url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns/real-benefits-and-real-results,Real Benefits and Real Results,2019-12-31,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Just over two years ago, President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law. Since then, Americans are not only getting to keep more of their hard-earned money as promised, but the economy is clearly booming as a result of the president's continual focus on pro-growth policies. Indeed, there are numerous signs that the country is better off and that the best is still ahead. Thanks to historic tax reform delivered by a Republican-led Congress and President Trump, wages continue to rise, unemployment has reached its lowest level in nearly 50 years, millions of jobs have been created and the economy is growing by leaps and bounds. Holiday shopping sales in recent weeks are perhaps the most telling indicator that tax reform is working for the American people. Following strong sales of $31.2 billion on Black Friday, it was just before Christmas on Super Saturday that U.S. retail sales reached $34.4 billion exceeding any single sales day on record in the United States. Craig Johnson, who leads retail research firm Customer Growth Partners, said it best: Job growth and fatter wallets, along with stronger household finances, have put consumers in a buying mood this season. Tax reform isn't the only economic policy promoted by the Trump Administration that is delivering real results. Throughout his time in office, the president has focused a lot on improving America's ability to compete and thrive in the international trading sphere. Just a couple weeks ago, I was proud that the House finally passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which was skillfully negotiated and secured on America's behalf by President Trump more than a year ago. Considering that the United States trades with Mexico and Canada more than any other countries in the world, it is certainly worthwhile to strengthen that relationship and to modernize the outdated terms of trade outlined by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). However, USMCA goes beyond reinforcing the relationship we have with our North American neighbors. This trade deal is a tremendous win for the American people for millions of manufacturers, entrepreneurs, farmers and ranchers. Along the path to full ratification in the United States, I look forward to the Senate taking up USMCA in the coming days and similarly passing it with strong bipartisan support. Beyond negotiating USMCA, President Trump continues to work out better trade deals for the United States. Just before Christmas, the White House announced that Phase One of a comprehensive trade agreement has been reached with China after more than a year of challenging negotiations. The resulting Phase One agreement reduces some existing U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and cancels one scheduled to start this month in exchange for China buying at least $200 billion in U.S. goods and at least $40 billion in agricultural products. This news delivers yet another win for American job creators and workers. As another year ends and a new decade begins, I applaud President Trump for his dogged commitment to improving economic policies and delivering real benefits and results to American job creators, workers and consumers. Indeed, the American people are thriving, our economy is growing and business is booming.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-rosen-statement-on-anti-semitic-attack-in-monsey-new-york_,"Lankford, Rosen Statement on Anti-Semitic Attack in Monsey, New York",2019-12-29,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.29.19 Lankford, Rosen Statement on Anti-Semitic Attack in Monsey, New York OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Today, Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and JackyRosen(D-NV), co-chairs of theSenate Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism,released the following statement regarding last night's mass-stabbing attack at the home of RabbiChaim RottenbergduringaHanukkah celebration in Monsey, New York. Last night, at a celebration of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, the scourge of anti-Semitism reared its ugly head, bringing darkness with it.We are deeply saddened by this horrific act of anti-Semitic violence that left multiple people injured,said the Senators.This vicious attack represents a disturbing trend of violence against the Jewish community in the United States, and globally, and we must work to put a stop to this epidemic.No one should be made to feel unsafe for celebrating their faith, let alone subject to this kind of horrendous assault. In the wake of this evil attack and nearly a dozen others against thelocal Jewish community over the past several days and weeks, including a massacre at a kosher grocery store in New Jersey, we must come together to condemn these acts of hate, to take action to support and protect one another, and to empower our communities to combat anti-Semitism.We cannot stand silent while targeted acts of anti-Semitism continue to occur. BACKGROUND:Earlier this year, Senators Rosen andLankfordlaunched theSenate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism. The collaboration is the first of its kind in the United States Senate, serving as a corollary to the House of Representative's Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns/impeachment-not-political-weapon,Impeachment is Not a Political Weapon,2019-12-24,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"While history was made in the United States last week, it was sadly done so as a result of hyper partisan politics and Democrats' longtime dislike of President Donald Trump. Though Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared an impeachment inquiry in the U.S. House of Representatives was underway earlier this fall, sparks first flew the moment the president was elected and caught fire when Democrats took control of the House this Congress, setting off politically-motivated and fruitless investigations into the Trump Administration. With that record, it should come as no surprise then that the process Democrats pursued to impeach the president was flawed purely partisan, blatantly unfair and clearly crafted for a pre-ordained outcome. Unlike any impeachment proceedings in modern history, the process has been partisan from the start, contradicting Speaker Pelosi's own words and assurances. Back in March of this year, she said, Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there's something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don't think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. Certainly, on something as consequential as impeaching the president, it is a disservice to the American people for one political party to dictate the terms of the process and then to charge ahead on a vote, with disputable evidence especially when there's an election less than 11 months away, when voters can decide, at the ballot box, whether or not to remove him from office. Unfortunately, that's exactly how things have played out in the House. While I was not on the investigating committees for impeachment, related matters twice moved through the House Rules Committee, where I serve as the Ranking Republican. First, the committee dealt with setting the actual process for impeachment in the House. Though Speaker Pelosi declared an impeachment inquiry was underway at the end of September, it wasn't until late October that a House vote was scheduled to authorize the inquiry and a process was put forward by Democrats. However, before the Rules Committee received the process resolution, weeks of closed-door hearings led by Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff had already taken place. By the time Democrats bothered with an official process for impeachment, it was clearly an attempt to legitimize what they'd already been doing. It's worth noting that during the Nixon and Clinton impeachments, both sides treated the process with the seriousness it deserved, negotiating and finding agreement across the aisle to ensure fairness and due process for all involved in the inquiry. In stark contrast, the unfair process laid out by Democrats to impeach President Trump was absent any Republican input. Moreover, it limited the president's right to due process and trampled the rights of the Republican minority. At the outset, I warned Democrats were treading on shaky ground with such a flawed and partisan process, obviously crafted to ensure a pre-ordained outcome. That was made clearer when Democrats refused to include any of the 17 constructive amendments proposed by Republicans. In the weeks that followed, the flawed process was tarnished further by the speed with which Democrats on the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees rushed to deliver their pre-determined judgment to impeach the president for something, anything, whether stones were left unturned or whether there was sufficient evidence at all. At the end of it, Democrats chose to impeach President Trump over something that did not happen. The entire premise of the two articles of impeachment rest on a pause placed on Ukrainian security assistance a pause of 55 days. Throughout the impeachment hearings, we heard Democrats over and over again spin creative narratives as to the meaning and motive of this pause, alleging that the president demanded a quid pro quo but with no factual evidence to back it up. The fact is security aid to Ukraine was released, and the Administration did so without Ukraine ever initiating an investigation into anyone or anything. Tellingly, the articles passed out of the Judiciary Committee on a straight party line vote. Ahead of the vote on the partisan impeachment articles, the Rules Committee was tasked with setting the terms of floor debate. During our daylong hearing and again during floor debate, I warned about the damaging consequences the Democrats' rush to impeach could have in the days ahead and how it should concern every single one of us. In the short term, impeachment will sharpen partisanship and political differences nationwide, but it will also make it much more difficult to enact meaningful and bipartisan legislation in the future. More alarming in the long term though, it sets an unfair precedent that runs the risk of legitimizing impeachment as an acceptable weapon that can now be used in partisan political warfare. After all the drama and rush to impeach by Christmas, I am troubled that Speaker Pelosi is now threatening to withhold the impeachment articles from the U.S. Senate until she knows how the process for a trial will go. The fact that she suddenly cares about fairness is political hypocrisy at its worst, and it confirms that she intends to cheapen impeachment to be used as a political weapon.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=133,Rep. Horn Releases Annual Report for Oklahoma's 5th District,2019-12-23,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Horn Releases Annual Report for Oklahoma's 5th District Report details 2019 numbers and highlights, including passage of prescription drug legislation and military housing provisions Washington, December 23, 2019 WASHINGTON D.C. On Monday, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) released her first annual report for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District, highlighting legislative and district work over the past year. Congresswoman Horn's 2019 Annual Report is available here. The end-of-year report documents important numbers from the year. In 2019, Congresswoman Horn held 11 town halls and six constituent coffees and attended 285 district events. The Oklahoma City Free Press reported that [Rep. Kendra Horn] has managed to hold the center by having more town halls in less than two years than her predecessor and both Senators combined over the last ten. The 2019 Annual Report also shows that caseworkers on Congresswoman Horn's team resolved 371 constituent cases, returning $561,888 to constituents. The report highlights several of Congresswoman Horn's biggest legislative accomplishments, including passage of legislation to lower prescription drug prices and the enactment of a Tenants Bill of Rights for military families. For more information on Congresswoman Horn's legislative accomplishments or year-end numbers, contact Communications Director Chris MacKenzie by email at chris.mackenzie@mail.house.gov.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-lankford-hail-naming-of-uss-oklahoma,"Inhofe, Lankford Hail Naming of USS Oklahoma",2019-12-23,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) announced today that the Navy's newestVirginia-class fast attack submarine will be named theUSS Oklahoma: Acting Secretary Modly called today to tell me that the Navy has chosen to name the nextVirginia-class fast attack submarine after the great state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a proud and somber history within the Navythe battleshipUSS Oklahomalost 429 souls during the attack on Pearl Harbor. We have a permanent memorial to the sailors and Marines who lost their lives on December 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor, and with the naming of a newUSS Oklahoma, we can ensure their legacy of heroism, service and sacrifice lives on into the future. The futureUSS Oklahomawill serve our country, protecting our shores and allies while also honoring the contributions of all Oklahomans to our nation,Inhofe said.I am proud to note the futureUSS Oklahomawith the designation SSN-802 will be the 29thVirginia-class fast attack submarine and the first in the Block V configuration. Block V submarines will include the latest advances in acoustic superiority and lethality that will be critical to implementing the National Defense Strategy and maintaining our nation's undersea dominance. Today, the US Navy once again selected the historic name Oklahoma for one of our nation's most powerful platforms for peace, this time a Virginia Class submarine. It's an honor that the US Navy will carry our state's values and history around the world. It has been more than 100 years since the Battleship Oklahoma was commissioned and proudly served; I am grateful the Navy will honor the 429 sailors lost and the entire World War II generation by naming one of our vessels Oklahoma. It is likely one of the Oklahoma midshipmen currently at the Naval Academy will serve on SSN 802 Oklahoma. To our sailors serving us across the world this Christmas season and to their families, thank you for the sacrifices you make for the safety of the people of our state and our nation,said Lankford. Background: The futureUSS Oklahoma(SSN-802) will be the 29thVirginia-class fast attack submarine and the firstin the Block V configuration. Block V submarines include advances in acoustic superiority and lethality that will enable the fleet to maintain our nation's undersea dominance. The futureUSS Oklahomastarted construction this year and is planned to deliver in the mid-2020s.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-lankford-inhofe-hail-naming-of-uss-oklahoma,"Senators Lankford, Inhofe Hail Naming of USS Oklahoma",2019-12-23,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.23.19 Senators Lankford, Inhofe Hail Naming of USS Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY, OKSenators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced today that the Navy's newestVirginia-class fast attack submarine will be named theUSS Oklahoma: Today, the US Navy once again selected the historic name Oklahoma for one of our nation's most powerful platforms for peace, this time a Virginia-class submarine. It's an honor that the US Navy will carry our state's values and history around the world. It has been more than 100 years since the Battleship Oklahoma was commissioned and proudly served; I am grateful the Navy will honor the 429 sailors lost and the entire World War II generation by naming one of our vessels Oklahoma. It is likely one of the Oklahoma midshipmen currently at the Naval Academy will serve on SSN-802 Oklahoma. To our sailors serving us across the world this Christmas season and to their families, thank you for the sacrifices you make for the safety of the people of our state and our nation, said Lankford. Acting Secretary Modly called today to tell me that the Navy has chosen to name the nextVirginia-class fast attack submarine after the great state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a proud and somber history within the Navythe battleshipUSS Oklahomalost 429 souls during the attack on Pearl Harbor. We have a permanent memorial to the sailors and Marines who lost their lives on December 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor, and with the naming of a newUSS Oklahoma, we can ensure their legacy of heroism, service and sacrifice lives on into the future. The futureUSS Oklahomawill serve our country, protecting our shores and allies while also honoring the contributions of all Oklahomans to our nation, Inhofe said. I am proud to note the futureUSS Oklahomawith the designation SSN-802 will be the 29thVirginia-class fast attack submarine and the first in the Block V configuration. Block V submarines will include the latest advances in acoustic superiority and lethality that will be critical to implementing the National Defense Strategy and maintaining our nation's undersea dominance. Background: The futureUSS Oklahoma(SSN-802) will be the 29thVirginia-class fast attack submarine and the firstin the Block V configuration. Block V submarines include advances in acoustic superiority and lethality that will enable the fleet to maintain our nation's undersea dominance. The futureUSS Oklahomastarted construction this year and is planned to deliver in the mid-2020s. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-applauds-fy2020-government-funding,Cole Applauds Full-Year Government Funding for FY 2020,2019-12-21,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after President Donald Trump last night signed into law two full-year government funding packages for fiscal year 2020. The two packages include all 12 appropriations bills, which cover annual operations across the entirety of the federal government. One of the most fundamental duties of Congress is to fund the government and to keep it open and operational. By coming to bipartisan agreement on full-year appropriations, I am very proud that lawmakers in both chambers not only prevented a government shutdown, but they avoided the need for another short-term continuing resolution. I applaud President Trump for signing these critical packages into law, responsibly providing certainty for the federal government and the thousands of supporting federal workers. Earlier this week, Cole made extensive remarks in support of the funding packages on the House floor. Video is available here. Cole also explained the importance of funding with full-year appropriations, instead of continuing resolutions, in a recent column here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bipartisan-congressional-leaders-call-for-senate-passage-house-vawa,Bipartisan Congressional Leaders Call for Senate Passage of House's VAWA,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. This week, Congressional Native American Caucus Co-Chairs Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.) led a group of bipartisan congressional leaders calling for the passage of the bipartisan House version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The letter follows Senate introduction of VAWA in which Senator Joni Ernst (R-Id.) introduced a deeply altered VAWA that stripped critical protections for Native survivors of domestic violence and includes provisions that undermine tribal sovereignty. Representatives Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), David Joyce (R-Ohio), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.)and Mike Simpson (R-Ind.) joined in signing the letter. In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, The final version of the House passed bill works to seek justice for tribes that have historically lacked the public safety resources to protect their members and, if passed into law, will ensure these injustices don't continue to exacerbate the missing and murdered indigenous women crisis in the United States. The letter specifically pointed to Senate changes in the VAWA reauthorization that impact tribal courts and civil rights protections. Provisions included in S. 2920 clearly undermine tribal sovereignty the protection of any woman or child regardless of where they live or what group they belong to should never be treated as a partisan issue. We respectfully ask that you immediately come to a consensus on these critical tribal provisions and pass the carefully thought out bipartisan version of the VAWA reauthorization, the lawmakers continued in the letter. The full letter sent to U.S. Senate leadership is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://lucas.house.gov/frankly-speaking/while-democrats-deliver-impeachment-christmas-congress-should-be-delivering,"While Democrats Deliver Impeachment for Christmas, Congress Should Be Delivering Bipartisan Results",2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congress has long been a revered institution within the federal government. Enacting historic programs benefitting America's farmers and rural families to passing sweeping reforms that enabled growth and prosperity for all Americans, Congress has a storied past for its work providing for the American people. Unfortunately, the business accomplished by the Democratic leadership in the 116thCongress pales in comparison to other congressional sessions. To their credit the Democratic Party was working this congress to deliver their number one priority. Unfortunately for the American people that wasn't criminal justice reform, infrastructure, or immigration reform- it was impeaching President Trump. Instead of acknowledging and addressing the humanitarian and security crisis at the Southern border, or fixing our nation's roads and bridges, or passing policies further expanding on America's current economic growth, House Democrats have pushed aside and stalled bipartisan legislation that puts the People's priorities first. Even though the cards were stacked against legislation like United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) or the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), we were able to get them to the finish line. The USMCA, passed by a vote of 385-41, will modernize our trade relationship with our North American neighbors while boosting America's economic growth and providing for an increase in global market access. The NDAA, championed by Oklahoma's very own Sen. Jim Inhofe, passed the U.S. House by a vote of 377-48 and provides for the safety of our men and women in uniform and further strengthens our nation's security. But both of those well supported bills weren't given floor time by Democratic leadership until the very last moments of this calendar year. These examples are clear, when faced with the opportunity, Congress can deliver bipartisan legislation for the American people but not if Democratic leadership keeps holding it up for political gain. It's time for Congress to live up to its storied past. Americans deserve more from those they lend their voices to in Congress. Americans deserve a Congress who can fill the shoes of the institution's giants that came before them. Americans deserve a Congress willing to put partisanship aside and regularly pass meaningful, bipartisan legislation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://lucas.house.gov/press-release/lucas-congratulates-dr-sethuraman-panchanathan-his-nomination-director-national,Lucas Congratulates Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan on his Nomination as the Director of the National Science Foundation,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Lucas Congratulates Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan on his Nomination as the Director of the National Science Foundation Dec 20, 2019 Washington, DC House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas released a statement today applauding President Trump'snominationof Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan to serve as the next Director of the National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation does vital work supporting and funding research that makes America competitive, prosperous, and secure,Lucassaid. Dr. Panchanathan has exceptional credentials in research and academia and understands the importance of strong science policy with an emphasis on basic research. I'm looking forward to working with him in this new role, and I appreciate all the work his predecessor Dr. France Crdova has done to keep America at the forefront of scientific innovation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-their-words-praise-for-inhofes-work-on-year-end-appropriations-bills,In Their Words: Praise for Inhofe's Work on Year-End Appropriations Bills,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Stakeholders from Oklahoma and across the country praised Sen. Inhofe's work on the appropriations bills which passed the Senate yesterday to fully fund the Department of Defense as authorized in Inhofe's National Defense Authorization Act. In addition to defense funding, these bills provide the necessary funding for critical Oklahoma priorities. Click here for a comment from Sen. Inhofe and a summary of the provisions he secured in the legislation. The Army has been clearlong range precision fires is their top modernization goal, and the PIM is how we get there. Lawton knows the importance of this mission for the nation, for the Army and for our own community. We appreciate Chairman Inhofe's work to ensure the PIM program is fully funded, which, in turn, fuels the economy of our region,saidMike Brown, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army. As the Chairman of the Altus Military Affairs Committee and on behalf of the Altus community, we applaud Senator Inhofe's tireless commitment to policy and funding to continue fundamental KC-46A program stability and support to meet the Air Force mission. Our nation's air refueling aircraft are crucial to the future of our national security and the KC-46A Pegasus' has started the process of replacing our aging tanker aircraft inventory. Senator Inhofe's tenacious work as the Chairman of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee has been nothing short of remarkable in support of the United States Air Force and his commitment to the delivery and support of the KC-46. The men and women in our nation's armed forces deserve our absolute best effort and Senator Jim Inhofe has been the champion for readiness, enhanced military capabilities, and predictable budgeting for stabilized National Defense Strategy and execution. With the addition of the KC-46A mission set at Altus AFB, the tanker and mobility community will be able to capitalize on the synergistic training benefit to both meet and exceed global force requirements for our nation's security, said Dr. Joe Leverett, Chairman of the Altus Military Affairs Committee. Tinker Air Force Base is the future home for all maintenance and sustainment efforts on the B-21 where our talented workforce and decades of experience will be utilized appropriately. As the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma and the hub of our aerospace defense industry, the continued growth of Tinker's maintenance and repair work is also a positive sign of growth for the region's economy. Tinker is the right location for this critical mission, said Patti Ripple, Director of Military, Aviation and Aerospace at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. We applaud Senator Inhofe's attention to our Nation's #1 Defense Department priority, Improving Military Readiness.' He was able to obtain additional funding for the Research and Development of Advanced Pilot Training. Vance AFB has led the way in developing improved and efficient methods to increase the number of U.S. Air Force