me today Senator Coburn’s last Black Book, an outline of his deficit reduction plan in 2011 to get the United States on track to eliminate our debt and balance the budget. My colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Lankford, has taken on Tom’s mantle as the fiscal hawk of the Senate and now produces a similar report, detailing the many, many line items of waste and abuse in the federal government. In [Tom’s] memory, I helmed the Republican Study Committee’s Budget and Spending Task Force this Congress, and we produced what is still the only budget introduced to the House. My budget is not only a clear path back to black, as my friend Tom would say, it balances in just five years. Our interest costs on the debt alone are expected to nearly triple in the next ten years, making interest costs the third-largest federal expense behind Social Security and Medicare. As our spending continues to rise, so too do the concerns of our constituents. It’s alarming to me that th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=383 | Hern asks Sec. Yellen to consider economic fallout of Biden foreign tax plan | 2021-07-28 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) sent a letter this afternoon to Janet Yellen, the secretary for the Department of the Treasury, regarding Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII) deductions. The Biden Administration is working to eliminate FDII which would put globally engaged U.S. companies at a significant disadvantage. This letter urges Secretary Yellen to reconsider repealing the FDII. All Republican Members of the Ways and Means Committee signed the letter. The letter can be found here and below. July 28, 2021 The Honorable Janet Yellen Secretary Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20220 Dear Secretary Yellen, As Members who care deeply about research and development, manufacturing, and jobs here in the United States, we are writing to express concern about the elimination of the foreign derived intangible income (FDII) deduction in the Administration’s proposed FY 2022 budget. Currently, FDII provides an important counterbalance to global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) to keep successful research and development (R&D) in the U.S, create valuable intellectual property (IP) here, and even redomicile IP that is acquired or created overseas. FDII provides this parity with GILTI to discourage offshoring through a lower, 13.125% rate on high-return income, effectuated through a 37.5% deduction from income taxed at the 21% headline corporate rate. By eliminating the FDII deduction, and combined with the proposal to increase the corporate tax rate, the Administration’s budget proposal would be detrimental to U.S. competitiveness and job growth. FDII also supports innovation and investment. FDII encourages high-return advanced manufacturing to be performed in the U.S. Businesses often establish R&D centers and supply chains around where their high-return intellectual property is located. These activities create well-paying jobs. Moreover, bringing highly mobile intellectual property into the U.S. from low-tax jurisdictions provides the U.S. the primary right to … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-house-republicans-unanimously-call-restoration-hyde-amendment | Cole, House Republicans Unanimously Call for Restoration of Hyde Amendment | 2021-07-21 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, today led a unanimous House Republican effort to restore longstanding, bipartisan pro-life language that has been included in the annual appropriations process for decades. With the support of every Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, Cole filed an amendment to restore the Hyde and Weldon amendment language that is traditionally carried in the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations title following its removal in the House Appropriations Committee markup for fiscal year 2022. Cole's amendment was submitted today to the House Rules Committee in response to the panel's amendment process guidance here. First enacted in 1976, the Hyde Amendment prohibits federal tax dollars from funding abortions and has been included in appropriations bills every year since then with bipartisan, bicameral support. First authored in 2005 and included in annual appropriations every year since then, the Weldon Amendment protects American doctors, nurses and other health care professionals from participating in or providing an abortion if they have a moral objection; it has also been supported by members across the aisle and the Capitol since it was first enacted. "Regardless of one's personal views, lawmakers and presidents of both parties have always agreed that Americans should not be forced to pay for abortions with their tax dollars," said Cole. "Despite decades of strong bipartisan support for the Hyde Amendment, Democrats are abandoning key protections that have saved millions of precious lives and upheld the conscience rights of all Americans. Not only is this action wrong, but it contradicts the beliefs of the majority of Americans. "It is not too late for Democrats to change course and restore the Hyde and Weldon amendments before legislation reaches the House floor. All Republicans in the House stand united with the American people. We urge Democrats to accept … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=378 | Hern hosts virtual town hall with over 4,000 attendees | 2021-07-21 