Pilots trained in Oklahoma by at least 34 percent. Senator Inhofe also secured funding for the new Advanced jet trainer, the T-7A Red Hawk, which is the much needed replacement for the T-38 utilized for Pilot Training at Vance AFB, said Mike Cooper, Chairman of the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission. Impact Aid is critical to our ability to provide quality education in support of the children of our nation's heroes, and provides communities such as our Southwest Oklahoma communities, necessary resources to meet the educational needs of our future generations, said Brenda Spencer-Ragland, Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce. Our military families deserve the absolute best education possible and this can be a reality through the continued funding of Impact Aid. ""The Oklahoma National Guard is very pleased for the continued support and funding for the Department of Defense STARBASE program, said Major General Michael Thompson, the Adjutant General, Oklahoma National Guard. We are proud to operate one of the nation's top STARBASE programs, exposing Oklahoma's youth to STEM instruction and activities as well as providing exposure to positive military role models found in our Oklahoma National Guard and Active Duty military installations."" Because of Chairman Inhofe's leadership, this year's NDAA fully funds the Advanced Individual Training Barracks Complex on the base. These barracks ensure that Fort Sill can continue to accommodate key missions and prioritiesensuring that it will play an important role in Army modernization for years to come, said Mike Brown, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army. ""The military construction funding of $18.9 million to support construction at the Tulsa Air National Guard Base provides organic bulk fuel to support surge flying operations- critical to increasing the unit's overall readiness,"" said Brigadier General Brent Wright, Chief of Staff-Air, Oklahoma National Guard. Long range planning and funding of our nation's transportation systems, including the interstate highways and inland waterways, helps lower freight costs and speed delivery to market, said David Yarbrough, Port Director of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. Funding included in the appropriations act will help inland states like Oklahoma enhance its multimodal transportation corridors, moving goods from the coastal ports to the interior, growing jobs and enhancing the state economy. Critical waterway infrastructure, such as locks and dams, must be maintained and improved to continue moving over 98 percent of the nation's imports and exports that touch ports and waterways, representing 1.4 billion tons of freight annually, with a value of $2 trillion. This certainty in federal transportation funding for 2020 is very good news for ODOT because it allows us to keep sensibly planning and delivering projects in a measured and accountable manner, said Tim Gatz, Secretary of Transportation of Oklahoma and Executive Director of Oklahoma Department of Transportation. I'm grateful for Senator Inhofe's continued leadership and his carrying the torch to help Oklahoma get federal grants over the years to put to use on much needed projects. We are very pleased with the funding levels and additional discretionary funding included in the bill. ODOT is so fortunate to have a great working relationship with Oklahoma's congressional delegation on transportation issues. We sincerely thank Senator Inhofe for longstanding support of the airport community in Oklahoma, said Spencer Dickerson, Executive Director of the U.S. Contact Tower Association, an affiliated organization of the American Association of Airport Executives. With his steadfast leadership, the FAA contract tower program will now have the necessary funding to ensure that smaller airports in Oklahoma and throughout the country can operate safely and efficiently. We are also very grateful for Senator Inhofe's support for the increase in FAA airport infrastructure and safety grants. Thanks to Senator Inhofe's leadership, this Appropriations package will help ensure the aviation industry has a trained, well-qualified workforce, said Christian Klein, Executive Vice President of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association. By leading the effort to create and fund a new maintenance workforce development grant program, Senator Inhofe is helping address a technician shortage that is recognized as the biggest strategic challenge to the U.S. aviation maintenance industry. Over the next several years, thousands of workers in Oklahoma and elsewhere throughout the country will develop skills that will allow them to pursue careers in the growing, global, high-tech aviation sector. Those workers will, in turn, contribute to the economic life of their communities, help their companies compete on the international stage and build on the U.S. civil aviation sectors already outstanding safety record. ARSA and its members thank Senator Inhofe for making workforce a priority and look forward to working with him to ensure the new program fully achieves its goals. ""We are pleased to see Congress show a commitment to increased funding for competitive research in the appropriations for agricultural research and Extension in the final appropriations billandwe thank Sen. Inhofe for his continued leadership on this front, said Thomas G. Coon, Vice President for Agricultural Programs, Oklahoma State University. Our country risks falling behind to other nations who are investing heavily into their agricultural research infrastructure. Increases in support for public research is critical to the future competitive strength of the American agriculture, food and natural resource industries."" Manufacturing Extension Partnerships are the American backbone supporting small and medium-sized industrial firms,said Dave Rowland, President of the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance.Finding and retaining skilled employees remains the primary challenge of our manufacturers. The national network of Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers offers the technically-focused resources needed to address this workforce skills gap. The efforts in creating high-wage jobs while growing companies through the adoption of new technologies and expanded markets raises the standard of living in communities across the country. We applaud Senator Inhofe's strong support for this program and the resources it brings to Oklahoma-based small businesses. We are deeply appreciative of the strong support from Senator Inhofe across a broad front of important weather initiatives from radar, the mesonet to basic science, said Berrien Moore III Dean, College of Atmospheric & Geographic Sciences and Director, National Weather Center. This support will help us provide better forecasts of severe weather and save lives. This is our mission and dedication, and Senator Inhofe's support has been both steadfast and visionary. We thank him. The Friends of the National World War II Memorial offers its heartfelt appreciation to our Congress and President for recognizing the 75th anniversary of WorldWar II and for providing funding to support the organizations across the country that are working tirelessly to commemorate this significant and historic anniversary and to pay tribute to ourGreatest Generation', saidHolly Rotondi, Executive Director of the Friends of the National World War II Memorial. A special thanks to Senator James Inhofefor his steadfast leadership in ensuring the success of this important legislation and for helping to honor and preserve the national memory of World War II. We are excited by the extension of the Former Indian Lands Tax Credit,said Sean Kouplen, Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development.This is an important incentive that Oklahoma uses in our economic development efforts. The incentive allows Oklahoma to recruit capital investment and jobs, especially to rural areas of the state, that strengthen and diversify our economy, We appreciate Senator Inhofe's leadership and his work to include this important incentive in the tax package. OGE Energy Corporation applauds Senator Inhofe's thoughtful leadership and steadfast support for extending the Indian Lands accelerated depreciation provision through 2020,said Brian Alford, Director of Corporate Affairs, OGE Energy Corp.While OGE strongly supports the Senator's continued efforts to make the provision permanent, with this temporary extension in the year-end appropriations package Oklahoma and the rest of the Nation will continue to see highly beneficial job creation and economic development on property located on Indian lands. The availability of accelerated depreciation provides much needed incentive and lends desirable predictability to investment decisions for entities considering capital projects on Indian lands. These investments benefit both Native Americans in Oklahoma and our State's economy in general by generating increased employment opportunities and economic development in our state. Senator Inhofe's support to include the RURAL Act in the year-end Tax Extender's package saved Oklahoma Electric Cooperative members and consumers millions of dollars, said Chris Meyers, General Manager and CEO of the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives. Preserving the tax treatment of FEMA and other federal grants received by Electric Co-ops to assist with disaster recovery ensures we can continue to provide cost-effective electricity across our networks.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-lankford-propose-plan-to-give-va-greater-ability-to-provide-chaplaincy-services,"Inhofe, Lankford Propose Plan to Give VA Greater Ability to Provide Chaplaincy Services",2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) today introduced a bill to realign chaplains at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)under the Secretary of the VAand alsoenhance their ability to provide mental health, counseling, and pastoral services to our nation's veterans and VA employees. The move will centralize and streamline all faith-based programs andpolicies across the entire VA to improve consistency and the opportunity to have additional access to pastoral counseling, if and when a veteran needs it. Currently, the Director of Chaplains and the VA chaplaincy, as a whole, are organized under the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which can lead to decentralized and inconsistent religious policies across the VA, while also creating unnecessary barriers for the chaplaincy to serve veterans and VA employees throughout the rest of the Department. This bill would also provide additional mental health services to our veterans. In addition, it would align the VA chaplaincy practices and organization with how the Department of Defense's chaplaincy currently functions, allowing for a more streamlined program. Chaplains are a vital part of supporting our nation's service members and veterans, but the disjointed structure at the VA can make it difficult for chaplains to provide consistent care, Inhofe said. By streamlining the VA chaplaincy to more closely model the way the chaplain corps for each military service operates, we can provide greater access to religious counseling and mental health services for all veterans who want to receive it. Our VA chaplains should be able to provide faith-based services and pastoral counseling to every veteran who wants it, said Lankford. By creating a Chief of Chaplains position at the VA, it will help to provide clear guidance across the entire department and for chaplains so they are able to administer pastoral services in a consistent and fair manner while also ensuring that chaplains have the ability to provide care for veterans in a way that does not violate their own deeply held beliefs. I believe that streamlining the VA chaplaincy to better serve our veterans is long overdue, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on advancing this legislation. Background: Specifically, the bill would: Create a Chief of Chaplains position to function as an Assistant Secretary Chief of Chaplains reports to the Secretary of VA and oversees the VA chaplaincy and religious liberty policy at the VA The position is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, similar to the Chief of Chaplain at the Department of Defense Allow chaplains to preform and receive credit for clinical services List chaplains as employees of the Chaplain Service and give the directive to serve the entire VA Include conscience protections for chaplains",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-praises-senate-confirmation-of-senior-pentagon-civilian-leadership,Inhofe Praises Senate Confirmation of Senior Pentagon Civilian Leadership,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after the Senate voted by voice to confirm three individuals to senior Pentagon civilian leadership positions: Yesterday the Senate confirmed three more civilian leaders for the Department of Defense: the Chief Management Officer, the Chief Information Officer and the Navy General Counsel. Lisa Hershman, Dana Deasy and Robert Sander are well-qualified for their positions, and I'm pleased the full Senate agreed. I look forward to confirming more nominees as the Senate receives them in the new year.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-statement-on-enactment-of-fiscal-year-2020-national-defense-authorization-act,Inhofe Statement on Enactment of Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on the enactment of theNational Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2020. The United States is in the most threatened position I've experienced in my lifetime, and it's vital we have the policy and resources in place to meet the needs of a nation increasingly at risk. After President Obama degraded and underfundedour military for years, President Trump and I promised to rebuild and restore our military. With the enactment of this legislation, we are one step closer to fulfilling this promise. Not only does this legislation help revitalize and replenish key equipment and systems, but it also accelerates development of critical technologies and delivers on President Trump's Space Force. The NDAA will build a stronger, safer America and keep us ahead of our strategic competitors: China and Russia. President Trump has been a tireless champion of our Armed Forces, and I thank him for his leadership and for signing this important legislation quickly. Click here to read a summary of the conference report. Click here to read the text of the conference report.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-statement-on-lankford-being-named-chair-of-ethics-committee,Inhofe Statement on Lankford Being Named Chair of Ethics Committee,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today praised the selection of fellow Oklahoman, U.S. Sen. James Lankford, to serve as chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics. I am incredibly pleased to hear my good friend, James Lankford, has been chosen to serve as chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics, Inhofe said. I really cannot think of a better person for this job. James has the integrity and the trust to be a well-respected chairman for the Ethics Committee. Congratulations James, you've made Oklahoma extremely proud and I know you'll continue to in this new role.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-durbin-kinzinger-loesback-introduce-bill-to-support-rural-hospitals,"Lankford, Durbin, Kinzinger, Loesback Introduce Bill to Support Rural Hospitals",2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.20.19 Lankford, Durbin, Kinzinger, Loesback Introduce Bill to Support Rural Hospitals WASHINGTON, DC Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Representatives Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16) and Dave Loebsack (D-IA-02), introduced a new bill to support financially vulnerable rural hospitals facing the risk of closure. The Rural Hospital Relief Act would update Medicare's Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation so more rural hospitals can qualify for this financial lifeline and continue to serve their communities with quality, affordable health care services. Small hospitals are the backbone of rural communities, and often the largest employers, yet more than 113 rural hospitals have closed nationwide in the past decade, with many more hospitals operating with negative margins. Access to rural health care is vital for many of our Oklahoma communities, said Lankford. Giving flexibility to states to help designate certain rural hospitals as necessary providers will help with access while maintaining high-quality care for the community. I'm glad to partner with Senator Durbin and Congressmen Kinzinger and Loebsack to help communities continue to provide a vital lifeline and much-needed access to life-saving services for patients. It is essential that we address the wave of rural hospital closures playing out across the nation, and I am hopeful that this proposal can serve as a critical first step in doing just that. This bipartisan legislation will update Medicare's rules in order to redouble our commitment to rural hospitals and the communities they serve, Durbin said. In Illinois and across the country, rural hospitals are a health care and economic lifeline, and I'm pleased to work with Senator Lankford and Representative Kinzinger to maintain support for these essential health providers. Rural hospitals are a vital lifeline in communities across IL-16 and the country. It's time for us to take action to help save these vulnerable health facilities facing financial hardships,said Kinzinger.I'm pleased to have the support from my House and Senate colleagues, and appreciate their interest in my legislation that will designate these rural facilities as Critical Access Hospitals' (CAHs) for the people and the communities who truly rely on the services they provide."" We must keep fighting to ensure all Iowans have access to high-quality health care no matter where they live,said Loebsack.Critical Access Hospitals, which are the lifeblood of rural communities, play an important role by providing access to primary, emergency, and acute care services. I have visited rural hospitals across Iowa that are struggling, and this legislation will provide them with a path forward. I am pleased to work on a bipartisan basis to ensure these healthcare providers get the support they need and deserve. Under CAH status, hospitals are paid a higher Medicare rate101 percent of their actual costs, rather than set rates per service, as long as they have fewer than 25 inpatient beds; are located 35 miles from other hospitals; maintain the patient length of stays less than 96 hours, and offer 24/7 emergency care. The Rural Hospital Relief Act would support rural hospitals by providing flexibility around the 35-mile distance requirement and enabling states to certify a hospital as a necessary provider in order to obtain CAH designation. This authority ended in 2006, but today's bill would re-open this financial lifeline for certain rural hospitals that serve a low-income community, are located in a health professional shortage area, and have operated with negative margins for multiple years. The Rural Hospital Relief Act is supported by the Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA), Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN), Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA), and National Rural Health Association (NRHA). ### Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-to-serve-as-chairman-of-senate-select-committee-on-ethics,Senator Lankford to Serve as Chairman of Senate Select Committee on Ethics,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.20.19 Senator Lankford to Serve as Chairman of Senate Select Committee on Ethics WASHINGTON, DCSenator James Lankford (R-OK) issued a statement that he will serve as the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics: It is an honor to be entrusted with the responsibility to fill the role as Chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics following Senator Isakson. Senator Isakson has been the model of bipartisanship, integrity, and fairness throughout his career in the Senate. It is my desire to ensure the Senate maintains adherence to federal law and Senate Rules. I look forward to serving in this position alongside Vice Chairman Senator Chris Coons. Lankford succeeds Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) who is retiring at the end of the year. The jurisdiction of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics is derived from the Constitution and authority granted under law and Senate Rules. Lankford will assume the chairmanship in January 2020. Lankford also serves on the Committee on Finance, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Indian Affairs. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-lankford-inhofe-propose-plan-to-give-va-greater-ability-to-provide-chaplaincy-services,"Senators Lankford, Inhofe Propose Plan to Give VA Greater Ability to Provide Chaplaincy Services",2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.20.19 Senators Lankford, Inhofe Propose Plan to Give VA Greater Ability to Provide Chaplaincy Services WASHINGTON, DC Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) today introduced a bill to realign chaplains at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)under the Secretary of the VAand alsoenhance their ability to provide mental health, counseling, and pastoral services to our nation's veterans and VA employees. The move will centralize and streamline all faith-based programs andpolicies across the entire VA to improve consistency and the opportunity to have additional access to pastoral counseling, if and when a veteran needs it. Currently, the Director of Chaplains and the VA chaplaincy, as a whole, are organized under the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which can lead to decentralized and inconsistent religious policies across the VA, while also creating unnecessary barriers for the chaplaincy to serve veterans and VA employees throughout the rest of the Department. This bill would also provide additional mental health services to our veterans. In addition, it would align the VA chaplaincy practices and organization with how the Department of Defense's chaplaincy currently functions, allowing for a more streamlined program. Our VA chaplains should be able to provide faith-based services and pastoral counseling to every veteran who wants it, said Lankford. By creating a Chief of Chaplains position at the VA, it will help to provide clear guidance across the entire department and for chaplains so they are able to administer pastoral services in a consistent and fair manner while also ensuring that chaplains have the ability to provide care for veterans in a way that does not violate their own deeply held beliefs. I believe that streamlining the VA chaplaincy to better serve our veterans is long overdue and I look forward to working with my colleagues on advancing this legislation. Chaplains are a vital part of supporting our nation's service members and veterans, but the disjointed structure at the VA can make it difficult for chaplains to provide consistent care,"" said Inhofe. ""By streamlining the VA chaplaincy to more closely model the way the chaplain corps for each military service operates, we can provide greater access to religious counseling and mental health services for all veterans who want to receive it. Background: Specifically, the bill would Create a Chief of Chaplains position to function as an Assistant Secretary Chief of Chaplains reports to the Secretary of VA and oversees the VA chaplaincy and religious liberty policy at the VA The position is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, similar to the Chief of Chaplains at the Department of Defense Allow chaplains to preform and receive credit for clinical services List chaplains as employees of the Chaplain Service and give the directive to serve the entire VA Include conscience protections for chaplains ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3955,Mullin Votes for USMCA Trade Deal,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Mullin Votes for USMCA Trade Deal f t # e Washington, December 19, 2019 Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The USMCA is a renegotiation of NAFTA, which governs trade across North America. During his campaign, President Trump promised the American people a better trade deal and the USMCA we passed today delivers on that promise, Mullin said. Canada and Mexico are Oklahoma's top trading partners and this agreement puts us on a level playing field with our neighbors. I was proud to support this agreement from the day it was signed and I look forward to seeing its benefits for years to come.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-statement-house-passage-usmca,Cole Statement on House Passage of USMCA,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) with strong bipartisan support. While it is long overdue, I am proud that the House finally advanced the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which was skillfully negotiated and secured on America's behalf by President Donald Trump, said Cole. Considering that the United States trades with Mexico and Canada more than any other countries in the world, it is certainly appropriate to strengthen that relationship and right to modernize the outdated terms of trade. However, USMCA goes beyond reinforcing the relationship we have with our North American neighbors. This trade agreement is a tremendous win for the American people for millions of manufacturers, entrepreneurs, farmers and ranchers. I applaud President Trump for his dogged commitment to improving economic policies and delivering real benefits to American job creators, workers and consumers. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-chats/december-19-2019,Rep. Cole's Weekly Chat,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"100 E. 13th St Suite 213 Ada, OK 74820 Phone: (580)436-5375 Fax: (580)436-5451",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=128,Rep. Horn Supports Passage of the USMCA,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Horn Supports Passage of the USMCA New trade deal with Mexico and Canada expected to create 175,000 jobs Washington, December 19, 2019 WASHINGTON D.C. On Thursday, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) voted for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which passed in the House of Representatives in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 385-41. Oklahoma's largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico, buy $2.4 billion in Oklahoma exports each year. The new trade deal is expected to create 175,000 jobs nationally. Today's bipartisan vote to pass the USMCA is a monumental step towards ensuring free and fair trade with our two largest trading partners, said Congresswoman Kendra Horn. A stronger trading relationship with Mexico and Canada means a stronger economy for Oklahoma. This agreement ensures a level playing field for Oklahoma businesses and workers, includes critical enforcement provisions, gives Congress tools to combat the high costs of prescriptions drugs, and improves labor standards. I came to Congress to find bipartisan solutions that improve the daily lives of Americans, and that's what the USMCA does. Finding common ground is not easy, and I am thankful for the hard work of the Administration and the Democratic Working Group for finding a bipartisan path forward on this critical legislation. Congresswoman Horn has brought lawmakers on both sides of the aisle together to urge congressional leadership and the Administration to finalize an agreement before the year's end. On Wednesday, Congresswoman Horn called on Senate leadership to pass the deal which was voted through the House today. Watch Congresswoman Horn speak on the House floor on the USMCA. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://lucas.house.gov/press-release/lucas-applauds-passage-usmca,Lucas Applauds the Passage of USMCA,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Representative Lucas voted in favor of passing the historic trade deal. It's been more than 25 years since our nation established a trade agreement with our North American neighbors. Today's vote in the House is a monumental step as America's farmers, manufactures, and Main Street businesses come one step closer to a 21st century trade deal. President Trump and Ambassador Lighthizer have worked tirelessly to deliver on their promise for a modernized deal that strengthens our trade relationship and benefits nearly every job sector in America. I applaud their leadership and commend them for standing up for workers across the country. Oklahomans know all too well how important fair-and-free trade with Mexico and Canada is to our economy. In 2018, exports from Oklahoma to our North American neighbors totaled more than $2.4 billion. For Oklahoma's farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers, USMCA will tremendously increase export opportunities while strengthening the thousands of jobs supported by trade. With a promise to increase prosperity throughout Oklahoma, USMCA now stands ready to deliver. While I wish this day would have come 384 days sooner, the passage of USMCA in nonetheless a major victory for North American trade. Background: According to a United States International Trade Commission estimate, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement would raise U.S. real GDP by $68.2 billion and U.S. employment by 176,000 new jobs. The Commission also estimates that U.S. exports to Canada and Mexico would increase by $19.1 billion and $14.2 billion, respectively.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://lucas.house.gov/press-release/lucas-our-nation-deserves-better-partisan-impeachment,Lucas: Our Nation Deserves Better Than a Partisan Impeachment,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Lucas: Our Nation Deserves Better Than a Partisan Impeachment Dec 18, 2019 Washington, D.C. Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Donald J. Trump: Today is a sad day for us all- the American people and the institution that is the U.S. House of Representatives. For the third time in history, the House of Representatives has impeached a sitting president. As I have said before, the strength of our democracy comes from the House's ability to legislate on behalf of the American people. For more than 200 hundred years the U.S. House of Representatives has stood as a testament to that notion and has served the needs of a great nation. Regrettably today, those needs have been put aside in favor of partisan politics. For months, Americans have witnessed impeachment proceedings unlike any other in modern history. From the very beginning, House Democrats blatantly disregarded historical and institutional practices to instead partake in a flawed, partisan probe. There's only one thing that's been made clear by today's partisan impeachment vote: this unjust impeachment is a disservice to the American people. Our institution deserves better than this. Oklahomans deserve better than this. And our nation deserves better than this. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-applauds-senate-passage-of-year-end-appropriations-bills-to-fund-defense,Inhofe Applauds Senate Passage of Year-End Appropriations Bills to Fund Defense,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) applauded the passage of appropriations bills today to fully fund the Department of Defense as authorized in Inhofe's National Defense Authorization Act. In addition to defense funding, these bills provide the necessary funding for critical Oklahoma priorities. Defending America is the most important job of Congress, Inhofe said. During the Obama administration, our military was degraded to staggeringly low funding levelsreduced by 25 percent over his last five years. By fully funding the Department of Defense in this appropriations bill, we are finally making up that deficit and are on our way to rebuilding our military. Our troops need this so that they can not only continue to do their jobs, but do them with the best resources possible. This bill fully funds the important priorities I included in the NDAA: funding vital military operations, creating Space Force, resourcing needed modernization programs, providing a 3.1 percent pay raise for our troops and reforming the privatized military housing system. I am proud of the work President Trump has done to get our military back to the place it needs to be, and I am proud to support and work with him as we deliver real results on his promise to rebuild our Armed Forces. Inhofe worked to include key provisions to benefit Oklahomans. His priorities included: Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works and Department of State Fully funding the PIM and Long Range Precision Fires programs at Fort Sill. Provides $2.1 billion for KC-46A Tanker aircraft where training will be done at Altus AFB and maintenance will be at Tinker AFB. Provides $3.0 billion for the B-21 bomber program that will receive maintenance at Tinker AFB. Provides $340 million for Advanced Pilot Training that pilots will use to train at Vance AFB. Fully funding Impact Aid, to support local educational agencies and schools with military dependent children. Fully funding Starbase, a program to educate and motivate students to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. The Oklahoma National Guard runs the STARBASE program out of four locations, the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, the Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Tinker Air Force Base and Burns Flat. $73M for Fort Sill Advanced Individual Training Barracks Complex, Phase 2 $18.9M for Tulsa IAP Fuels Storage Complex for OKNG $5 million to support the commemoration of the year 2020 as the 75th Anniversary of the end of World War II. Inhofe was responsible for enacting legislation authorizing this commemorative program into law earlier this year. Energy and Water $2.5 million for US Coast Guard to recapitalize fleet of inland river tenders, vessels responsible for marking navigation channels on inland waterways like MKARNS. These vessels are over 50 years old and must be replaced. Inhofe authored a provision in the 2018 U.S. Coast Guard Reauthorization bill directing the Coast Guard to develop a plan to recapitalize this fleet. This funding provides the Coast Guard the resources necessary to move that effort forward. $72.6 million for operations and maintenance of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS). $1.5 million for the Three Rivers project, which supports the MKARNS. $35 million for flood recovery purposes, including recovery efforts at the Tulsa Levees. Includes $750 million for Department of Energy's Fossil Energy Research and Development that continues the federal government's prioritization on research and development of fossil energy. Second Amendment Prohibits the use of funds to impose a ban on imported shotguns. Prohibition on use of funds for gunwalking programs like that occurred during program Operation Fast and Furious. Prohibited use of funds to arbitrarily deny importation of U.S. origin curio and relic firearms as allowed under law. These are firearms from past conflicts now considered obsolete by the government. Maintains pro-gun Dickey amendment that bars the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from advocating or promoting gun control. Protecting the Southern Border and Building the Wall Provides $1.375 billion in new funding for construction of the border wall along southern border. Maintains President Trump's authority to transfer funds for the border wall. Includes no new restrictions on President Trump's ability to use funds for border security Prevents a reduction in number of ICE detention beds as Democrats wanted. Provides funds to hire 1,200 additional CBP Protection officers and 100 new border protection processing coordinators. Blocks Democrat policy rider allowing for taxpayer dollars to fund lawyers for migrants arriving at southern border Paris Climate Agreement Blocks Democrat policy rider that would have restricted the Trump Administration's ability to withdraw from Paris Climate Agreement. Department of Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) $2.8 billion for State, local and tribal law enforcement and crime prevention grant programs including $547 million for Byrne JAG a $123 million increase. Funding for Byrne JAG is a DOJ grant program that goes to state and local law enforcement agencies, including those in Oklahoma, for crime prevention, public safety and other initiatives Provides $20.2 million for the National Mesonet Program and $13.6 million for the Tornado Severe Storm Research and Phased Array Radar Center located at the University of Oklahoma. Provides $146 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. Earlier this year, Inhofe introduced legislation to help businesses train the next generation of manufacturing workers. Provides $292.5 million for Economic Development Assistance funding through the Economic Development Administration and includes language that bolsters aeronautic economic development opportunities. Inhofe praised multiple grants awarded to Oklahoma this year, including: o $1.5 million grant to Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU) of Goodwell, to build a new welding technology training center in the Guymon Industrial Park. o $2 million grant to the Tishomingo Municipal Authority, Tishomingo, Oklahoma, to help increase the capacity of the local water treatment plant so that it can better serve business needs. o $1.5 million grant to the city of Durant, Okla., to make critical water infrastructure improvements needed to support business expansion in the region. Provides $190 million in Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) funding, a competitive grant program used by research institutions such as the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. Department of Agriculture Provides $3.2 billion for the Agricultural Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This maintains the existence of the current facilities, including the three in Oklahoma: Woodward, El Reno and Stillwater. Provides $6.9 billion in lending authority for rural electric cooperatives to finance affordable and reliable electricity. Provides $500 million in loans and budget authority for rural community facilities. Loan funding and budget authority ensures that rural communities continue to receive financial support from the private sector in the construction and improvement of community facilities, such as hospitals and schools, which provide essential public services in rural areas. Department of the Interior Directs an increase of $2 million over last year for Safe and Sustainable Water Resources program. Facilities like the Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Okla., could benefit from this increase to build on groundwater research on Enhanced Aquifer Recharge. Prohibition on funds being used to regulate the lead content of ammunition, ammunition components or fishing tackle to ensure no de facto ban on ammunition or fishing tackle for Oklahoma's sportsmen. Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Provides $10 million for aviation workforce development efforts for pilots and mechanics, as authorized by Inhofe's provision in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. Provides $3.35 billion in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding for airport infrastructure investment. Provides additional $400 million in discretionary grant funding for airport infrastructure investment, setting aside $200 million for small commercial and general aviation airports. Fully funds the Air Traffic Control Contract Tower Program, which includes six air traffic control towers located in Oklahoma. Instructs the FAA to address the aging air traffic control facilities it leases. Includes $1 billion for BUILD Grant funding, and $46.3 billion in Highway Trust Fund funding per the FAST Act. In 2018, Oklahoma received $26.5 million in BUILD grant funding. Provides an additional $2.2 billion in nationwide discretionary funding for transportation infrastructure investment such as bridge repair and rehabilitation. Oklahoma's share of this funding will be $38 million. Prohibits enforcement of Electronic Logging Device Rule with respect to livestock haulers. This provision, coupled with the Agricultural Trucking Relief Act, which Inhofe cosponsored earlier this year, would further ease regulatory burdens on Oklahomans responsible for transporting livestock. Provides up to $25 million for inland waterway port infrastructure to improve efficiency and facility access Requires the Federal Railroad Administration to collect information and track blocked railroad crossings and work with State and local officials to development recommendations to reduce the number, frequency, and duration of blocked crossings. Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education $1.3 billion for state grants to support workforce development through Career and Technical Education programs. $15 million for graduate medical education grants, benefiting both the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. Tax Extenders Extends accelerated depreciation for investment on Indian Lands through 2020. Sen. Inhofe has led efforts to make this credit permanent. Made a technical correction to ensure rural electric cooperatives can maintain their tax exempt status. Inhofe cosponsored standalone legislation to address this concern. Extended the Short Line Rail Road Maintenance Tax Credit (45G) through 2022. Inhofe has consistently cosponsored legislation that would make this tax credit permanent.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-lankford-applaud-confirmation-of-oklahomans-to-serve-as-us-district-court-judges,"Inhofe, Lankford Applaud Confirmation of Oklahomans to Serve as U.S. District Court Judges",2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) the Senate confirmation of Mrs. Jodi Dishman and Judge Bernard Jones to serve as judges on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. I am glad to see the confirmation of two exemplary Oklahomans, Jodi Dishman and Bernard Jones, on the Senate floor today, Inhofe said. Jodi and Bernard each have unique experiences and esteemed reputations appreciated across the state of Oklahoma. Jodi has continually stood out as a top-notch lawyer, even going so far as to be chosen as one of the Best Lawyers in America.' Bernard's years on the bench have provided him the opportunity to prove time and time again of his in-depth understanding of the Constitution and rule of law. I am certain they will make excellent US District Court Judges for the Western District of Oklahoma. I'm glad to see the Senate confirm two very well-qualified judges today to serve on the US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, said Lankford. I am confident both will represent our state and nation well in their new roles. I am grateful to both of them and their families for going through this long process to serve our state. Inhofe and Lankford applauded President Trump's intent to nominate Dishman on August 14, 2019, and the Judiciary Committee's advancement of Dishman to the full Senate for a confirmation vote on October 31, 2019. Inhofe also submitted a statement for the record ahead of her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On October 3, 2019, Inhofe and Lankford praised President Trump's intent to nominate Jones. On October 30, 2019, Inhofe introduced Jones at his confirmation hearing. Inhofe and Lankford then applauded the Judiciary Committee's advancement of Jones to the full Senate for a confirmation vote on November 21, 2019.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-applauds-signing-of-future-act-into-law,Senator Lankford Applauds Signing of FUTURE Act into Law,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.19 Senator Lankford Applauds Signing of FUTURE Act into Law Bill provides permanent funding to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities WASHINGTON, DC Senator James Lankford (R-OK) applauded President Trump's signature into law of the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act, which permanently authorizes funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form for students and families. I am pleased we were able to resolve negotiations on this bill to provide permanent, rather than just temporary, funding to HBCUs and to simplify the FAFSA form for students interested in attending institutions of higher education, said Lankford. This bill takes the next step toward recognizing and assisting our HBCUs like Langston University in Oklahoma and the others around the nation as they continue to strive for excellence in education. We should continue to pursue a broader package of higher education reforms to update a number of out-of-date or failing federal policies that prevent many higher education institutions from properly serving students and make it more difficult for students interested in higher education and their families. I look forward to the Senate's consideration of additional higher education reforms in the days ahead. The passage of the FUTURE Act means so much to minority serving institutions, and specifically to historically black colleges and universities, said President of Langston University, Dr. Kent J. Smith, Jr. Sustained funding of this magnitude will allow institutions to provide life-changing opportunities to the students and communities who need it most. I am so pleased to see this investment to advance the mission of Langston University. The FUTURE Act permanently authorizes $255 million annually to HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. The bill also allows students and families to provide their tax information to the government via the FAFSA application only once in order to apply for and participate in federal aid programs for higher education. This simple change will significantly shorten and simply the FAFSA form and give families more time. Lankford serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies with jurisdiction over funding for institutions of higher education. ### Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-highlights-2019-legislative-successes-discusses-houses-impeachment-on-senate-floor,"Senator Lankford Highlights 2019 Legislative Successes, Discusses House’s Impeachment on Senate Floor",2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.19 Senator Lankford Highlights 2019 Legislative Successes, Discusses House's Impeachment on Senate Floor CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's floor speech. WASHINGTON, DC Senator James Lankford (R-OK) spoke on the Senate floor to highlight the Senate's work and successes over the past year and specifically the areas in which Lankford and his team were able to make progress in 2019. Lankford outlined the Senate's work on the First Step Act, National Defense Authorization Act, de-listing the American burying beetle, repealing burdensome federal taxes like the medical device tax, supporting grants for first responders, supporting national medical research initiatives, and others. He also discussed the House's historic move yesterday to impeach President Donald Trump and the next steps of that process in the Senate. Transcript It's a historic day and a busy week here in the Senate. The historic day is happening just south of us right now. There is debate in the House of Representatives over impeaching the President of the United Statesonly the third time that that has ever occurred in our nation's multi-century history. Current impeachment conversation is an interpretation of a phone call that President Trump had with President Zelensky that if you twist that phone call just the right way, it sounds like he's trying to influence the President of Ukraine, except the President of Ukraine never said he felt influenced by that. They never took any action that President Trump is being accused of. Five different meetings happened in the days after that phone call, and none of those meetings ever included any conversation about Rudy Giuliani or Hunter Biden or Joe Biden. The money did go to Ukraine in time. It was the 11th September 11, and the deadline was the 30th September for it to arrive. The whole time the Ukrainians, who apparently were threatened by President Trump, according to the articles of impeachment, the whole time the Ukrainians said they never knew they were threatened. I have a feeling that if President Trump wanted to threaten somebody, they would know it. But apparently in this situation, the House is currently impeaching the President because they perceive the President meant to do something that he didn't actually do, when the whole time the President said, no, that was never his intent. And the only one fact witness that the House called through the entire process, the one fact witness that they called said they actually talked to the president and the president said, No, there is not any quid pro quo. Of course I don't want to do that.' But they're going through impeachment anyway. That will then come to the Senate in January, and all of January will be consumed with walking through the two articles of impeachment that the House is choosing to send over. It is really ironic to me today that earlier today in the Senate, Michael Horowitz, who is the Inspector General for the Department of Justice, was in a hearing here in the Senate today talking about the process on the Russia investigation. I happened to be on that Committee as we went through the process, and it was very ironic to me in the line of questions and the issues and the things that were coming up from the Horowitz report, one of the things that probably the media will never report on, but Michael Horowitz, the Inspector General, pulled out through this process was in October of 2016, Christopher Steele, famous for the dossier that was an opposition research project from the Democrat National Committee on President Trump leading up to the election that was supposedly all his dirty information about Russia, Christopher Steele was contacted by someone in the State Department, the Obama-led State Department. In October of 2016, Christopher Steele was invited to the State Department, where at that time State Department officials gave Christopher Steele information that they said was from a Turkish businessman who had been visiting with a Russian member of the FSB, that was derogatory to President Trump, and they were encouraging Steele to take that back and then use it before the election. The irony of the day today for me is while the House is impeaching the President, at the same time that's being debated, Michael Horowitz, the Inspector General, is giving testimony about individuals in the Obama-era State Department getting information from foreign individuals, slipping it to individuals working on the Clinton campaign, and literally using foreign sources to fight against candidate Trump from Hillary Clinton's staff at the State Department. Sometimes the world feels more upside down than others. This is one of those weeks. I think about a year ago today. A year ago today the Senate was working in a bipartisan fashion to be able to pass the criminal justice reform bill called the First Step Act. It was a landmark piece of legislation dealing with helping us in federal prisons deal with recidivism. That was a good day for us here in Congress. We started getting more job training to people that are in prison, more opportunities for faith-based programs to be able to be in our federal penitentiaries, and just like they are in our state penitentiaries, more opportunities for prisoners to be able to connect with their families, because the vast majority of prisoners in our federal prisons will be released one day, and it will be helpful if they had job training, they had faith-based background if they choose to,, they had connection with their families. It helps us bring down the crime rates in the days ahead. That was a year ago today in the Senate, instead of fighting through impeachment processes that's happening now. There are a lot of people that have said to me recently, Nothing's getting done.' Well that was true actually for the past couple of months while we've been waiting on the House to move on a lot of other issues. But this week has been a pretty busy week moving through pieces of legislation. Jim Inhofe, who is the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee here, has led this Senate and has led, quite frankly, all of Congress through a process on what's called the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization. That got passed this week. That's an incredibly important bill, not just to us in Oklahoma, but to us across the nation and for our national security. It included things like a pay raise for all of our service members. It included additional benefits and things going to our family members as they move from place to place living with their service member and helping them in their transition. It addressed the issue of housing, which is so important to Oklahoma because we have had problems with private contractors in some of our bases in Oklahoma not living up to the standards of their contract. Jim Inhofe has been the one actually fighting to be able to get that fixed. He has been the one that's taken the lead on that. This is incredibly important to us in Oklahoma for our five bases and posts as well as our National Guard and our Reservists. Just in Oklahoma, $2.2 billion for the K.C.46-A refueling tankers, that they'll be trained actually in Altus and they'll be repaired and serviced at Tinker Air Force Base. The authorization for the TX program for Vance Air Force Base is incredibly important, the improvements to military family housing I have already talked about. I included something in the bill that was an amendment that was included dealing with Reservists and what's called the D.D. 214. If you are not in the military you have no idea what that is. If you are in the military, you know exactly what that is. There was a problem that Guard and Reservists didn't have the same kind of records in the D.D. 214 that active duty do. We're fixing that now so when Guard and Reservists get close to retirement, their records are all in place. We have a continuation of the Paladin Integrated Management System that's at Fort Sill. We have the authorization of the Fort Sill barracks that are so incredibly important to be able to have better living facilities there as well. The fuel storage complex at the Tulsa International Airport which is very important for the 138th to the Fighter Wing in the Air National Guard. Language to enhance our direct hire authority, which is so incredibly important. We expand that again to be able make sure civilians that are being hired in places like McAlester and at Tinker continue to be able to serve there. And those civilian service folks are so incredibly important to our national security. That was just in the NDAA that passed this week. There are 12 appropriations bills that we have been working on for months. I'm glad the House has finally come to a decision to be able to work through this impeachment process; we can actually get on to the 12 Appropriations bills because they affect a lot of things for Oklahoma. Appropriations bills that are moving through tomorrow will have things like $50 million for medical student education that is really important to us for the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University in the awards that they have received from medical education. We have been through our share of disasters this year and flooding in Oklahoma. The funding to be able to continue those grants and that process is in this set of bills. We have $710 million for SAFER grants. That deals with fire departments throughout the states. Incredibly important because they are the first responders to acts of terrorism. The Ag bill itself is moving through right now and deals with a lot of the disaster supplementals that are incredibly important to those of us. In fact, many of us in western Oklahoma. This bill, set of bills, not only does 3. 