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Yesterday, Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) hosted a virtual town hall with constituents across the 1st District. The call included 4,043 participants both online and by phone. Rep. Hern discussed recent legislative initiatives, such as the Energy Poverty Prevention Act and Pro-Growth Budgeting Act he introduced in June, the Republican Study Committee Budget he wrote and introduced in May, and his recent trip to our Southern Border. Rep. Hern also took live questions from participants on the call. Excerpts from the call are below. Aleda from Bartlesville: What are the chances of creating a law that forces the federal government to balance the budget every year? Rep. Hern: “First, I think we need term limits, which I am a huge supporter of. That will get people [in Congress] that know the most important thing in America is getting our fiscal house back in order and not just getting elected. It is sad to see what’s going on with [the Biden Administration’s] spending... this time next year, we will be $32 to $33 trillion in debt.” Gloria from Sand Springs: I’ve seen information about different states sending forces to help with border patrol since the federal government seems unwilling to do that. I was wondering if Oklahoma was going to help? Rep. Hern: “The states that are sending National Guardsmen down are [helping to] police the border, and a lot of states are helping Texas out with that… It’s pretty sad because Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, I believe Clause 4, says that Congress is responsible for the immigration and nationalization process of the United States, but there is a failure going on across the Southern Border. Texas is the most exposed [to the crisis] because it has the largest border territory. So, Governor Abbot is pleading with these other Republicans, and all 49 other states, to give him help because the traffic corridor for human trafficking and drug trafficking is I-35 that goes from the border up through San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Oklahoma City. From there, drugs and … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=379 | Pelosi oversteps with partisan attack on GOP picks for Jan 6th committee | 2021-07-21 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after Speaker Nancy Pelosi vetoed Leader Kevin McCarthy’s picks to represent the Republican Party on the January 6th Select Committee. “Pelosi has once again overstepped as Speaker of the House,” said Rep. Hern. “There is no longer any pretense that she plans for the Select Committee to be a bipartisan effort, something I – and any American paying attention – knew all along. That’s why I couldn’t vote in favor of the committee in the first place. It’s an incredibly serious issue and deserves serious leadership, which Pelosi has failed to deliver. I wholeheartedly support Leader McCarthy’s decision to pull the rest of the Republican appointments from this committee. If Pelosi wants full control, that’s exactly what she’ll get because we are sick and tired of her political games.” Rep. Hern continued, “My colleagues Jim Banks and Jim Jordan are two of the most capable members of the Republican Conference. Jordan has spent considerable time on Oversight developing an impressive attention to detail and a knack for getting to the truth of a matter. Banks is an effective communicator who is not afraid to ask the tough questions and hold all parties accountable. These leaders are exactly what we need on this committee. Pelosi will come to regret this unprecedented, dangerous abuse of power.” Pelosi vetoed Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03), selected to serve as Ranking Member of the Committee, and Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04). In response, McCarthy withdrew all Republican appointments to the committee. Historically, Republican and Democrat leadership have had broad authority to appoint the members of their respective parties to Committee rosters without the input or confirmation of the opposing party. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-statement-doe-critical-race-theory-reversal | Cole Statement on DOE Critical Race Theory Reversal | 2021-07-19 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education published updated priorities today for the upcoming grant cycle for the American History and Civics programs. This included a change to the previously proposed mandate that grant applicants teach critical race theory – a mandate which Cole urged Secretary Miguel Cardona to withdraw in May. "I am pleased to see the U.S. Department of Education drop its mandate that applicants for civics and history education programs teach critical race theory and the 1619 Project to American schoolchildren," said Cole. "Furthermore, I am glad to see Secretary Miguel Cardona affirm that the Department of Education has no role in dictating curriculum decisions in schools. As I told Secretary Cardona both in person and in writing, schools should not be subject to federal curricular mandates, and civics education should be fact-based and balanced without political undertones. I urge the Department to refrain from endorsing critical race theory in future grant announcements. Moving forward, I remain committed to ensuring the Department maintains a hands-off approach and providing oversight in my capacity as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee for education." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-offers-amendment-protect-life-and-conscience-rights | Cole Offers Amendment to Protect Life and Conscience Rights | 2021-07-15 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – During a House Appropriations Committee markup for fiscal year 2022 this afternoon, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) offered an amendment to restore longstanding and traditionally bipartisan pro-life provisions, the Hyde and Weldon Amendments, removed by Democrats on the panel. The amendment was offered in response to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill for fiscal year 2022. Cole is the Ranking Member of the LHHS House Appropriations Subcommittee. First enacted in 1976, the Hyde Amendment prohibits federal tax dollars from funding abortions and has been included in appropriations bills every year since then with bipartisan, bicameral support. First authored in 2005 and included in annual appropriations every year since then, the Weldon Amendment protects American doctors, nurses and other health care professionals from participating in or providing an abortion if they have a moral objection; it has also been supported by members across the aisle and the Capitol since it was first enacted. During the markup, Cole made the following remarks about the importance of restoring the Hyde and Weldon language, which was blocked by Democrats before the bill was reported: My amendment is simple. It restores the language carried in this bill for over 45 years that protects life and prevents federal taxpayer-funded abortions. Since it was first enacted in 1976, it is estimated that this provision – known as the Hyde Amendment after its original author, the late Congressman Henry Hyde – has saved more than two million lives. This language has been supported by lawmakers and signed into law by presidents of both parties every year as part of the appropriations process. And every Democratic member sitting in this room today has voted for it in the past, as recently as last December. When President Biden was serving in the United States Senate, he supported including the amendment in appropriations bills and showed support for the provision as recentl… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=377 | Hern slams Biden’s tax-and-spend agenda | 2021-07-15 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released a statement condemning the exorbitant framework for Biden and Congressional Democrats’ deficit-soaring spending plan. Senate Democrats announced an overall topline of $3.5 trillion to pass Biden’s legislative priorities using the budget reconciliation process. Including the $1 trillion package a bipartisan group of senators are drafting and the $1.9 trillion passed under the reconciliation process earlier this year, Democrats are on track to spend nearly $6.5 trillion in addition to regular government spending. “American families are suffering under the worst economic crisis in over a decade, and the Biden Administration’s response is to spend more, tax more, and push the burden even further onto the American people,” said Rep. Hern. “When I look at this $3.5 trillion disaster, I see a blatant disregard for American taxpayers. I see hollow grandstanding and fake urgency. Democrat leaders have turned their backs on governing and embraced unprecedented partisanship, redefining terms to mean whatever serves their current purpose and co-opting the mainstream media so no one holds them accountable. Rep. Hern continued, “I knew from the start that Democrats were never serious about a bipartisan approach to infrastructure. Pelosi said she wouldn’t consider any bipartisan package until the Senate also passed the one-sided reconciliation bill. If the future of a so-called bipartisan bill is reliant on this $3.5 trillion boondoggle, there is no longer anything bipartisan about it. The rate of spending in the last 18 months should concern every American. We must hold these grifters accountable and start focusing on our debt problem before it’s too late.” While Congressional Democrats have already used the budget reconciliation process this year, they have yet to draft an actual budget. Rep. Hern introduced his budget in May, expected to be the only real budget introduced to Congress this year. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/representatives-bice-sherrill-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-support | Representatives Bice, Sherrill Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Disabled National Guardsmen | 2021-07-14 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Representative Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) introduced H.R. 4247, the Supporting Disabled National Guardsmen Act. Additional original cosponsors include Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL), Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS) and Rep. August Pfluger, (R-TX). This legislation would ensure that National Guardsmen who are disabled while serving on State Active Duty are able to access medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and disability benefits through the Department of Defense (DoD). Unfortunately, Guardsmen injured on State Active Duty are unable to access VA health benefits and are ineligible for a DoD disability pension when they can no longer work due to their injuries. Rather, these servicemembers generally must rely on state workers’ compensation plans, which are often woefully inferior to traditional military health and disability