1 percent increase for our military service members, but it also does an increase of 3.1 percent for our civil servants. Many of them that work in Oklahoma, and they do a remarkable job of being able to serve our neighbors. There's a lot of different areas that deal with things like military construction projects that are all over our state that affect not only the military, but civilians and those who have retired as well. There's a lot of changes here including dramatic funding increases for the Department of Veterans' Affairs to be able to fulfill what's called the MISSION Act that allows more veterans to be able to get care closer to home. Where they're not having to drive 100 miles to go get radiology work. They can do that at a rural hospital close by. They can connect with their family doctor just like their spouse does. This gives them greater opportunity to be able to do this. This set of bills also deals with the electronic logging delays that are so incredibly important to those that are hauling ag and livestock. This deals with the Fish and Wildlife Service. For those of us that are in southeast Oklahoma, we know how incredibly important it is to resolve the American Burrowing Beetle, that no one else will pay attention to, but it is incredibly important to us that the Fish and Wildlife service finally get this downlisted. This gives them instructions to be able to do this. There are oversight dollars for the USDA to oversee the SNAP programwhat is often called food stamps, which is actually SNAPthat program gets greater oversight to be able to deal with fraud so people that need the help get the help and the people that are abusing it are confronted. This set of bills also deals with what's called the Rural Act. Really important to our co-ops all across the state that they deal with the cost of doing business, which continues to provide inexpensive energy all across our state. The border wall funding remains. It's the exact same dollar amount as it was last year. That was quite a fight in a conversation to be able to go through the House and the Senate. There are some that believe we should have no fences and no barriers and open borders. But I'm amazed how many people do not know that the last four presidents, now five in a row, including President Trump, have all built border fencing. For the previous four presidents, they didn't face the same fight that President Trump does in building border fencing. In the previous four presidents, it was all about national security, and it's important that we have fencing in certain areas to be able to keep that area secure, but for President Trump it is suddenly a divisive issue. But we maintain that funding for the border fence to be able to make sure that continues through these bills that are moving through. There's a repeal of what's called the nonprofit parking tax. Now, a lot of folks aren't following this, but if you work for a nonprofit you certainly are. Something that was in the tax bill that should not have been there, and it caused great confusion for all of our nonprofits and all of our churches all over the country and certainly all over my great state. This section is something that I and Chris Coons from Delaware that we have worked on for months and months and months to finally get fixed for all these nonprofits. For those of us that know and love the work that nonprofits do all over the country, this is one of their prime issues that they want to finally get resolved so they can get back to focusing on taking care of people that are homeless and hungry and needy rather than having to count parking spaces and turn in literally a 30-page form to the IRS. Finally, dealing with the Medical Device Tax, which has lingered for years. It's an important issue for us to be able to resolve because it's raising the cost of people getting medical devices. We did a boost in funding for NIH (National Institutes of Health). That deals with an increase in funding of things like Alzheimer's that we should continue to invest in. That also deals with things in Oklahoma on some of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Stevenson's Cancer Center at OU , and also some of the rural health care programs. Especially dealing with telemedicine, because if you're in a rural area in Oklahoma, it's a long way to go to be able to get health care. This bill also deals with something called the SECURE Act. The SECURE Act deals with seniors' retirement. Right now, you can't continue contributing to your IRA past 70 and a half. You're forced to take it. Lots of folks are now choosing to work later and later. Some retire earlier. That's fine. That's their choice. But for folks that choose to retire a little bit later, they don't want to be forced to take IRA. They want to be able to still contribute. This allows them to do this. This also allows part-time workers to participate in 401K plans. Its incredibly important for a lot of people saving for their own retirement. People should not count on just Social Security. People should also set aside their own retirement funds as well, in addition to Social Security. This allows more folks to do that and to continue doing that. There are several things on foreign policy that maybe some Oklahomans aren't paying attention to but are important to us. Things like the F-35 program to Turkey, one of the areas that I led in this bill saying Turkey should not continue to be allowed to have the F-35 defense systems. They purchased Russian air defense systems. They're turning towards Russia. Why would we sell to Turkey our most precious highly technical, highly secure technology like the new F-35 when Turkey is unknown on the direction that they're headed in the days ahead? So this bill stops the delivery of the F-35 to Turkey. This bill also finally gives victims of terrorism their day in court. Decades ago victims of terrorism asked to be able to hold to account organizations like the Palestinian Authority and the PLO in the areas where they carried out acts of terrorism that killed or injured Americans. We decided as a Congress decades ago to allow that. But the courts stepped in and stopped it with this little loophole, and we as Congress have never fixed it. I worked with Chairman Grassley and with multiple others to be able to p get to a point that we could resolve it. This bill includes the fix so that victims of terrorism can finally get their day in court. UN Peacekeeping contributions have hit a very high number in the years past, way beyond what was set as the cap. This bill keeps us down to the current cap, so we're not over giving into the peacekeeping operations because we expect other nations to also contribute to the peacekeeping operations, not just the United States. I'd love to say everything in these bills are good, but they are not. People talk about making the sausage here. Quite frankly, I go back and think about the very first time I ever had a bite of supreme pizza. I don't know what everybody's family was like but growing up for us when we got a hamburger pizza, the cheapest one or cheese pizza. That's pretty good pizza. But I remember the first time I went somewhere and had supreme pizza. It was loaded with everything on it and thought that's going to be great until I bit into it and I found out it had some things I like but things I really, really, really didn't like in that bite. Many times things I really, really, really didn't like overpowered the things that I did. There are some things in this bill coming up this week I cannot support. While I talked to a lot of things moving and there are a lot of things moving this week, there's also some areas like the overseas contingency fund often called OCO. It's a separate fund outside the budget that's supposed to be just for taking care of our military in the night in Afghanistan and Iraq. We've been dialing down the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq and doing less and less and less of that and the President has announced that he's going to be able to withdraw troops in a wise way from those areas. But yet this agreement that's come down the pike this week also includes not less overseas funding, $10 billion more of the overseas contingency fund. $10 billion more. The Wind Production Tax Credit suddenly reappears. It's the zombie tax credit that we thought was already gone that now just bounced back. Five years ago Congress agreed that wind power was prolific around the country and they no longer need a federal tax benefit to be able to sustain their business. So there was an agreement five years ago to little by little by little wean wind off and 2020 would be the first year that it goes to zeroexcept in this bill magically the wind production tax credit reappears. In the year that it was supposed to be zero, it actually pops up higher than it even was last year to an even higher amount. There's multiple different what are called tax extenders in this package. We've got additional tax dollars that are going to things like race tracks for horse racing. We've got tax dollars that are going to motor sports racetracks. We've got tax dollars going to craft beer breweries, because I assume craft beer breweries can't make it without getting tax dollars from their next door neighbor. Almost $1 billion worth. Almost a billion federal dollars going to be able to help folks that do craft brewing. I'm sure the folks that do craft brewing would love to have the tax benefit, but I think the nation has not run out of beer, and we're not in a position that we need to make sure that we subsidize that to make sure that we sustain that for our national benefit. The tax side alone of one of the bills that's coming, just one of the bills that's coming is almost half-a-trillion in new debt. One of the bills. Half a trillion dollars in new debt. And for a nation that has $23 trillion, many of us were shocked late on Monday night when the bill was dropped with an additional half-a-trillion in new debt. There's some important things going on this week, and there are also some things moving through this Congress that need more attention than impeachment, and it's not happening. I hope in the days ahead as we debate these issues and vote on these issues, we can deal with the things that are good that we all look at and say we should do that. But that we would be able to pause long enough to say should we do those things and make wise decisions. We are at the same spot we're always ateverything gets crammed to the end of the year and it becomes a if you don't vote for everything then government's going to shut down. That's why Maggie Hassan and I, the democratic Senator from New Hampshire, she and I worked so hard this year to form a billwhat we call the Government Shutdown Prevention Bill. We want to end the possibility we have government shutdowns so that there's not a time that we get to the end of the year and everyone says got to vote for all that stuff or the government will shut down and people will be on furlough. I'd like to have a moment where we say we don't ever have shutdowns again, and we debate the issues that need to be debated in the time they need to be debated so that we don't dump half-a-trillion in debt on our kids and go home for Christmas. Let's get some things resolved. Let's solve the issues. And then let's spend some time with our families. I think the entire country needs a deep breath from the anger and bitterness and divisiveness. It needs to get a little peace on Earth and some goodwill towards men. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-opposes-funding-bill-that-adds-to-national-debt,Senator Lankford Opposes Funding Bill that Adds to National Debt,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.19 Senator Lankford Opposes Funding Bill that Adds to National Debt WASHINGTON, DC Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued a statement following Senate passage of H.R. 1865, Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, which also includes a number of extensions for federal tax breaks: This bill has a number of legislative successes that benefit Oklahoma and our nation. This bill includes necessary funding for NIH research, supporting opioid addiction treatment and Alzheimer's research, funding medical student education at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, repealing an absurd federal tax on nonprofits, maintaining traditional life riders andproviding justice for US victims of international terrorism, but it also adds a half-a-trillion dollars in new debt spending beyond the agreed-upon amounts. Last weekend, billions of dollars of new spending were added to an already large bill. This is the same issue we face every year. We wait until the last minute with the threat of a government shutdown, and suddenly new items get crammed into a massive funding bill. Even though there are a number of good funding measures in this bill, I cannot support the added debt and the extension of several expired or expiring tax provisions. We can't continue down this path. Lankford supported H.R. 1158, which funded the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and key law enforcement entities. Lankford outlined on the Senate floor the legislative successesmade this year on behalf of Oklahoma. Lankford's bill to remove a section of the tax code that requires some non-profits to pay federal taxes on employee benefits, such as parking, meals, or transportation benefits was included in the funding bill. The funding bill also includes his bill to give victims of terrorism their day in court. ### Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-supports-second-funding-package-focused-on-defense,Senator Lankford Supports Second Funding Package Focused on Defense,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.19 Senator Lankford Supports Second Funding Package Focused on Defense WASHINGTON, DC Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued a statement following Senate passage ofa spendingbill to fund the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and key law enforcement entities. The bill includes a 3.1-percent pay increase for military service members and vital national security funding. The bill now heads to the President to be signed into law. This was one of two bills to fund the governmentthrough September 30, 2020. Lankford opposed the other bill, which also included a number of non-funding-related spending provisions. Today's vote on the defense spending bill is another push to prioritize the women and men serving our nation and address the needs of their missions, said Lankford. The spending bill provides the necessary funding to secure our border, support for the KC-46 tankers for Air Force installations in Oklahoma, and start working on testing cell phone jamming in prisons, which will help keep our communities safer. We can and should work to responsibly fund our government, help address veterans' needs, and address lapses in federal policies. I look forward to the President's signature on this important set of funding priorities. Oklahoma Highlights in the bill include funding for: the KC-46 refueling tankers to allow for 12 more tankers in the next fiscal year, which is an important program to Tinker Air Force Base and Altus Air Force Base. the President's request for the Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) program. The Fires Center of Excellence at Ft. Sillorganizes, trains, and equips all of the PIM units. the modernization of the Patriot units.The Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill organizes, trains, and equips all the PATRIOT units in the Army. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) units. The Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill organizes, trains, and equips all the PATRIOT units in the Army. the new and advanced radar capability for our F-16 squadrons.The 138th Fighter Wing in Tulsa flies the F-16 jet. the Advanced Pilot Training T-X program, this will be used for pilot training out of Vance Air Force Base. additional border patrol processing coordinators, which will allow 240 agents to go back to the front lines to secure our nation's ports and borders. The bill also requires a report on a cost estimate to fund testing of cell phone jamming for state prisons. Lankfordoutlined the legislative successesmade this year on behalf of Oklahoma on the Senate floor. Earlier this week, Lankford supported the National Defense Authorization Act, which sets defense priorities for fiscal year 2020. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankfords-good-government-bills-advance-in-house,Senator Lankford’s Good Government Bills Advance in House,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.19 Senator Lankford's Good Government Bills Advance in House WASHINGTON, DC Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded the House Oversight Committee's work to advance the House versions of two of his bills: the Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act and the Representative Payee Fraud Prevention Act. The Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act would require the federal government to make public the details, costs, and assessments related to every federal program. The Representative Payee Fraud Prevention Act would crack down on fraud and misuse of federal retirement benefits. I am grateful for the House's attention to these two important, bipartisan, bicameral bills that would ensure greater federal transparency and accountability for American taxpayers, said Lankford. We should do everything we can to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, if federal tax dollars are misused or misspent by federal agencies or if tax dollars are abused through federal retirement benefit fraud. These bipartisan, bicameral solutions have been legislative priorities for me for quite a while, and I look forward to them both receiving votes in the House and Senate and be signed into law. As partisanship heats up in Washington, these two bills provide an opportunity for us to come together and pass something for the good of the American people. Lankford has worked on legislation to ensure completion of a federal program inventory since 2011, his first year in Congress. The Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act, a legislative priority of Lankford's, would ensure completion of a functional federal program inventory that can be used as a tool for oversight of federal spending, highlight good stewardship of tax dollars, and provide greater transparency of duplication, inefficiency, and waste. The Representative Payee Fraud Prevention Act would give US Attorneys the statutory authority to prosecute representatives that misuse funds when they act on behalf of a retiree who has benefits from the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) or the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Because of an increase in embezzlement of government benefits by dishonest representatives of retirees, legislative solutions are needed. This bill classifies the crime of misusing federal retirement funds as a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, which should help deter deceitful caretaker behavior and provide similar protections that Social Security and Veterans Affairs payees currently receive. Lankford is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management within the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The management of federal agencies and their workforce falls under Lankford's Subcommittee jurisdiction. ### Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-lankford-coons-call-for-repeal-of-international-blasphemy-laws-,"Senators Lankford, Coons Call for Repeal of International Blasphemy Laws",2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.19 Senators Lankford, Coons Call for Repeal of International Blasphemy Laws WASHINGTON, DC Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Coons (D-DE) today introduced a resolution to call for the global repeal of blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws. A number of countries still have criminal blasphemy laws and punish individuals who engage in expression deemed by the government to be blasphemous, heretical, apostate, defamatory of religion or insulting religion. These laws affect Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Bah',secularists, and many other groups. The resolution Lankford and Coons introduced urges foreign countries to repeal such laws, release individuals who have been prosecuted or imprisoned on charges of blasphemyand ensure the safety of those individuals and their families. America has a right and a duty to share our core values with the international community, including the freedom to live out your faith, change your faith, or have no faith at all, said Lankford. Today, Senator Coons and I joined together to support religious freedom as a fundamental human right of all people and condemn blasphemy laws worldwide as being antithetical to that right. Freedom of expression and religion are fundamental human rights that are the bedrock of any open society. As a person of faith, I am proud to re-introduce this bipartisan resolution which aims to protect religious and secular minorities by calling for the repeal of blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws around the world. These laws stifle free and open discourse and are often used to imprison activists, journalists, and other peaceful political dissidents. No one should be persecuted for practicing their specific faith or not practicing at all, and this resolution is a positive step toward defending individual liberties, said Coons. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) research has found thatblasphemy charges are often based on false accusations, are used for sectarian or political purposes, and foster religious intolerance, discrimination, and violence. They have found that at least 70 countries had blasphemy laws as of 2018. Today's resolution follows the announcement by the State Department to designate Countries of Particular Concern based on religious freedom violations. ### Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-lankford-inhofe-applaud-confirmation-of-oklahomans-to-serve-as-us-district-court-judges,"Senators Lankford, Inhofe Applaud Confirmation of Oklahomans to Serve as US District Court Judges",2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.19.19 Senators Lankford, Inhofe Applaud Confirmation of Oklahomans to Serve as US District Court Judges WASHINGTON, DCSenators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) today praised the Senate confirmation of Mrs. Jodi Dishman and Judge Bernard Jones to serve as judges on the US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. I'm glad to see the Senate confirm two very well-qualified judges today to serve on the US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, said Lankford. I am confident both will represent our state and nation well in their new roles. I am grateful to both of them and their families for going through this long process to serve our state. I am glad to see the confirmation of two exemplary Oklahomans, Jodi Dishman and Bernard Jones, on the Senate floor today, Inhofe said. Jodi and Bernard each have unique experiences and esteemed reputations appreciated across the state of Oklahoma. Jodi has continually stood out as a top-notch lawyer, even going so far as to be chosen as one of the Best Lawyers in America.' Bernard's years on the bench have provided him the opportunity to prove time and time again of his in-depth understanding of the Constitution and rule of law. I am certain they will make excellent US District Court Judges for the Western District of Oklahoma. Lankford and Inhofe applauded President Trump's intent to nominate Dishman onAugust 14, 2019, and the Judiciary Committee's advancement of Dishman to thefullSenate for a confirmation vote onOctober 31, 2019.Lankford also introduced Dishman at her confirmation hearing. On October 3, 2019, Lankford and Inhofe praised President Trump's intent to nominate Jones. On October 30, 2019, Lankford introduced Jones at his confirmation hearing. Lankford and Inhofe then applauded the Judiciary Committee's advancement of Jones to thefullSenate for a confirmation vote onNovember 21, 2019. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3954,Mullin Votes Against Sham Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Mullin Votes Against Sham Articles of Impeachment f t # e Washington, December 18, 2019 Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) released this video after voting against two articles of impeachment against President Trump. From day one, they have been trying to impeach the president, Mullin said. Nancy Pelosi, on the day she said they were going to impeach the President of the United States and brought forth the articles of impeachment, said this was two and a half years in the making. Today is probably the darkest day, Mullin continued. This is not what our Founding Fathers intended for us to do when they put in the articles of impeachment. It was never designed for political motivation. It was never designed to be used the way Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff have done it. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-votes-no-impeachment-articles,Cole Votes No on Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted on two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Cole opposed both articles. Today's vote sadly marks the climax of a flawed and partisan process that House Democrats used to impeach President Trump, and I am very concerned that they did so with questionable evidence and on insufficient grounds. In the short term, this sharpens partisanship and political differences nationwide, but it will also make it much more difficult to enact meaningful and bipartisan legislation in the future. More alarming in the long term, this action sets an unfair precedent that runs the risk of legitimizing impeachment as an acceptable weapon that can now be used in partisan political warfare. That should concern every single one of us. As Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, Cole participated in the committee's hearing yesterday which set the terms of floor debate for the impeachment articles on the House floor. Earlier today during rule debate, he also made extensive remarks on the House floor. Video Cole's opening remarks in yesterday's Rules hearing available here and his floor remarks from today here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/speeches/cole-no-way-go-about-impeaching-president,"Cole: ""This is no way to go about impeaching a president""",2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Remarks as prepared for delivery during floor debate on the rule for two articles of impeachment against President Trump: MadamSpeaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, ChairmanMcGovern, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Well, MadamSpeaker, today is a very sad day for all us for me personally, for the Rules Committee, for the entire House of Representativesand most importantly for the American people. For the second time in my life, the House of Representatives will be voting to impeach a president of the United States. But unlike in 1998, the decision to have this vote is not the result of a bipartisan process, nor an open or a fair process. Instead, it is going to be a deeply partisan vote, coming at the end of an unfair and rushed process prescribed solely by Democrats to ensure a predetermined result. Impeachment of a president is one of the most consequential acts the House of Representatives can undertake, and it should only be done after the fullest and most careful consideration. Yet today, after a truncated investigation that denied the president due process, cherry-picked evidence and witness testimony to fit their narrativeand trampled on Republicans' minority rights, Democrats in the House are pressing forward with a partisan impeachment vote. Doing so contradicts Speaker Pelosi's own words back in March of this year when she said that, Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there's something so compelling and overwhelmingand bipartisan, I don't think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. But if we're really being honest, Democrats have been searching for a reason to impeach President Trump since the day he was elected.In December of 2017, a current member of the majority forced a vote to impeach the president, and even then, long before there was even an impeachment investigation,58 Democratsvoted to impeach the president. And those numbers have only grown since then, to the point where the majority is now pushing forward with a final vote on impeachment, heedless of where it takes the countryand regardless of whether they have proven their case. And if my colleagues in the majority believe they have proven their case, let me be clear:they have not.The entire premise of these articles of impeachment rests on a pause placed on Ukrainian security assistancea pause of 55 days. The majority has spun creative narratives as to the meaning and motive of this pause, alleging that the president demanded a quid pro quo but with no factual evidence to back it up.Security aid to Ukraine was released, and the administration did so without Ukraine ever initiating an investigation into anyone or anything. It's even more startling to me that the majority wants to move forward with this resolution given how substantially flawed and procedurally defective the entire process has been.The Judiciary Committee, which drafted these articles of impeachment, engaged in an abbreviated process, hearing from no witnesses with firsthand knowledge of the events in question.They did not conduct their own investigationand only held two hearings on this topic before drafting the articles, one with staff and one with constitutional law scholars. That is hardly the type of lengthy and serious consideration a topic as grave as impeachment demands. The committee actually charged with an impeachment investigation was the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,notthe Judiciary Committee.But that committee, too, followed a primarily closed process. Republicans were denied the right to call witnesses or subpoena documents, and the president was denied the right to representation in that committee's hearings.Without respecting minority rightsand without respecting due process rights of the president, how cananyoneconsider that to be a fair process? MadamSpeaker, it gets worse. The articles of impeachment we are considering today are based on the Schiff Report, the final document produced by the Intelligence Committee and transmitted to the Judiciary Committee. But the Schiff Report includes unsubstantiated allegations. It includes, in some cases, news reports as the only evidence supporting so-called factual assertions. And it includes at least 54 different hearsay statements as assertions of evidence without any first-hand information from witnesses to corroborate those statements. The author of the report, Chairman Schiff, was never questioned by the Judiciary Committee, and he refused to sit for questions or to explain how his committee conducted its investigation.In fact, during the staff presentation of evidence at the Judiciary Committee, Ranking Member Collins asked how the investigation was conducted that resulted in the drafting of the Schiff Report.But he never received an answer. During the Rules Committee consideration of House Resolution 755, there were numerous times that members on both sides of the aisle posed questions to our witnesses questions they could not answer because they sit on the Judiciary Committee and were not the author of the report that brought about H. Res. 755. The author has never appeared before members of the Minority to explain a single thing in the reportor to provide factual information supporting the many assertions it contains MadamSpeaker, this is no way to go about impeaching thePresident of the United States. The articles before us are based on very limited information. They are based on hearsay, on news reportsand on other unsupported allegations.They are based on a report written by a Member of Congress who refused to answer questions about it, and I do not believe the allegations which are subject to interpretation actuallyrise to the level of an impeachable offense. To make matters worse, when Republicans attempted to exercise one of their rights under House Rules, they were shut down by Chairman Nadler. Under Clause 2(j)(1) of Rule XII, the Minority is allowed to demand a minority hearing day. On December 4, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee properly exercised that right and transmitted a demand to Chairman Nadler for a hearing day at which the Minority could call their own witnesses.And to be clear, MadamSpeaker, a minority hearing dayis not subject to the chair's discretion. It is a right, and Republicans on the Judiciary Committee properly demanded to exercise that right. And yet Chairman Nadler declined to allow a minority hearing day to be held before voting on these articles.I think we can all agree that it would have been better for the institutionand for the American peopleto allow all voices to be heard and all witnesses to be questioned before proceeding to a vote on something this consequential. And yet the majority trampled on that right. But I suppose I should not be surprised by any of this.When the House passed H. Res. 660, the resolution setting up the official impeachment inquiry less than two months ago, I warned the House that what the majority was doing was setting up a closed, unfair process that could only have one outcome.And today, we are seeing the end result of this closed andunfair process. A quick rush to judgment, forced through not one but two committees in short order, with minority rights trampled, witnesses left unquestionedand due process ignored. It is also disappointing that members are not being given more time to debate this issue on the floor. Last night at the Rules Committee, I offered an amendment to double the amount of time for floor debate from six hours to 12 hours. This would have allowed for roughly the same amount of debate used in the Clinton impeachment, and it would have ensured that all members could have the opportunity to speak on the floor. Unfortunately, that amendment was not accepted. While I know Chairman McGovern did the best he could, Idothink it is ironic that when all is said and done, the 13 members of the Rules Committee spent more time discussing H. Res. 755 in committee yesterday than we will spend debating it on the House floor today. I think that is a disservice to the members of this body and to the American people. MadamSpeaker, we deserve better than the flawed process that led to this flawed outcome. The House of Representatives deserves better than that.The president certainly deserves better than that.And more importantly, the American people deserve better than what we are doing here today. I oppose this proceeding any further.I oppose the rule.I oppose this limited, rushed, and unfair process.And I certainly oppose impeaching President Trump. With that, I urge opposition to the rule, and I reserve the balance of my time. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/media/press-releases/oklahoma-celebrates-local-victories-funding-bill,Oklahoma Celebrates Local Victories in Funding Bill,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a year-end government funding bill, including tax provisions and key investments that Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) fought to include. The bill makes record investments in Head Start and early education, extends a biodiesel tax credit important to Oklahoma companies like Love's Travel Stops, continues funding for community mental health services, invests in underserved schools in Oklahoma, and extends short-line railroad tax credits that benefit Oklahoma's economy. Earlier in the month, Congresswoman Horn led a bipartisan letter urging congressional leadership to include these provisions and other locally important tax measures in a year-end funding bill. Oklahoma organizations and businesses shared their reactions to the local victories in the year's government funding package: The biodiesel tax credit is a critically important policy tool that enables our company to buy, blend, and sell environmentally friendly fuels,"" said Carl Martincich, Vice President of HR and Government Affairs for Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores based in Oklahoma City. ""The Love's Family of Companies is grateful to Congresswoman Horn for her leadership in helping get this important policy through the House of Representatives. If enacted, this successful policy will allow Love's to continue to lower fuel prices and decrease the transportation sector's emissions footprint. We appreciate the support Representative Horn gave to not only the Stillwater Central Railroad but all the short line railroads in Oklahoma this year in advancing policy to help keep the communities and customers we serve connected to the national freight network, said Nathan Champion, General Manager of Stillwater Central Railroad. On behalf of our nation's, and especially Oklahoma's, most-in-need children and families, we are thankful to Congress for the increase of $547 million dollars to Head Start and Early Head Start programs, said Terrie Vicknair, Head Start/Early Head Start Program Director. It is reassuring that Congress recognizes the need to prioritize funding for mental health services for our children considering that Oklahoma ranks #1 in childhood trauma. This funding will allow our program to add and retain qualified classroom staff, the potential to expand our Early Head Start program, and increase the level of mental health services to children. We are pleased to hear about the continuation of funding for the Community Mental Health Services Demonstration Program, said Randy Tate, CEO of NorthCare. With this, we can continue working towards our mission of strengthening communities by improving health and safety. Thank you, Congresswoman Horn, for your commitment to the health and wellness of Oklahomans by continuing to fight for this funding and for our citizens, ""The Oklahoma Association Serving Impact Schools appreciates Congresswoman Horn and other members of the House voting an increase in funding for the 220 districts in our state that receive Impact Aid, said Billie Jordan, Executive Director of Oklahoma Association Serving Impacted Schools (OASIS). Schools rely on these funds to provide quality education and an increase in funding equates to better services for our students! ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=127,Oklahoma Celebrates Local Victories in Funding Bill,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a year-end government funding bill, including tax provisions and key investments that Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) fought to include. The bill makes record investments in Head Start and early education, extends a biodiesel tax credit important to Oklahoma companies like Love's Travel Stops, continues funding for community mental health services, invests in underserved schools in Oklahoma, and extends short-line railroad tax credits that benefit Oklahoma's economy. Earlier in the month, Congresswoman Horn led a bipartisan letter urging congressional leadership to include these provisions and other locally important tax measures in a year-end funding bill. Oklahoma organizations and businesses shared their reactions to the local victories in the year's government funding package: The biodiesel tax credit is a critically important policy tool that enables our company to buy, blend, and sell environmentally friendly fuels,"" said Carl Martincich, Vice President of HR and Government Affairs for Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores based in Oklahoma City. ""The Love's Family of Companies is grateful to Congresswoman Horn for her leadership in helping get this important policy through the House of Representatives. If enacted, this successful policy will allow Love's to continue to lower fuel prices and decrease the transportation sector's emissions footprint. We appreciate the support Representative Horn gave to not only the Stillwater Central Railroad but all the short line railroads in Oklahoma this year in advancing policy to help keep the communities and customers we serve connected to the national freight network, said Nathan Champion, General Manager of Stillwater Central Railroad. On behalf of our nation's, and especially Oklahoma's, most-in-need children and families, we are thankful to Congress for the increase of $547 million dollars to Head Start and Early Head Start programs, said Terrie Vicknair, Head Start/Early Head Start Program Director. It is reassuring that Congress recognizes the need to prioritize funding for mental health services for our children considering that Oklahoma ranks #1 in childhood trauma. This funding will allow our program to add and retain qualified classroom staff, the potential to expand our Early Head Start program, and increase the level of mental health services to children. We are pleased to hear about the continuation of funding for the Community Mental Health Services Demonstration Program, said Randy Tate, CEO of NorthCare. With this, we can continue working towards our mission of strengthening communities by improving health and safety. Thank you, Congresswoman Horn, for your commitment to the health and wellness of Oklahomans by continuing to fight for this funding and for our citizens, ""The Oklahoma Association Serving Impact Schools appreciates Congresswoman Horn and other members of the House voting an increase in funding for the 220 districts in our state that receive Impact Aid, said Billie Jordan, Executive Director of Oklahoma Association Serving Impacted Schools (OASIS). Schools rely on these funds to provide quality education and an increase in funding equates to better services for our students! ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-joins-hyde-smith-in-introducing-bill-to-protect-moms-and-babies-through-control-of-chemical-abortion-pills,Inhofe Joins Hyde-Smith in Introducing Bill to Protect Moms & Babies Through Control of Chemical Abortion Pills,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), introduced legislation this week to protect the lives of women by controlling the distribution of chemical abortion drugs, which have high complication rates for incomplete abortions, infections, severe bleeding, and death. The Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act would prevent labeling changes for already-approved abortion drugs; prevent providers from dispensing these drugs remotely, by mail, or via tele-medicine; and prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from approving new chemical abortion drugs. It's disappointing when new medical advances are used to take life, not save it. The use of the abortion pill is growing around the world, yet these drugs' complication rate is higher than any other available abortion method.On top of that, there are efforts to lessen FDA's regulation of these pills, which would allow women to take these dangerous drugs without a doctor's supervision orwarning of the dangerous risks, Inhofe said. Not only would this bill prevent the dangerous movement of these drugs, it would also bar the FDA from approving any additional chemical abortion drugs, going a step further to protect the right to life for all people. I thank Sen. Hyde-Smith for her work and advocacy on behalf of future mom's and children with the SAVE Moms & Babies Act. Although abortion rates are declining nationwide, rates of chemical abortion are increasing dramatically.Increased use of abortion pills may give the impression that these procedures are safe, when in fact they are quite dangerous. Making chemical abortion pills more broadly available without proper medical oversight would endanger the lives of women.I am introducing this bill to codify the important FDA policy that protects women from dangers inherent in mail-order or do-it-yourself chemical abortions, Hyde-Smith said. In addition to restricting the availability of chemical abortion drugs, the measure would also retain the FDA-imposed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) currently applied to these drugs due to known or potential serious risk associated with the medication. It would also require health care practitioners to report to the FDA adverse events experienced by patients using an abortion drug, In 2017, chemical abortions made up 39 percent of abortions reported by the 32 states that require reporting on specific abortion methods, up from 5.5 percent in 2001. Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), March for Life Action, National Right to Life, Family Research Council, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops are among the groups that support the bill. We are grateful to Senator Hyde-Smith for championing legislation to fight the reckless expansion of chemical abortion, said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. The abortion lobby has attempted to interfere with protective FDA regulations and flood the U.S. market with dangerous abortion drugs from overseas, threatening the health and safety of vulnerable women. On the heels of an abandoned study designed to discredit pro-life abortion pill reversal, which only proved the serious and potentially deadly risks inherent to abortion pills, the need for this bill could not be more pressing. We strongly support the SAVE Moms & Babies Act and urge Congress to pass it swiftly. A summary of the SAVE Moms and Babies Act is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-praises-epw-advancement-of-ace-act-and-okc-courthouse-modernizations,Inhofe Praises EPW Advancement of ACE Act and OKC Courthouse Modernizations,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Environmental and Public Works (EPW) Committee, praised the committee's advancement of America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act, a bill Sen. Inhofe cosponsored, the nomination of Robert Feitel, to be Inspector General of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and 19 General Services Administration resolutions, one of which authorizes $144 million for needed modernizations to the Walter J. Holloway, Jr. U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Oklahoma City. I am glad to see the resolution to fund needed modernizations to the Walter J. Holloway, Jr. U.S. Courthouse and Post Office in Oklahoma City, Inhofe said. The modernizations to the courthouse include needed updates to outdated mechanical, fire alarm, electrical, plumbing systems and other important upgrades to ensure the building can continue to serve the people of Oklahoma. S.3051, the ACE Act, is a comprehensive, bipartisan wildlife conservation bill. It protects wildlife and wildlife habitat and enhances recreational hunting and sportfishing, which are essential activities to ensure continued funding of wildlife conservation. I am proud to see the ACE Act advance through committee yesterday, Inhofe said. This bill includes a number of provisions I authored or cosponsored, including ensuringland-grant universities, like Oklahoma State University, have the same access to conservation resources as other entities, reauthorizing the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and establishing a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Task Force, as CWD is a threat to Oklahoma's wildlife. Inhofe Priorities: - Authorizes land-grant institutions, like Oklahoma State University, to satisfy their Pittman-Robertson cost-sharing requirement with land previously purchased with federal funds. Inhofe previously introduced an amendment with the same priority. - Establishes a Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force and authorizes a study by the National Academy of Sciences regarding pathways and mechanisms of transmission of CWD. Inhofe cosponsored the stand-alone version of this provision entitled S.382, Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission in Cervidae Study Act. CWD is a contagious, neurological disease impacting deer and other cervids. It has been found in free-ranging cervids in states surrounding Oklahoma and is a threat to Oklahoma's wildlife. - Sense of the Senate that conservation activities should be considered in making determinations under the Endangered Species Act. Inhofe has continually brought up the importance of this priority to Fish and Wildlife Service in calls, letters and meetings. - Reauthorizes the North American Wetlands Conservation Act at $60 million through FY25. Inhofe is a cosponsor S.261, the North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act, that reauthorizes NAWCA through FY24 at $60M. NAWCA is FWS' voluntary, public-private partnership grant program for states to establish wetland habitat conservation projects. These grants go to conserving and restoring wetlands to increase and sustain water availability. In the 109th and 112th Congress, Inhofe introduced an extension of NAWCA. - Makes permanent appropriations language that bans EPA from regulating sport fishing tackle under TSCA. Read more about Inhofe's provision in the most recent appropriations package to block government regulation of fishing tackle under TSCA. - Requires two GAO reports into amounts expended or disbursed by each federal department or agency as a result of any provision of the ESA over five consecutive fiscal years. Also requires two GAO reports describing conservation activities by each federal department or agency as a direct result of the ESA over five fiscal years. Little is known about how much money is used to enforce the ESA and it is a priority of Inhofe's to know the amount of potential waste. - Amends Pittman Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to permit the providing of financial and technical assistance to the states for the promotion of hunting and recreational shooting. - Authorizes the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to issue depredation permits to livestock producers, thereby allowing takings of black vultures or common ravens by livestock producers under specified circumstances during calving or lambing season. Inhofe joined Sen. Boozman in writing a letter in November 2019 alerting FWS to the concern avian predators, including black vultures and ravens, have on animal agriculture and producers. Read more here. Background on Robert Feitel, nominee for Inspector General of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission President Trump nominated Robert Feitel to serve as Inspector General (IG) of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on October 30, 2019. Since 2014, Mr. Feitel has served as a trial attorney for the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-statement-on-house-impeachment-vote,Inhofe Statement on House Impeachment Vote,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) released the following statement today ahead of the House Floor vote on the Articles of Impeachment against President Trump: The President is not going to be removed from office period. The House's action is nothing more than a political sham one that the vast majority of Oklahomans and I are sick and tired of. Inhofe said. Nothing speaks to the political motivation of this action more than Speaker Pelosi's recent admission that she and House Democrats have been working to impeach the President for two and a half years. The liberal national media has been complicit. As the President reminded us in his letter to the Speaker yesterday, the Washington Post first reported about liberal efforts to impeach the President only nineteen minutes after he was inaugurated, and it has been a steady drumbeat since. If House Democrats spent half as much time and money actually getting work done for the American people, they might have something to show for their time in the majority. But they do not. Thankfully, we have a president and Senate Republicans who continue to move the ball forward on things that truly matter in the long run: confirming 175 constitutional judges in lifetime appointments; creating over 7 million jobs with a booming economy; rebuilding our military with a newly established Space Force; securing our southern border; and restoring relationships with our allies like Israel so our enemies that finally fear and respect us again. It's truly remarkable what we have been able to accomplish with President Trump, and we're just getting started. Background about the impeachment process: Later this evening, the House of Representatives is expected to pass articles of impeachment against President Trump. At that point, he will have been impeached by the House. Impeachment does not remove the President from office, but sends the articles to the Senate. In the new year, if the House passes them, the Senate is required to conduct a trial on the articles of impeachment. Details and timing of the trial process are expected in early January. The president will only be removed from office if two-thirds of the Senators vote to convict. Sen. Inhofe is already on record that he has not seen evidence of wrongdoing by the president and sees no reasonto convict.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-bill-to-ensure-justice-to-us-victims-of-terrorism-included-in-year-end-funding-bill,Senator Lankford Bill to Ensure Justice to US Victims of Terrorism Included in Year-end Funding Bill,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.18.19 Senator Lankford Bill to Ensure Justice to US Victims of Terrorism Included in Year-end Funding Bill WASHINGTON, DCSenator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued a statement on inclusion of his bill, the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act in the funding package for FY2020. The bill seeks to provide justice for US victims of international terrorism while promoting the important security cooperation among US, Israeli, and Palestinian security forces. I'm grateful we were able to find a path forward for the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act. Finally, Americans (and their families) who have been injured or killed by acts of terrorism abroad will have greater access to pursue justice against the sponsors and perpetrators of terrorism in US courts and those who sponsor terrorism will be held accountable.I look forward to seeing it become law in the days ahead, said Lankford. The bill is designed to ensure access to courts for Americans who were injured or killed by acts of terrorism while abroad.Recent federal court decisions created loopholes in longstanding US anti-terrorism law, allowing certain foreign actors to evade US court jurisdiction when they support or carry out acts of terrorism against American citizens.The Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act seeks to close these loopholes and restore jurisdiction. The bill also restores security assistance to the Palestinians authority to help prevent future acts of terror in the region. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) are cosponsors of the bill. The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in October. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-cosponsors-legislation-to-protect-moms-and-babies-from-abortion,Senator Lankford Cosponsors Legislation to Protect Moms and Babies from Abortion,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.18.19 Senator Lankford Cosponsors Legislation to Protect Moms and Babies from Abortion WASHINGTON, DC Senator James Lankford (R-OK,) Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced legislation to protect the lives of women by controlling the distribution of chemical abortion drugs, which have high complication rates for incomplete abortions, infections, severe bleeding, and death. The Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act would prevent labeling changes for already-approved abortion drugs; prevent providers from dispensing these drugs remotely, by mail, or via tele-medicine; and prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from approving new chemical abortion drugs. Mail-order abortions are on the rise, and they come with significant risks and complications, said Lankford. While abortion is a divisive issue, we should be able to agree that circumventing FDA advisories and in-person doctor appointments to access abortion drugs by mail is not health care. I'm grateful to Senator Hyde-Smith for taking the lead on this important legislation to protect women and children from an abortion pill that could come at a cost of not just one life, but two. Although abortion rates are declining nationwide, rates of chemical abortion are increasing dramatically.Increased use of abortion pills may give the impression that these procedures are safe, when in fact they are quite dangerous. Making chemical abortion pills more broadly available without proper medical oversight would endanger the lives of women.I am introducing this bill to codify the important FDA policy that protects women from dangers inherent in mail-order or do-it-yourself chemical abortions, Hyde-Smith said. In addition to restricting the availability of chemical abortion drugs, the measure would also retain the FDA-imposed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) currently applied to these drugs due to known or potential serious risk associated with the medication. It would also require health care practitioners to report to the FDA adverse events experienced by patients using an abortion drug, In 2017, chemical abortions made up39 percentof abortions reported by the 32 states that require reporting on specific abortion methods, up from 5.5 percent in 2001. Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), March for Life Action, National Right to Life, Family Research Council, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops are among the groups that support the bill. We are grateful to Senator Hyde-Smith for championing legislation to fight the reckless expansion of chemical abortion, said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. The abortion lobby has attempted tointerferewith protective FDA regulations and flood the US market with dangerous abortion drugs from overseas, threatening the health and safety of vulnerable women.On the heels of an abandoned study designed to discredit pro-life abortion pill reversal, which onlyprovedthe serious and potentially deadly risks inherent to abortion pills, the need for this bill could not be more pressing. We strongly support the SAVE Moms & Babies Act and urge Congress to pass it swiftly. A summary of the SAVE Moms and Babies Act is availablehere. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-questions-doj-ig-horowitz-on-fisa-crossfire-hurricane,"Senator Lankford Questions DOJ IG Horowitz on FISA, Crossfire Hurricane",2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.18.19 Senator Lankford Questions DOJ IG Horowitz on FISA, Crossfire Hurricane CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A. WASHINGTON, DC Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today questioned Department of Justice Inspector General (DOJ IG) Michael Horowitz at a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing about the abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) process by individuals at the FBI to target President Trump's 2016 campaign. IG Horowitz released a DOJ IG report on December 9, 2019, regarding the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation, in which the FBI began investigating members of President Trump's campaign employee and the connection with the Department's investigation into potential Russian involvement in the 2016 election. On December 11, IG Horowitz testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the report, during which he was grilled by Committee members on the way the FBI handled the investigation. On December 17, 2019, the FISA court issued an order that the FBI should clarify by January 10, 2020, the reliability of its information based on concerns raised by the court from previous potential inaccuracies in applications to the court. Excerpt Lankford: Mr. Horowitz, thank you. Just for your leadership, not only with CIGIE [Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency] but also obviously with what you're doing there in DOJ. I appreciate your whole team and the work that you continue to do. You use the term, when talking about the mistakes that were made, saying there were so many mistakes this was either somewhere between gross incompetence to intentional. But you didn't try to be able to determine the motivation of all these. It gets a little more harsh when the FISC responds back to this in the letter that they sent out, the order yesterday. They said because the conduct of the OGC attorney gave rise to serious concerns about the accuracy and completeness of the information provided to the FISC in any matter in which the OGC attorney was involved, the court ordered the government on December 5, 2019, to among other things provide certain information addressing those concerns.' Then this, the FBI's handling of the Carter Page applications as portrayed in the OIG report was antithetical to the heightened duty of candor described above. The frequency with which representations made by the FBI personnel turned out to be unsupported or contradicted by information in their possession and with which they withheld information detrimental to their case calls into question whether information contained in other FBI applications is reliable.' One of the reasons this hearing is so incredibly important is because what this group did at the FBI not only took our nation down years of turmoil, but they're now calling into question every FISA application. And I'm confident every attorney is going to bring this case up and to say we can't rely on the FISA process now. And it will cause turmoil in the FISA court for a very long time. So the Crossfire Hurricane team not only did damage to our nation, did damage to our justice system, and potentially damage to what we're doing in counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism. So we appreciate your work because this is incredibly important to actually get to the bottom of this process. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-horn-impeachment-i-must-do-my-part-ensure-our-democracy-remains-strong,Rep. Horn on Impeachment: “I must do my part to ensure our democracy remains strong”,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) releases the following statement regarding the articles of impeachment under consideration in the House of Representatives: I came to Congress to fight for Oklahomans and to find common ground by uniting lawmakers around bipartisan solutions this is exactly what I've done and will continue to do. I did not come to Congress seeking impeachment, nor do I agree with the extreme voices on either side. I am disappointed in lawmakers on the right and left who pre-judged the outcome of this investigation, whether they condemned the President before hearing all the facts or attempted to derail the process rather than improve it. It is with a heavy heart, but with clarity of conviction that I have made my decision. The oath I took to protect and defend the Constitution requires a vote for impeachment. This is not a decision I came to lightly, but I must do my part to ensure our democracy remains strong. Our founders put in place checks and balances between three co-equal branches of government to ensure that no one is above the law. Allowing one branch or president to ignore our laws and Constitution would set a dangerous precedent. The articles of impeachment before us allege an abuse of power and an obstruction of Congress. Inviting foreign interference in our elections strikes at the heart of our democracy, threatens our national security, and is an abuse of power. It is never acceptable for any president, regardless of party, to ask a foreign country to put their finger on the scale of our democracy. The President obstructed Congress by withholding evidence, refusing to comply with lawful subpoenas, and prohibiting administration officials from doing so as well. Protecting and defending our Constitution is about preserving our democracy and systems for generations to come. We cannot allow any president of either party to abuse the power of their office or to obstruct Congress. Therefore, we must act to protect our Constitution, the integrity of our elections, and our national security. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-horn-supports-passage-bipartisan-funding-deal,Rep. Horn Supports Passage of Bipartisan Funding Deal,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan funding deal including all twelve government appropriations bills, funding the government through the fiscal year. Since entering office, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) has urged congressional leadership to pass the spending bills rather than relying on short-term continuing resolutions for government funding. Congresswoman Horn has also co-sponsored the No Budget No Pay Act. Today's bipartisan funding deal is good news for Oklahoma's federal workers, businesses, and military, said Congresswoman Horn. Funding the federal government is our constitutional responsibility and has a direct impact on people's livelihoods and our national security. As a member of the only freshman class ever to come to Congress during a government shutdown, I have seen firsthand the catastrophic consequences created when Congress kicks the can down the road rather than doing its job. Today's bipartisan deal is a critical step in the right direction, and another example of what we can accomplish when we work together. The funding package which passed on Monday includes an extension of the biodiesel fuel tax credit and a permanent repeal of the medical device tax, both provisions which Congresswoman Horn urged congressional leadership to include. The funding deal also includes a record investment in early education and childcare as well as increased funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=125,Rep. Horn on Impeachment: I must do my part to ensure our democracy remains strong,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) releases the following statement regarding the articles of impeachment under consideration in the House of Representatives: I came to Congress to fight for Oklahomans and to find common ground by uniting lawmakers around bipartisan solutions this is exactly what I've done and will continue to do. I did not come to Congress seeking impeachment, nor do I agree with the extreme voices on either side. I am disappointed in lawmakers on the right and left who pre-judged the outcome of this investigation, whether they condemned the President before hearing all the facts or attempted to derail the process rather than improve it. It is with a heavy heart, but with clarity of conviction that I have made my decision. The oath I took to protect and defend the Constitution requires a vote for impeachment. This is not a decision I came to lightly, but I must do my part to ensure our democracy remains strong. Our founders put in place checks and balances between three co-equal branches of government to ensure that no one is above the law. Allowing one branch or president to ignore our laws and Constitution would set a dangerous precedent. The articles of impeachment before us allege an abuse of power and an obstruction of Congress. Inviting foreign interference in our elections strikes at the heart of our democracy, threatens our national security, and is an abuse of power. It is never acceptable for any president, regardless of party, to ask a foreign country to put their finger on the scale of our democracy. The President obstructed Congress by withholding evidence, refusing to comply with lawful subpoenas, and prohibiting administration officials from doing so as well. Protecting and defending our Constitution is about preserving our democracy and systems for generations to come. We cannot allow any president of either party to abuse the power of their office or to obstruct Congress. Therefore, we must act to protect our Constitution, the integrity of our elections, and our national security. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=126,Rep. Horn Supports Passage of Bipartisan Funding Deal,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Horn Supports Passage of Bipartisan Funding Deal Year-end deal to enact spending bills passes with bipartisan support Washington, December 17, 2019 WASHINGTON D.C. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan funding deal including all twelve government appropriations bills, funding the government through the fiscal year. Since entering office, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) has urged congressional leadership to pass the spending bills rather than relying on short-term continuing resolutions for government funding. Congresswoman Horn has also co-sponsored the No Budget No Pay Act. Today's bipartisan funding deal is good news for Oklahoma's federal workers, businesses, and military, said Congresswoman Horn. Funding the federal government is our constitutional responsibility and has a direct impact on people's livelihoods and our national security. As a member of the only freshman class ever to come to Congress during a government shutdown, I have seen firsthand the catastrophic consequences created when Congress kicks the can down the road rather than doing its job. Today's bipartisan deal is a critical step in the right direction, and another example of what we can accomplish when we work together. The funding package which passed on Monday includes an extension of the biodiesel fuel tax credit and a permanent repeal of the medical device tax, both provisions which Congresswoman Horn urged congressional leadership to include. The funding deal also includes a record investment in early education and childcare as well as increased funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-applauds-passage-of-fiscal-year-2020-national-defense-authorization-act,Inhofe Applauds Passage of Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, praised final passage of the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. This legislation provides necessary authorities and policies for the Department of Defense and critical national security programs within the Department of Energy. This year's legislation provides for a total of $738 billion in base discretionary funding, as well as $5.3 billion in emergency disaster recovery funding. In addition to supporting implementation of the National Defense Strategy, the conference report includes landmark reforms for military privatized housing, establishes a U.S. Space Force and ensures our troops receive their largest pay raise in a decade. Providing for the common defense is the most important thing Congress does each year it affects each and every American, Inhofe said. That's why Congress has passed a defense authorization bill for 58 years in a row, and that's why we continued that today with a strong, bipartisan vote. Today's Senate vote sends a message to America's military families: we are committed to you. We honor your sacrifice. We're going to give you the training, equipment and weapons, and resources you need to do your job well and come home safely. This vote, and this conference report, also send a strong message to our allies and our adversaries, especially China and Russia. America is the leader of the free world in large part because we are able to defend our values. The NDAA makes sure we keep it that way. By revitalizing American power, we can achieve our vision of a safe, prosperous and free world the kind of world we want our kids and grandkids to inherit. The Senate passed the conference report by a vote 86-8. The FY 2020 NDAA now heads to the President's desk for his signature. Click here to watch Sen. Inhofe's floor remarks on the Conference Report. Click here to read a summary of the Conference Report. Click here to read the text of the Conference Report.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofes-ndaa-passes-senate-includes-key-oklahoma-support,Inhofe's NDAA Passes Senate: Includes Key Oklahoma Support,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of theSenate Armed Services Committee, praised final passage of the conference report for theNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. This legislation, approved by a vote of 86-8, provides necessary authorities and policies for the Department of Defense and critical national security programs within the Department of Energy. This year's legislation provides for a total of $738 billion in base discretionary funding. In addition to supporting implementation of the National Defense Strategy, the conference report includes landmark reforms for military privatized housing, establishes a U.S. Space Force and ensures our troops receive their largest pay raise in a decade.It now heads to President Trump's desk, where he is expected to sign it quickly. Everyone knows what happened to the military under President Obama. After decreasing military spending by 25 percent at the end of his Administration we were left with a military that had more F/18s that couldn't fly than those that could. We were left with more Brigade Combat Teams that were deemed not ready' than those that were. Worse, we were left falling behind to our peer competitors, Russia and China, in key areas like hypersonic weapons and space. With President Trump, we've been rebuilding our military, but it doesn't happen overnight. My NDAA gets us there faster. We fully fund needed improvements to resource key weapons systems, including our nuclear triad, as well as grow the Navy fleet, modernize Army capabilities and increase lethality. We increase end strength and invest in research and development so we can be prepared not just for the conflicts of todaybut the conflicts of tomorrow. Most significantly, under the leadership and direction of President Trump, we also create a Space Force a sixth branch of the military. With the passage of this year's NDAA in the Senate, we are one step closer to delivering on President Trump's and my promise to rebuild our military. I look forward to the President signing this quickly so we can make it a reality. Installations and Community leaders across Oklahoma praised Inhofe's work to benefits the state in the NDAA: Reforms to Privatized Military Housing Following reports of serious problems with housing on military installations across the country, including Tinker Air Force Base, the NDAA includes a landmark overhaul of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. These reforms include: improving quality of life for service members and their families living in privatized military housing by creating a Tenant Bill of Rights, setting up a dispute resolution process, and increasing transparency; holding private military housing companies accountable, ensuring they set high standards for construction, mitigate and stop health and hazard violations, and quickly address any problems with housing; and strengthening management of military housing within the chain of command and at the Department of Defense, including ensuring each installation has the necessary government housing employees and implementing thorough oversight and planning measures. Additionally, it would create a Senate-confirmed DOD position to oversee the military privatized housing initiative across all services. Inhofe has led the greatest number of hearings on the issues in privatized military housing over the past year. Additionally, he has visited Tinker Air Force Base on multiple occasions to witness the housing situation firsthand and hold Balfour Beatty accountable. The provisions in the NDAA are a direct result of his leadership and engagement on this critical issue. When the Senate passed the NDAA in June, Janna Driver, a former resident of Tinker Air Force Base and witness at a SASC Hearing on privatized housing that sparked the Armed Forces to make critical changes,acknowledged the Chairman's work:My family has suffered immensely due to the conditions of our on-base privatized housing. I am extremely grateful to have had Chairman Inhofe as a voice in Washington to enact change for military families in Oklahoma and around the country, Driver said. We are hopeful that the changes made in this year's NDAA-including the Tenant Bill of Rights, dispute resolution process, added transparency and strengthening the chain of command- will help to increase the accountability that has been lacking and necessary in making living conditions safe and healthy for our military families who sacrifice so much for this country. No BRAC Round The FY2020 NDAA explicitly prohibits a base realignment and closure (BRAC) round, ensuring the vital missions at all Oklahoma bases can continue to grow. After years of budgetary instability during the Obama Administration, readiness declined to a dangerously low level. Inhofe's provision in the NDAA ensures it will not be reduced any further while we rebuild the force and its readiness. Repeals Widow's Tax Currently, surviving spouses of deceased service members can face an unfair deduction in benefits known as the widow's tax. Inhofe, the first SASC Chairman to cosponsor legislation to address the issue, has been working since 2001 to end the deduction and support military families. The FY2020 NDAA phases in a complete repeal of the offset over three years. For too long, many generations of surviving spouses have been penalized by the unjust widow's tax, and, for too long, legislators of both parties weren't willing or able to take up legislation that would end the offset and bring more stability and financial peace to thousands of families of those who have given their last full measure of devotion. While my husband was deployed, I worked as an intern for Sen. Inhofe, and, after he was killed in action, we kept working together on efforts to end the widows tax and support military families- especially the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Today we were successful and I am confident we would not be here today without Sen. Inhofe's passion for the families of the fallen, hard work, and leadership, said Jane Horton, Gold Star Wife. Direct Hire Authority Last year, Inhofe authored language that extends civilian hiring authority for depots, shipyards, plants and arsenals to help maintain and grow the workforce at Tinker Air Force Base and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. However, the implementation of the provision has been inconsistent, resulting in continued delays and underutilization. Inhofe corrected that in the FY20 NDAA by authoring language to clarify that direct hire authority can come from secretaries of military departments, directors of defense field activities and directors of defense agencies. The civilian workforce maintains aging equipment, adopts new technologies and is consistently recognized by industry as the benchmark of success. Because of this, the workload demands continue to grow along with the need for higher levels of technological skill sets. ""Passage of the NDAA will continue to provide a major economic impact for the City of McAlester. Direct Hire Authority has greatly decreased the time it takes to move from application to hire. This has increased employment in our community which, in turn , has added significant revenue to our local economy. McAlester is very proud of the work done at MCAAP and with continuation of Direct Hire Authority anticipate and the benefits it provide, we look forward to continued growth,"" said Mayor Browne, McAlester Defense Support Association. Our ability to direct hire civilian personnel into key positions is critical to the long term readiness of our military, Roy Williams, President and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber said. Those positions include depot maintenance, cybersecurity, acquisition, and science, technology, and engineering.This authority must be fully utilized by the services in our to ensure they can efficiently fill these critical positions with uniquely qualified personnel. This directly impact readiness and our national security. The Direct Hire Authority has been essential in aiding employment needs at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. Previous to the Direct Hire Authority, McAlester was operating with 1,700 employees; since implementing they have increased to more than 2,000. This increase has benefited the local economy immensely and has decreased the workload gap, said Jessica Gregg, Executive Director, McAlester Defense Support Association. McAlester Chamber of Commerce is pleased to share a reported increase of sales tax within our community of business owners over the past year, said Krystal Bess, Executive Director of the McAlester Area Chamber of Commerce. With our understanding of the direct hire authority, MCAAP has added an additional 300 jobs. As an organization, supporting local industry is a priority and we are grateful for the advancements MCAAP has been able to obtain through the Direct Hire Authority and the benefits our members have seen. PIM Program Inhofe authored language that fully authorized the president's budget request for the Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) program, the primary indirect fire weapons platform in the U.S. Army's Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCT). The PIM, assembled in Elgin, Oklahoma, and used at Fort Sill, will improve force performance and survivability, while also reducing the logistics burden for soldiers. The Army has been clearlong range precision fires is their top modernization goal, and the PIM is how we get there. Lawton knows the importance of this mission for the nation, for the Army and for our own community. We appreciate Chairman Inhofe's work to ensure the PIM program is fully funded, which, in turn, fuels the economy of our region, said Mike Brown, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army. Advanced Pilot Training (T-X) Pilots, like those at Vance Air Force Base, need to train on the newest and most advanced platforms in order to be prepared for the next-generation of fighter and bomber aircraft. Inhofe authored language in the NDAA that will support procurement for the T-X advanced pilot training system, replacing the legacy T-38 trainers that have become outdated and led to longer training times. We applaud Senator Inhofe's attention to our Nation's #1 Defense Department priority, Improving Military Readiness.' He was able to obtain additional funding for the Research and Development of Advanced Pilot Training. Vance AFB has led the way in developing improved and efficient methods to increase the number of U.S. Air Force Pilots trained in Oklahoma by at least 34 percent. Senator Inhofe also secured funding for the new Advanced jet trainer, the T-7A Red Hawk, which is the much needed replacement for the T-38 utilized for Pilot Training at Vance AFB, said Mike Cooper, Chairman of the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission. KC-46 Inhofe supported increased funding and procurement of three additional KC-46 aircraft, bringing the total FY20 procurement to 15 KC-46 aircraft. The KC-46 tankers ensure our military's ability to engage in operations around the globe. Altus Air Force Base is programmed to receive 8 KC-46 aircraft and will provide training for all KC-46 pilots and boom operators. Tinker Air Force Base provides all depot maintenance for the KC-46, and construction is underway for KC46 maintenance and fuel hangars. As the Chairman of the Altus Military Affairs Committee and on behalf of the Altus community, we applaud Senator Inhofe's tireless commitment to policy and funding in the FY20 NDAA to continue fundamental KC-46A program stability and support to meet the Air Force mission. Our nation's air refueling aircraft are crucial to the future of our national security and the KC-46A Pegasus' has started the process of replacing our aging tanker aircraft inventory. Senator Inhofe's tenacious work as the Chairman of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee has been nothing short of remarkable in support of the United States Air Force and his commitment to the delivery and support of the KC-46.The