benefits. Rep. Bice became aware that National Guardsmen were not covered by federal benefits while on active duty in a state, following a tragic accident in Vinita, Okla. On February 15, 2021, Oklahoma National Guard Specialist Cody Casey was catastrophically injured assisting stranded motorists during a winter storm when his Humvee was struck by a semi. “In the instance of SPC. Casey, the state is covering his medical expenses for now, but I’m also concerned about coverage for SPC Casey’s long-term care,” Rep. Bice said. “Many of our National Guardsmen have not been as lucky. It’s our duty as a nation to provide high quality health and disability benefits to those who put their lives on the line to assist the citizens of this country, whether that’s on an overseas battlefield, or American soil.” “In the last few years, we’ve seen the men and women of the National Guard go to extraordinary lengths to serve our country,” said Rep. Sherrill. “Whether they’re responding to a disaster, providing COVID-19 relief, or protecting our Capitol, they deserve to know that they will be protected if t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-applauds-dots-award-infrastructure-grants-ardmore | Cole Applauds DOT’s Award of Infrastructure Grants in Ardmore | 2021-07-02 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) provided notification that two infrastructure projects in the City of Ardmore, located in Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District, will receive nearly $2.5 million in grant funding between two infrastructure projects. The Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport will receive $1.725 million, which will be used to install a partial overlay of the taxiway and installation of LED lights on the taxiway, on the runway holding position guidance signs and on precision approach path indicators. In addition, the Ardmore Industrial Airpark will receive $700,000 to rehabilitate the surface of the long runway and upgrade the lighting on the taxiway at the Ardmore Airpark. "I am delighted to hear that the U.S. Department of Transportation has selected two key air transportation projects in Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District to receive nearly $2.5 million in grant funding," said Cole. "The Ardmore Industrial Airpark and Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport are critical air infrastructure installations in South Central Oklahoma. By supporting safety and visibility improvements, these awards will help attract more aircraft to the area and ultimately strengthen and potentially grow the surrounding communities." "We are very pleased to receive the Department of Transportation discretionary grant for the Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport. The City of Ardmore has worked with our Airport Advisory Board for many years to try to prioritize and provide funding for small improvements as funding for the projects became available. This project would not be considered a small improvement by us. The work included in this DOT grant will allow us to enhance the other work that is currently underway due to funding we received from the FAA and OAC. The grant funding will make a huge difference for the safety of the local pilots and those who fly in to visit Ardmore. Having a high-quality local airport is a key asset … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-congratulates-2021-congressional-art-competition-winners | Cole Congratulates 2021 Congressional Art Competition Winners | 2021-07-01 | 2021 | 2021-07 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) today announced the 2021 winners of the Congressional Art Competition for the Fourth District of Oklahoma. Throughout the artwork submissions period this spring, Cole's office received more than 100 entries from high school artists. All entries were judged by Dr. Victor Youritzin, Professor Emeritus of Art History at the University of Oklahoma, who helped select the first-place winner and determine five finalists for the first ever "People's Choice" contest. Image Alayna Hill of Marlow has been named the first-place winner. The daughter of Steve and Kristen Hill, she is a homeschooled student and just completed the 10th grade. As part of the grand prize, Hill's artwork will be on display in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol Building during the next year, along with other congressional district winners from across the nation. A reception for all top prize winners in the nation's capital is expected to take place in the coming months. "I am delighted to congratulate Alayna Hill as this year's Fourth District of Oklahoma winner of the Congressional Art Competition," said Congressman Cole. "Her winning artwork is not only beautifully done, but the message behind it is a simple yet meaningful reflection on life. I am very impressed by her artistry and look forward seeing her masterpiece on display in Washington throughout the coming year." Hill titled her winning drawing Still Life in Graphite, and it was composed using medium 2B pencil. "For me, this piece is representing something that feels normal in this crazy world. People have been making, and painting, still lifes for thousands of years. Just because life turned kind of upside down and right again, it doesn't mean normal life can't go on. It's not the most inspired piece I have made, but it doesn't need to be. It is a little bit of peace on paper," said Alayna Hill. "We are thankful to God that Alayna's God given talents have grown and are being recognized. Alayna excels in a variety of visual and perfor… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T20:03:51Z |