men and women in our nation's armed forces deserve our absolute best effort and Senator Jim Inhofe has been the champion for readiness, enhanced military capabilities, and predictable budgeting for stabilized National Defense Strategy and execution. With the addition of the KC-46A mission set at Altus AFB, the tanker and mobility community will be able to capitalize on the synergistic training benefit to both meet and exceed global force requirements for our nation's security, said Dr. Joe Leverett, Chairman of the Altus Military Affairs Committee. Supporting Organic Industrial Base As part of the organic industrial base, defense maintenance depots, like the Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base, are developing new technologies to repair damaged parts quickly and without distortion. Inhofe authored language in the NDAA that would allow the Air Force Research Lab and the Air Force Depot Innovation Centers to work with private sector partners to bring new skills and processes into full time use to repair and get Air Force systems back in service faster. Additionally, our organic industrial bases, like Tinker, have faced challenges due to recent changes in acquisition processesdespite being recognized as critical parts of our national security infrastructure. Inhofe's NDAA requires a report from the DOD to understand the impact of the recent changes to ensure the future of the organic industrial base. The backbone of ensuring the readiness of our military is our ability to sustain its weapons systems. The leadership and operations at Tinker Air Force Base is at the core of sustaining that readiness and an integral part of our organic industrial base. We must continue to improve our organic maintenance capabilities and effectiveness in order to ensure we have a combat ready force. This assessment of the DoD organic industrial base will help up identify shortfalls and resources required to ensure our organic industrial base, to include Tinker Air Force Base, remains the premiere provider of weapon system support, said Roy Williams, President and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. Counter UAS University Research Throughout the last few years, DOD and Congress have recognized the growing use and capabilities of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Absent a comprehensive response, research universities are important partners in providing military and civilian agencies with reliable threat assessments and technology evaluation. Inhofe included a provision in the NDAA that would increase funding to universities, like Oklahoma State University, to work with the DOD and rapidly respond to advancements in drone technology. ""Developing ways to use and manage unmanned aerial vehicles to serve and protect society is a top tier research priority at Oklahoma State University, and that includes detecting and countering drones used for illegal or dangerous purposes,"" said Kenneth Sewell, Vice President for Research. ""Funding this counter-UAS R&D will speed the progress of creating law enforcement and military tools that will ultimately protect Americans."" Impact Aid and STARBASE Inhofe was successful in including language that fully funds supplemental Impact Aid to local educational agencies and schools with military dependent children as well as specific Impact Aid for schools with military dependent children with severe disabilities. Inhofe also supported language that reauthorizes STARBASE, a program to educate and motivate students to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.STARBASE currently operates at 76 locations in 40 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, primarily on military installations. The Oklahoma National Guard runs the STARBASE program out of four locations, the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, the Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Tinker Air Force Base and Burns Flat. Impact Aid is critical to our ability to provide quality education in support of the children of our nation's heroes, and provides communities such as our Southwest Oklahoma communities, necessary resources to meet the educational needs of our future generations,said Brenda Spencer-Ragland, Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce. Our military families deserve the absolute best education possible and this can be a reality through the continued funding of Impact Aid. ""The Oklahoma National Guard is very pleased for the continued support and funding for the Department of Defense STARBASE program, Major General Michael Thompson, the Adjutant General, Oklahoma National Guard said. We are proud to operate one of the nation's top STARBASE programs, exposing Oklahoma's youth to STEM instruction and activities as well as providing exposure to positive military role models found in our Oklahoma National Guard and Active Duty military installations."" Cyber Centers of Academic Excellence Inhofe secured several provisions in the NDAA to ensure DOD works directly with academic institutions that have National Security Agency cyber centers of academic excellence designations. Because of the University of Tulsa's existing leadership in cybersecurity research and education, they are well suited to engage in these efforts. ""Sen. Inhofe's provision to promote Cyber Centers of Academic Excellence in the NDAA is good news for the University of Tulsa,"" said TU President, Dr. Gerry Clancy. ""The University of Tulsa is already a leader in cybersecurity research and education, and is well positioned for this opportunity to work with the DOD on the most pressing cyber issues facing our nation."" Military Spouse Professional Development Military spouses serve and sacrifice alongside their service member, facing frequent moves and long deployments that often result in barriers to meaningful professional employment. To support military families, Inhofe authored two provisions to promote professional development opportunities for military spouses. First, he doubled the amount DOD can reimburse spouses for the cost of obtaining a new professional license or credential after a permanent change of station. Too many spouses face extended unemployment after a relocation because of the time and resources it takes to reestablish professional licenses and Inhofe's provision would alleviate some of the barriers they face. Secondly, his FY2020 NDAA authorizes a cooperative agreement with the Council of State Governments to encourage license portability. We're in the best economy of our lifetime, yet many military spouses have struggled to transfer professional licenses due to frequent moves. By doubling the amount that the Department of Defense can reimburse spouses for transporting their professional licenses, Chairman Inhofe shows once again that he's a tireless advocate for military families. This reform will strengthen military family resiliency by making it easier for spouses to maintain employment, said Jill Castilla, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army. The National Military Family Association praised it as well: The National Military Family Association (NMFA) is thrilled to see that the re-licensure reimbursement pilot program will be extended to 2024 and the reimbursement amount increased up to $1,000 per permanent change of station (PCS), allowing for a more comprehensive assessment of the need for this reimbursement. According to Department of Defense data, over 30 percent of employed military spouses work in fields that require a license or certification. Reimbursing spouses for fees incurred in efforts to maintain steady employment when moving across state lines, as a result of their spouse's military service, will encourage employment efforts and enhance the financial resilience of the military family. Our Association is encouraged to see an expansion of the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Program. Extending eligibility to spouses of U.S. Coast Guard service members as well as continuing program coverage for spouses who are enrolled when their service member spouse promotes in rank beyond the initial eligibility ranks ensures that military spouses will be able to attain their educational and professional aspirations. Additionally, expanding the program to cover any associates degree will allow military spouses to pursue a broader range of career paths. Other Military Construction Projects for Oklahoma Inhofe supported authorization to fully fund the second phase of the Advanced Individual Training Barracks Complex at Fort Sill and the Fuels Storage Complex at the Tulsa International Airport for the Oklahoma Air National Guard. ""The military construction funding of $18.9 million to support construction at the Tulsa Air National Guard Base provides organic bulk fuel to support surge flying operations- critical to increasing the unit's overall readiness,"" said Brigadier General Brent Wright, Chief of Staff-Air, Oklahoma National Guard Because of Chairman Inhofe's leadership, this year's NDAA fully funds the Advanced Individual Training Barracks Complex on the base. These barracks ensure that Fort Sill can continue to accommodate key missions and prioritiesensuring that it will play an important role in Army modernization for years to come, said Mike Brown, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army. ""We applaud Senator Inhofe's work on securing funding for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, Ensuring the ability to leverage State and Community dollars to assist the Department of Defense' efforts to improve Quality of Life for our service Members and complete necessary infrastructure projects to improve Military Readiness,"" said Mike Cooper, Chairman of the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission. Low-Cost Attributable Aircraft Technology Unmanned wingman aircraft, like the Oklahoma City-built Valkyrie, are an important part of the future of U.S. air superiority. To promote continued research and development in this field, Inhofe increased funding for the Air Force's Low Cost Attributable Aircraft Technology program, which would support eventual collaboration between manned and unmanned technology. ""Kratos is leading change with the development of its Valkyrie and we are proud to be part of their team, said Vic Bird, Director of Aeronautics in Oklahoma. ""Their development of this low cost attributable loyal wingman aircraft has begun a transformation in how we will execute air combat operations in the future and enhance our ability to execute air operations across the spectrum of operations."" ATC Hiring Reform Inhofe authored a provision directing the Federal Aviation Administration to give preferential consideration to individuals applying to become air traffic controllers who have prior military experience or graduated from an Air TrafficCollegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) school. Both the University of Oklahoma and Tulsa Community College are AT-CTI schools, whose graduates will benefit from this program. This provision builds on provisions Sen. Inhofe authored that were included in the 2016 FAA reauthorization bill. On behalf of University of Oklahoma and Max Westheimer Airport, we want to thank Senator Inhofe for his assistance with the National Defense Authorization Bill and new language in favor of the value of FAA Air Traffic-Collegiate Initiative Training (AT-CTI) programs such as our OU program,said Lance Lamkin, Airport Director at the University of Oklahoma's Max Westheimer Airport in Norman. Having air traffic controllers who are collegiately trained provides a cadre of highly qualified candidates who possess the knowledge and leadership skills to move into supervisory and management roles in the air traffic system, airport management, and other aviation industry positions. By emphasizing applicants who have completed collegiate education with career specific ATC training, we ensure the highest level of safety for our citizens traveling within the National Airspace System. Aviation Workforce Development Inhofe's provision builds on his existing workforce development provisions, this would allow pilot- and aviation-oriented organizations like AOPA and EAA to apply for pilot education grants, ensuring that organizations already engaged in bringing ground school and other aviation STEM education opportunities to high school students have the ability to apply for federal grants to amplify their existing efforts. This provision expands on a top priority from the 2018 FAA reauthorization bill that Sen. Inhofe originally introduced in his 2018 SARA Act. Senator Inhofe has shown exceptional vision and leadership in his efforts to introduce the next generation of pilots to careers through STEM-based aviation curriculum, said Mark Baker, President and CEO Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. AOPA's aviation curriculum is being used by more than 5,000 high school students in 34 states today, including students in Oklahoma, and this grant program will certainly help advance the development of aviation curriculum for students and teachers nationwide. About the National Defense Authorization Act: oAuthorizes growing topline for national defense ($738B + $5B disaster recovery). oLargest troop pay raise in a decade 3.1% oFully funds nuclear modernization oCreates Space Force as the 6th Branch of the U.S. Military oAuthorizes 200+ new-start programs that MUST be authorized before appropriations or programs cannot begin: Artificial Intelligence (AI), 6th-gen fighter (NGAD), Hypersonic Weapons, Long-range missiles, Unmanned Systems, Cyber Capabilities, Combat Networks, B-21 bomber, 5G oExpands equipment purchases: - F-35s, F-15s, F-18s, destroyers, subs, carriers, amphibious ships, Army helicopters & vehicles oSanctions against Syria, Russia, North Korea, China oCares for military families: child care, professional licensing for military spouses, improve moving process oKilled over 150 progressive provisions that would have harmed national security: - No restrictions on border/wall: - No GTMO closure or authority to transfer detainees to U.S. - No limits on POTUS authority to defend nation - No 2002 AUMF repeal or 2001 AUMF restriction - No restrictions on U.S. support/arms sales to Saudi/UAE to counter Iran - No halting nuclear modernization (Dems wanted to cut 1/3 of nuclear triad). - No transgender policy changes - No restrictions on global U.S. arms sales - No nationwide PFAS Superfund to enrich trial lawyers and bankrupt chemical companies Read more about the NDAA Conference Report here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-supports-defense-priorities-,Senator Lankford Supports Defense Priorities,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.17.19 Senator Lankford Supports Defense Priorities The Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act WASHINGTON, DC Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today voted in favor of the Conference Report on the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (FY20 NDAA). The bill, which received bipartisan support, was ushered through final passage by Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee. The bill includes limitations on the transfer of the F-35 aircraft to Turkeya bill that Lankford introduced earlier this year. The Conference Report passed the Senate in a vote of 86 to 8 and now heads to the President's desk for his signature. Every year, Congress must vote for the basic guidelines for our military, military construction, family support, and all other aspects of our national defense strategy. The NDAA is essential year-end legislation for our nation and the women and men who stand up for our freedom every day, said Lankford. This bill adjusts, eliminates, or includes more than 1,500 provisions in law that help our Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. The bill helps our defense and veteran communities better navigate issues for current service members and Guardsmen and women, those transitioning from active duty to civilian life, and those receiving care and benefits during retirement. I applaud Chairman Inhofe's tenacity along with Senator Reed to bring this important bill to the finish line. We owe our men and women in uniform the clarity this bill brings so they can continue to faithfully serve our nation both at home and abroad. The bill contains a number of priorities I've pushed for on behalf of our defense and international relations communities including limitations on F-35 transfers to Turkey following Turkey's acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile system, a pay raise for service members, updates to ensure military chaplains can continue to serve past general military retirement age, and many others. I look forward to the President's signature of this bill to implement these and other important changes for our Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. The final bill included a number of important provisions that help Oklahoma military installations and the federal workforce, including: A 3.1 percent raise for all service members, the largest pay raise in nearly a decade. Limitations on the transfer of F35 aircraft to Turkey, which Lankford introduced earlier this year. Permanent authority to defer past age 64 (until 68) the retirement of chaplains in general and flag officer grades. $2.2 billion for 12 KC-46A refueling tankers connected to the missions of both Altus and Tinker Air Force Bases. Authorization for the T-X program, which positively impacts Vance Air Force Base. Improvements to military family housing to address facility issues like the ones reported at Tinker Air Force Base and hold housing contractors accountable. Language from Lankford's Reserve Component DD-214 Act of 2019, which will ensure that members of the National Guard and Reserve receive an accurate and complete record of their service so that they can receive the benefits they have earned following their retirement or completion of service. Continuation of the Paladin Integrated Management system upgrade program, which directly impacts the mission at Ft. Sill. Authorization of funding for the second phase of the training barracks at Ft. Sill, fulfilling the President's request. Authorization of funding for the Fuels Storage Complex at the Tulsa International Airport, which will enhance the capabilities of the 138th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard. Language to enhance DOD's use of direct-hire authority in last year's NDAA, which will positively impact Tinker and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. Authorization for DOD to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Council of State Governments to assist with the funding and development of interstate compacts on licenses for military spouses. Extension of the ability of DOD to reimburse spouses for licensure and certification costs by two years. Allowance for Guard and Reservists to choose to use TRICARE Reserve Select instead of FEHB even if they are in a non-active status and are working as civilians in the federal government. Language from Lankford's bill, S. 2169, which clarifies federal agencies' authority to directly hire recent graduates to full-time positions. Lankford also joined a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce theProtectVeterans' Education and Taxpayer Spending(Protect VETS)Act of 2019. TheProtect VETS Actis the firstbipartisan billintroduced in the Senate that would protect military and veteran students by closing the 90/10 loophole andrequiringfor-profit schoolstosecure at least 10 percent of their revenues from sources other than taxpayers. ### Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-bipartisan-bill-to-improve-federal-grant-process-heads-to-presidents-desk,Senators Bipartisan Bill to Improve Federal Grant Process Heads to President’s Desk,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.17.19 Senators Bipartisan Bill to Improve Federal Grant Process Heads to President's Desk WASHINGTON, DC Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) applauded the final passage of H.R. 150, the Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency(GREAT) Act.The bipartisan, bicameral bill will require the Office of Management andBudget (OMB) and the leading administrator of grant programs to streamline data transparency requirements for grant recipients and ultimately make data collection and dissemination tothe American people faster and easier. Representatives Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) were the House co-sponsors of H.R. 150. I'm glad to see the House pass the GREAT Act to streamline grant reporting and ensure transparency is provided to taxpayers on federal grant data, said Lankford. Federal grants are some of the most impactful ways the federal government spends money and Americans should always know where and how their tax dollars are spent. I look forward to the President's signature on this bill in the days to come. The GREAT Act would help simplify the grant reporting process and keep better track of taxpayer dollars, Enzi said. I'm pleased the House passed this important legislation and look forward to the president signing it into law soon. Federal grants can provide critical support for programs and services that benefit communities in Michigan and around the country, said Peters. I am pleased that our House colleagues passed this commonsense, bipartisan bill to streamline the grant application process and improve transparency around how taxpayer dollars are used. I look forward to seeing this important bill signed into law soon. Our bipartisan bill helps to streamline the grant process and ensure greater efficiency and transparencyI am pleased that it's now on its way to becominglaw, said Hassan. The US government awards more than $600 billion every year to state and local governments, agencies, and other organizations. The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 required OMB and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct a pilot program to alleviate reporting burdens for grant recipients. The pilot program found that grant recipients are often required to enter identical data multiple times, and there is no single repository for the data. This redundancy is burdensome for grant recipients and for congressional oversight. HR 150, replaces the disconnected process with streamlined, searchable, open data for both the grantee and taxpayer. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-lankford-coons-bill-to-support-churches-charities-and-nonprofits-included-in-funding-package,"Senators Lankford, Coons Bill to Support Churches, Charities, and Nonprofits included in Funding Package",2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.17.19 Senators Lankford, Coons Bill to Support Churches, Charities, and Nonprofits included in Funding Package WASHINGTON, DC Bipartisan legislation from Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Coons (D-DE) to protect churches, charities, and other nonprofit organizations is expected to become law as part of a bipartisan funding package agreed to by House and Senate negotiators today. The Lessening Impediments from Taxes (LIFT) for Charities Act repeals a section of the tax code that requires some tax-exempt organizations to pay federal taxes on employee benefits, such as parking, meals, or transportation benefits. It is welcome news that the LIFT for Charities Act has been included in the annual appropriations bill to be considered later this week, said Lankford. Several of us have worked for months to correct a small provision in the 2017 tax reform bill that required some churches and nonprofit organizations to pay a tax on employee benefits, which could include items that have never been previously accounted for, such as a parking space. Most nonprofits were neither equipped to handle the additional administrative burdens or compliance costs nor were they intended to be a source of revenue for the federal government.The fix included in this week's appropriations bill is a huge win for our nation's churches, charities, and other nonprofits who are dedicated to serving our neighbors and meeting the needs of our communities.We should protect our nonprofits, not tax them. I believe that we have a moral obligation to support our neighbors most in need, and nonprofits play an essential role in doing just that,said Coons. Requiring these organizations to pay a federal tax on employee benefits, something they have never been required to do before, causes them to not only face an increased operating cost, but also an administrative burden. The passage of this bill will help to ensure that America's charitable nonprofits and houses of worship are able to continue providing critical services to communities without undue burden. The 2017 tax law created the provision requiring charities to pay the new tax on employee benefits.In November 2018, Lankford and Coons sent aletterto the Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, expressing their concerns about the challenges faced by tax-exempt organizations, such as charitable nonprofits, houses of worship, and foundations, regarding compliance with new tax liabilities. In November 2017, Lankford and Representative Mark Walker (R-NC) alsointroducedthe Universal Charitable Giving Act in both the Senate and House, which would create a universal charitable deduction in addition to the standard deduction for individuals and married couples that do not itemize. Additionally, Lankford serves on the Senate Finance Committee. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns/supporting-our-common-defense,Supporting Our Common Defense,2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"For nearly 60 years, lawmakers in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle have affirmed their bipartisan commitment to providing for our common defense. Through passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the House last week and swift consideration expected in the Senate, I am proud that lawmakers are once again coming together to authorize funding for the programs and resources needed to keep our nation safe while advocating for and supporting the individuals who make every mission possible. Getting to this point was more challenging than it has been in past years. While writing such a comprehensive piece of legislation is always a massive undertaking, the versions passed by the House and Senate some months back were drastically different. In fact, the House version of NDAA advanced in July was viewed as a wildly partisan piece of legislation due to its substance and the process by which it was brought up by House Democrats. As a result, no Republicans could vote for it in good conscience. Fortunately, the hard work and negotiations of House and Senate conferees led to a bipartisan product that both chambers can now support. This would not have been possible without the leadership of Oklahoma's own Senator Jim Inhofe, who as Chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee fiercely fought for the interests and needs of the nation's active duty service members, military families, retirees and civilian workers. Rightly so, the NDAA conference report supports key quality-of-life initiatives and improvements for military and civilian workers and their families. That includes delivering the largest pay increase in a decade for service members at 3.1 percent. Moreover, it finally sets in motion repeal of the misguided Widow's Tax, which has for years wrongfully deprived surviving family of fallen military service members from getting their full benefits. Following outrageous reports of families suffering from poor conditions in privatized on-base military housing, I am relieved that the conference report takes strong action to protect tenants and prevent contractor mismanagement in the future. This includes reforms to the Privatized Military Housing Initiative and a new Tenant Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, many families at Tinker Air Force Base in the Fourth District of Oklahoma are all too familiar with Balfour Beatty's mismanagement, which has resulted in unsafe and unhealthy conditions in numerous housing units built by the contractor. While I am encouraged that changes are being made to keep existing and future contractors accountable to their job of responsibly overseeing housing properties, it is unacceptable that many military families were victims due to negligence and neglect. I will continue to monitor the situation to ensure problems are resolved, conditions are improved and remain that way. As the Department of Defense (DOD) undergoes comprehensive reform of the existing military health care system (TRICARE), the NDAA conference report demands DOD complete its internal review of medical treatment facilities and provide its overdue assessment to Congress. In the meantime, the NDAA prohibits DOD from making any reductions, closures or changes to medical facilities and personnel that could limit access to care for service members, families and retirees. In addition to authorizing funding to support our service members, military retirees, civilian personnel and their families, the NDAA importantly authorizes programs in line with the National Defense Strategy that improve readiness, capability and operations. Building on past efforts to restore readiness and promote modernization, the NDAA conference report ensures our military are equipped with the necessary equipment and training to counter threats and adversaries old and new around the world today. Certainly, Congress took a vital step toward delivering on the resources, reforms and benefits contained in the NDAA conference report. However, even after the Senate passes the report and the president signs it into law, half the job remains. To actually fund the critical programs and polices outlined in the NDAA, lawmakers must also come together to pass the defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2020. Considering the progress made recently on full-year funding bills for the government, I am hopeful that we will soon be able to do just that.