| https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases/oklahoma-awarded-100-million-competitive-highway-grants | Oklahoma Awarded $100 Million in Competitive Highway Grants | 2021-06-30 | 2021 | 2021-06 | Republican | House | OK | Stephanie I. Bice | B000740 | bice.house.gov | bice | https://bice.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05) joined U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), and U.S. Representatives Frank Lucas (OK-03), Tom Cole (OK-04), Markwayne Mullin (OK-02),and Kevin Hern (OK-01), applauding two announcements that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program is awarding $100 million to go toward two highway projects in Oklahoma. “I-40 is critical to Oklahoma’s ability to serve as a corridor to commerce across the nation, which is why I’m pleased to join with members of Oklahoma’s delegation to announce the awarding of a $50 million INFRA grant for a lane addition and interchange improvement project at I-40 and Douglas Boulevard in the fifth district,” Bice said. “While Congress continues to discuss a nationwide infrastructure package, grants like these ensure that states can maintain interstate safety or expand infrastructure to meet the needs of Oklahoma businesses and residents.” “It is welcome news to see more than $100 million in INFRA grant funding come back to important infrastructure projects in Oklahoma,” Inhofe said. “This funding will go towards reconstructing, widening and improving two extremely important highways in Oklahoma: I-40 and I-35, supporting jobs, driving economic growth, and increasing safety for the traveling public. As we continue to discuss a broad, national infrastructure package, regionally important projects like these that are real, tangible, Oklahoma infrastructure will continue to be my focus in Congress.” “I’m excited to join my colleagues in Oklahoma’s Congressional Delegation in announcing the more than $100 million in INFRA funding for two significant infrastructure projects in Oklahoma,” Lucas said. “Investing in hard infrastructure is critically important to the economic prosperity of Oklahoma’s communities, allowing for increased commerce and economic development to spur growth not only along the corridors of I-40 and I-35 but towns across Oklahoma. I’m proud to have joined Senator Inhofe … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:57:00Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-appointed-serve-healthy-future-task-force | Cole Appointed to Serve on the Healthy Future Task Force | 2021-06-30 | 2021 | 2021-06 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following statement after he was appointed by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy to serve on the Healthy Future Task Force. Cole is the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. "As the United States continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of strengthening and sustaining our country's health care system for the future is vital as much as it is urgent," said Cole. "In the coming days and months on the Healthy Future Task Force, I look forward to collaborating with my Republican colleagues to address, modernize and find solutions to set America up for success when it comes to matters of public health, biomedical disease research, pandemic preparedness and biodefense. Indeed, a healthy future is the key to a strong future for America." Led by Congressman Devin Nunes (CA-22) and Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), the Healthy Future Task Force will examine workable policies to modernize and personalize America's health care system, support innovative treatments, restore the doctor-patient relationship and provide all Americans more affordable health care options that fit their individual needs. The task force will also aim to make sure the U.S. is prepared for the next pandemic and ensure our country has a more resilient medical supply chain. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:57:00Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-mourns-loss-donald-rumsfeld | Cole Mourns Loss of Donald Rumsfeld | 2021-06-30 | 2021 | 2021-06 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after learning about the passing of Donald Rumsfeld, whose service included leading as Secretary of Defense for former President Gerald Ford and former President George W. Bush. "I am saddened to learn of the passing of Donald Rumsfeld, who I was fortunate to personally know and work with for many years in both politics and national security," said Cole. "I served on the House Armed Services Committee throughout most of his second stint as Secretary of Defense. That gave me the opportunity and privilege to interact with Secretary Rumsfeld on numerous occasions. And, once he was out of office, he was a firm supporter of congressional Republicans during my time as Chairman of the NRCC. "Donald Rumsfeld was a controversial and consequential Secretary of Defense. He was an incisive thinker, an energetic leader and a well-connected and respected spokesperson and negotiator who served our country and multiple presidents with skill, professionalism and integrity. No one cared more about the security of the American people, the well-being of America's men and women in uniform and the advancement of our country's ideals, values and interests around the globe. "Donald Rumsfeld was a shrewd, tough, and determined patriot who was a source of strength to America's friends and a feared and relentless adversary to America's enemies. As both the youngest and the oldest man to ever serve as Secretary of Defense, a naval officer and a staunch supporter of the U.S. military throughout his public career, Donald Rumsfeld holds an honored place in the long and distinguished history of American arms. "As we all mourn his loss, my sincerest thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues and many loved ones." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:57:00Z |
| https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/oklahoma-awarded-100-million-competitive-highway-grants | Oklahoma Awarded $100 Million in Competitive Highway Grants | 2021-06-30 | 2021 | 2021-06 | Republican | House | OK | Tom Cole | C001053 | cole.house.gov | cole | https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) joined Senator Jim Inhofe and members of Oklahoma's delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives in applauding the U.S. Department of Transportation's announcements that two large highway projects will receive significant funding through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, which is highly competitive. Between the two awards, the combined total funding is approximately $100 million, with $50 million going toward the I-40 Douglas Interchange project and $50 million for the I-35 Red River Bridge project. Both projects directly affect Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District. "I am pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Transportation has selected two critical infrastructure projects in Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District to receive significant awards," said Congressman Tom Cole. "The receipt of this tremendous funding will greatly improve and strengthen the ability to move both people and freight in vital commuter and trade corridors while increasing travel safety statewide. This is great news for Oklahoma, and I was delighted to personally advocate for bringing this essential funding to the district I represent within our state. In the years ahead, I look forward to seeing the incredible statewide benefits of DOT's generous $100 million investment in these key projects." "It is welcome news to see more than $100 million in INFRA grant funding come back to important infrastructure projects in Oklahoma," said Senator JimInhofe. "This funding will go towards reconstructing, widening and improving two extremely important highways in Oklahoma: I-40 and I-35, supporting jobs, driving economic growth, and increasing safety for the travelling public. As we continue to discuss a broad, national infrastructure package, regionally important projects like these that are real, tangible, Oklahoma infrastructure will continue to be my focus in Congress." "I'm excited to join my colleagues in Oklahoma's Congressional Delegation in ann… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:57:00Z |
| https://hern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=366 | Hern introduces bill protecting affordable & accessible energy for vulnerable communities | 2021-06-30 | 2021 | 2021-06 | Republican | House | OK | Kevin Hern | H001082 | hern.house.gov | hern | https://hern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) introduced the Energy Poverty Prevention Act (EPPA) to the House of Representatives this morning. Rep. Hern previously introduced EPPA last Congress. “Transparency is at the heart of a lot of the bills and ideas I’ve supported since coming to Congress,” said Rep. Hern. “In light of recent decisions out of the Biden Administration to destroy energy jobs in Oklahoma, drive gas prices through the roof, and impede access to the traditional energy sources that Americans depend on, we must ensure that our most vulnerable are protected. Clean energy shows a lot of promise, but we cannot leave at-risk communities behind in the process. If a new policy will raise prices at the pump in low-income areas, or further impede access in rural communities, we need to know that up front. My goal with EPPA is to ensure that energy remains affordable and accessible to all Americans.” Ten original co-sponsors joined Rep. Hern on EPPA, including Oklahoma Representatives Tom Cole (OK-04) and Markwayne Mullin (OK-02). Background Information The Energy Poverty Prevention Act: States that it is the policy of the United States that all citizens should have equal access to affordable and reliable energy to maintain personal health and economic security and that the United States should mitigate the disparate impact of increases in the cost of energy on at-risk communities. States that the President or designee of a President cannot take any of the following actions without first having a study conducted to determine if the activity is likely to impose disproportionate costs on at-risk communities or increase the likelihood that at-risk communities will experience energy poverty and job losses: Declare a moratorium on the leasing of federal lands for drilling, mining, or collection of oil, gas, coal, or related activities Prohibit or delay (with respect to federal land) issuing a new oil and gas lease, drill permit approval or authorization, a new coal lease, permit, approval or authorization, or a n… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T19:57:00Z |
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