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-were-not-going-to-win-with-a-strong-military-alone_-but-we-will-lose-without-one,Inhofe: We're Not Going to Win With a Strong Military Alone - But We Will Lose Without One,2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke on the Senate floor today in support of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act conference report: As Prepared for Delivery: We're here today to pass the conferenced National Defense Authorization Act. This is the 59th year in a row we'll be passing an NDAA. That's because it's the most important bill Congress does all year, the one that fulfills our constitutional responsibilities. There is an old document no one reads anymoreit's called the Constitutionand it says what we're supposed to be doing here: providing for the common defense or simply put, defending America and all who call it home. This Conference report does exactly that. It's a testament to the good work we can accomplish when we work together both parties, House and Senate. This bill has been a long time coming. We started working on it here in the Senate last January, holding hearings with military leaders about what resources they needed around the world. We started drafting it not long after, and in May, passed the bill out of committee 25-2. In June, we debated it on the floor, incorporating more than 90 bipartisan amendments before it passed with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote: 86-8. Then we started conference, where we've been working day in and day out since September. This year we had twice the number of big four meetings and more than twice the number of staff level meetings than we normally have, working our way through over 1,500 provisions within the bill. I say this to remind everyone that our committee and our staff have been working on this bill tirelessly for nearly a full year, and today it's time to pass it. If I had to break it down, I would say this year's NDAA has two big overarching principles. First, it resources and aligns priorities to implement our blueprint, the National Defense Strategy Commission report. This bipartisan document outlines the challenges we need to be prepared to meet namely, strategic competition with China and Russia. Accordingly, the conference report funds our military - $738 billion - in line with the Bipartisan Budget Agreement. In addition, the NDAA authorizes $5.3 billion in emergency disaster recovery to help military installations across the country, including Nebraska, Florida and North Carolina, rebuild after recent natural disasters. We created the Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces, under the Air Force. This is the first new service created in more than 70 years. The Space Force will help us protect space and ensure American dominance in this warfighting domain for years to come. To implement the National Defense Strategy, the NDAA reframes priorities. It accelerates investment in efforts to modernize our Armed Forces, including creating hypersonic weapons, 5G, cyber, long-range missiles, and new equipment areas where we are at risk of, or in some cases already are, falling behind. The NDAA has strong support for nuclear modernization, preserving all three legs of the triad to maintain maximum deterrence against our adversaries. It also provides needed reforms to the way the Department of Defense does business. An efficient, effective Pentagon will help America retain, and in some places, regain, our competitive edge. This includes strengthening and securing our industrial base, creating new pathways for innovation, especially for small businesses, and, critically, preserving accountability and responsibility to the taxpayer. The legislation also keeps President Trump's promise to continue rebuilding our military. The legislation invests in the equipment, resources, and training needed to restore our military readiness. These investments mean we will have a larger Navy, a stronger Army, a more agile Air Force, and a more lethal Marine Corps a force that's ready to deter or, if necessary, defeat, any threats that might come our way. So that's what the bill does to rebuild our military and realign to be able to compete with China and Russia. Now, I said that this bill does two main things. The second part is that this is a bill that really looks out for our service members and their families. To tell the story of what we do in that area is really to tell the story of two courageous military spouses, Janna Driver and Jane Horton, I have the honor of knowing two women who represent the hundreds of thousands of military spouses around the country. About one year ago, Janna Driver reached out to my office to share the horrible conditions she and her family were facing in their housing at Tinker Air Force base. She told me about the mold in her unit and that she couldn't get the contractor to fix it. We started looking into the problem and learned it was bigger than thisit was all around the country. We got to work holding hearings, inspecting homes and demanding answers. As a result - the NDAA includes landmark overhaul of the military privatized housing system. This legislation gives military families the tools to demand accountability and re-engages military leadership to ensure they are protecting our families. It also makes sure contractors live up to their end of the bargain and give military families high-quality housing. I met Jane Horton at an event in Collinsville, Oklahoma, several years ago. I was getting ready to go to Afghanistan to visit our service members and get a field update. She told me her husband was deployed there the very spot that I was going. I promised her I would visit with him when I was there in about a week's time. I never got that chance. Oklahoma Army National Guard Specialist Chris Horton was killed in action on September 9, 2011. He was only 26. After everything Jane went through after losing her husband, she was then penalized by the widow's tax, a dollar-for-dollar offset to her benefits as a Gold Star spouse. She came to me and we started working together to repeal it. Now, years after we started that process, this year's NDAA repeals the widow's tax in a fiscally responsible way. That's just a fraction of the other benefits it has for military families. The conference report provides for a 3.1 percent pay raise for all our troops the largest pay raise in a decade. The bill also improves access to child care on military installations, helps spouses transfer their professional licenses, and makes moving during a change of station easier. It also continues critical reforms to fight sexual assault and misconduct, and works to improve the military health care system. Sometimes people look at what we spend on defense and wonder why. They point out that Russia and China put together don't spend as much on defense. The answer is simple. Russia and China, they don't take care of their warfighters. We do. That's why we've got the best military in the world. They say you recruit a service member, but retain a family. By making our NDAA dedicated not only to the warfighter, but also to their families, we make America safer. It is as simple as that. Lastly, there are a few other provisions outside the jurisdiction of the Armed Services Committee worth highlighting in this bill: MARAD reauthorization, intel reauthorization, and sanctions designed to punish Syria, Russia, North Korea and China. The result? This is a good bill, and now, we are going to pass it. This is the 59th year in a row we've passed an NDAA. That's how we know it's going to pass because it's always passed. It's one of the few authorization bills that does pass year after year. And that's because everyone knows how important it is. It usually doesn't get bogged down in partisan fighting. This year, the process of getting to a final conference report was certainly tougher than most. It took a few months of hard-fought negotiations, but the end result is a great bill that we can all be proud to support. I want to thank Congressman Smith, Congressman Thornberry, and, most importantly, Senator Reed for their commitment to getting this bill done. Senator Reed especially was an incredible partner to work with throughout this process. I also want to thank the members of the Armed Services Committee, who put in good work to make sure this bill supports the military community and keeps Americans safe. I want to thank President Trump for his leadership and support of this legislationespecially Space Forceand I look forward to him signing this into law in the near future. I would be remiss if I didn't thank the Armed Services Committee staff especially staff directors John Bonsell, for the majority, and Liz King, for Sen. Reed, and my personal office staff, who have put in countless hours to bring this bill to the floor today. From my staff from the Senate Armed Services Committee: John Wason, Tom Goffus, Stephanie Barna, Greg Lilly, Rick Berger, Marta Hernandez, Jennie Wright, Adam Barker, Augusta Binns-Berkey, Al Edwards, Jackie Kerber, Sean O'Keefe, Tony Pankuch, Brad Patout, Jason Potter, J.R. Riordan, Katie Sutton, Eric Trager, Dustin Walker, Otis Winkler, Gwyneth Woolwine, Katie Magnus, Arthur Tellis, Leah Brewer, Debbie Chiarello, Gary Howard, Tyler Wilkinson, John Bryant, Patty-Jane Geller, Baher Iskander, Keri-Lyn Michalke, Jackie Modesett, and Soleil Sykes. And from the minority side: Jody Bennett, Carolyn Chuhta, Jon Clark, Jonathan Epstein, Jorie Feldman, Creighton Greene, Ozge Guzelsu, Gary Leeling, Kirk McConnell, Maggie McNamara, Bill Monahan, Mike Noblet, John Quirk, Arun Seraphin, and Fiona Tomlin. From my personal office: Luke Holland, Andrew Forbes, Dan Hillenbrand, Jake Hinch, Don Archer, Kyle Stewart, Bryan Brody, Esther Salters, Devin Barrett, Leacy Burke, Wendi Price, Laurie Fitch, Whitney Folluo, Mark Powers, Brandon Ellis, and Charlotte Mitchell. And the floor staff: Laura Dove, Robert Duncan, Chris Tuck, Megan Mercer, Tony Hanagan, Katherine Foster, Brian Canfield and Abigail Baker. Now, let's vote on this conference report and let the vote be so overwhelming that there isn't a military family in America who could doubt our commitment to them. Let's use our vote to send a message as well to Russia and China that we're revitalizing American power so we can win the competition for influence that will shape the kind of world our children and grandchildren are going to live in. We're not going to win with a strong military alone but we will lose it without one. That's what this NDAA will do: revitalize American military power so that we can achieve our vision of a safe, prosperous and free world.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3943,Mullin Statement on House Judiciary Committee Passing Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-13,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Mullin Statement on House Judiciary Committee Passing Articles of Impeachment f t # e Washington, December 13, 2019 Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) released the following statement after the House Judiciary Committee passed two articles of impeachment against President Trump, sending them to the full House of Representatives for a vote. From the day President Trump was elected, this was the Democrats' goal. Speaker Pelosi said herself that this was two and a half years in the making, Mullin said. First, they claimed it was collusion, then quid pro quo, then extortion, then bribery and now abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Despite their efforts to find a crime, one fact remains the same: President Trump has not committed a single impeachable offense. It all comes back to what Rep. Al Green (D-TX) said: If we don't impeach him, he will get re-elected.' Today is a sad day for our country. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/group-lawmakers-file-amicus-brief-supporting-indian-child-welfare,"Bipartisan, Bicameral Group of Lawmakers File Amicus Brief Supporting the Indian Child Welfare Act",2019-12-13,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.Today,a group of 25 senators and 52 representatives filed an amicus brief in federal court making the case for the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The bipartisan and bicameral brief was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit as the courtre-opens its August rulingthat affirmed ICWA's constitutionality inBrackeen v. Bernhardt. The full text of the amicus brief, along with the full list of signers, is available HERE. The amicus brief urges the Fifth Circuit to uphold the court's previous decision affirming the constitutionality of IWCA. The decision the Fifth Circuit issued in Augustreversed an unprecedented rulingfrom the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas which wrongly struck down ICWA as unconstitutional. Congress passed ICWA in 1978 after receiving testimony that 25 to 35 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native children were removed from their homes by state and private adoption agencies. ICWA sets best-practice standards for child welfare and adoption proceedings involving children who are members of a federally-recognized Tribe or are eligible for membership in a federally-recognized Tribe. Over four decades, the law has become the gold standard for child welfare policy and keeping Native children connected to their communities and cultures. Congress wrote the Indian Child Welfare Act over 40 years ago in recognition of the fact that Native American children like all children thrive when they are able to grow up with the support of their families, communities, and cultures,said Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.It is a vital law for Native families and a gold standard for child welfare. The Fifth Circuit upheld decades of precedent and U.S. government policy in August when they ruled that ICWA is constitutional. I'm proud to have worked with my colleagues in both chambers to support Tribal sovereignty and help protect Native children, and I urge the court to once again affirm the constitutionality of ICWA. The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 was passed to ensure that tribal governments have a role in placement proceedings affecting American Indian and Alaska Native children, said Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. I join my colleagues on this amicus brief to underscore to the Court Congress' intent when it passed the Act. Preserving cultural and communal ties for Native children in the legal system must continue to remain a priority for court's working to determine the best interests of a child, said U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). The Indian Child Welfare Act helps keeps Native families together. It is critical that Congress continue to ensure the safety and well-being of all children - in New Mexico and across the nation - and protect the sovereignty of tribes. When the Indian Child Welfare Act was passed by Congress and enacted 40 years ago, it rightly affirmed tribal sovereignty and sought to preserve the very special identity and unique heritage that exists within tribes while also keeping families together. I remain concerned that the constitutionality of this law is still being questioned in the courts. As co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus and a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, I am proud to join my colleagues in showing support for the constitutional obligation our nation has to tribes while looking out for the interests of Native children,said U.S. Representative Tom Cole (R-Okla.). The Indian Child Welfare Act exists for a reason this country has a record of violating tribal sovereigntybytaking Native children from their families as part of forced assimilation policies. Like many Native American families, my familyhas been shaped byfamily separation policiesas well. My grandparents were taken away fromour family and sent to boarding school, and that trauma hasimpacted our family andother families in Indian Country. This legislation wasenacted to address these human rights violations. As a country,we need to commit to protecting Native children and keeping them connected to their communities and stopping the cycle of separation and abuse. We cannot remove this safeguardto protect tribal sovereignty to decide what to do with their own tribal members or disregard the trauma caused by family separation,said U.S. Representative Deb Haaland (D-N.M.). For more than 40 years, the Indian Child Welfare Act has led to progress and justice for Native children and families across the country. It's vital that the courts uphold the constitutionality of ICWA so we can continue delivering on the commitments our government has made to Native communities and keep Native families together, said Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Lujn (D-N.M.). ICWA is a bipartisan priority, and I will continue fighting to support our Native brothers and sisters. Over nearly four decades the Indian Child Welfare Act has protected children and families by rightly recognizing the sovereignty of our tribes and Pueblos. Children deserve the opportunity to grow up in their Native culture and with their communities, and this law is critical to the stability and security of the many Native communities I represent, said U.S. Representative Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.). Recognizing the importance of community and culture, Congress passed the ICWA as a means to keep children with their Indian families, said U.S. Representative Don Bacon (R-Neb.). I am thankful to be among this bipartisan group of Congressional leaders, dedicated to the wellbeing of Indian children and continuation of the ICWA. Forty years ago, when the Indian Child Welfare Act became law, Congress declared national policy for Tribal children, said Congressmember Karen Bass (D-Calif.). Through the Indian Child Welfare Act, Congress recognizes tribes' sovereign authority to make decisions about children who are tribal members. Eighteen national child welfare and child advocacy organizations including the Child Welfare League of American, the National Association of Social Workers, and the North American Council on Adoptable Children are united in their view that the Indian Child Welfare Act is the gold standard for child welfare policies and practices that should be afforded to all children. I'm proud to stand with my colleagues and families in support of the Indian Child Welfare Act. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-lankford-rosen-announce-new-members-of-senate-bipartisan-task-force-for-combating-anti-semitism,"Senators Lankford, Rosen Announce New Members of Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism",2019-12-13,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.13.19 Senators Lankford, Rosen Announce New Members of Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism WASHINGTON, DC Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, announced the inaugural group of new Task Force members, Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tom Carper (D-DE), Rob Portman (R-OH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tim Scott (R-SC), Bob Casey (D-PA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Todd Young (R-IN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Martha McSally (R-AZ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Doug Jones (D-AL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Josh Hawley (R-MO),bringing the Task Force to a total of 32 Senators, with an even number of Republicans and Democrats. With anti-Semitism on the rise here in the US and around the world, we are taking a stand against this disturbing ideology and violent acts of hatred,said Lankford and Rosen.We are proud to be joined by colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are committed to working together to prevent anti-Semitism before it starts, and to educate, explain, and empower our communities to combat anti-Semitism. Earlier this year, Lankford and Rosen launched theSenate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism. The collaboration is the first of its kind in the United States Senate, serving as a corollary to the House of Representative's Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3942,Mullin Votes Against Pelosis Partisan Drug Pricing Plan,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Mullin Votes Against Pelosi's Partisan Drug Pricing Plan f t # e Washington, December 12, 2019 Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 3, Speaker Pelosi's partisan drug pricing plan. Prescription drug prices are out of control, but a government-takeover is not the answer to lowering the prices, Mullin said. This legislation would result in fewer cures, less innovation, and even create a 95% tax on cures. Instead of working together to come up with a bipartisan bill that could actually get signed into law - like H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act- Democrats are ramming through another partisan bill that will go nowhere. President Trump has said lowering the cost of prescription drugs is a priority and we should be working together to get a bill to his desk, Mullin continued. It's really unfortunate that Pelosi Democrats are playing politics with the cost of prescription drugs yet again. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-supports-discovery-more-cures,Cole Supports Discovery of More Cures,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after he opposed H.R. 3, a partisan piece of legislation proposed by Speaker Pelosi to lower drug prices at the expense of innovation. During floor consideration of H.R. 3, the House also voted on H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act, which was offered by Republicans as a substitute amendment. Cole supported the amendment. Republicans and Democrats agree that something must be done about the often-overwhelming price of prescription drugs and life-saving treatments. The good news is that bipartisan solutions already exist to do just that. The bad news is that Democrats failed to advance those policies when given the opportunity on the House floor, said Cole. Sadly, Democrats chose to pass Speaker Pelosi's radical H.R. 3, which would damage innovation and inhibit the discovery of new cures. While I was proud to support the bipartisan package offered by Republicans with H.R. 19, which includes provisions I have cosponsored and previously supported, I am disappointed that Democrats blocked this better option for the American people. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-chats/december-12-2019,Rep. Cole's Weekly Chat,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Cole's Weekly Chat December 12, 2019 Weekly Chats",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://horn.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-horn-supports-passage-lower-drug-costs-now-act,Rep. Horn Supports Passage of Lower Drug Costs Now Act,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, legislation which would reduce prescription drug prices for Americans. The bill includes a provision by Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) to cap out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses at $2,000 for patients who have Medicare Part D. More than 89,000 seniors in Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District rely on Medicare Part D for care. Today's vote was for every parent I've met who struggles to afford insulin for their child and every person I've spoken with who is forced to choose between putting food on the table and buying life-saving medication, said Rep. Kendra Horn. Prescription drug prices are out-of-control, plain and simple. Today's legislation would reduce the costs of treating chronic illnesses like asthma, diabetes, and arthritis by thousands of dollars every year. I fought to include a provision in today's bill to cap drug costs for patients on Medicare Part D including 89,000 seniors in my district. Today's legislation would make a big difference for Oklahomans who struggle to afford prescription drugs, and I urge the Senate to pass this bill as soon as possible. Congresswoman Horn's provision, the Capping Out-of-Pocket Costs for Seniors Act, would lower prescription drug costs for the 46 million patients who have Medicare Part D by reducing the program's out-of-pocket maximum from $5,100 to $2,000. The net result would be a savings of up to $3,100 annually for patients with Medicare Part D. In July, Congresswoman Horn held a town hall focused on the soaring cost of insulin. In Oklahoma there are an estimated 355,000 people living with diabetes. Over the past decade, the price of insulin has increased 197 percent, and Medicare Part D spending on insulin has increased 840 percent. H.R. 3 would lower the average total cost of insulin by 76 percent from about $19,800 to $4,800 per year. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=124,Rep. Horn Supports Passage of Lower Drug Costs Now Act,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, legislation which would reduce prescription drug prices for Americans. The bill includes a provision by Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) to cap out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses at $2,000 for patients who have Medicare Part D. More than 89,000 seniors in Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District rely on Medicare Part D for care. Today's vote was for every parent I've met who struggles to afford insulin for their child and every person I've spoken with who is forced to choose between putting food on the table and buying life-saving medication, said Rep. Kendra Horn. Prescription drug prices are out-of-control, plain and simple. Today's legislation would reduce the costs of treating chronic illnesses like asthma, diabetes, and arthritis by thousands of dollars every year. I fought to include a provision in today's bill to cap drug costs for patients on Medicare Part D including 89,000 seniors in my district. Today's legislation would make a big difference for Oklahomans who struggle to afford prescription drugs, and I urge the Senate to pass this bill as soon as possible. Congresswoman Horn's provision, the Capping Out-of-Pocket Costs for Seniors Act, would lower prescription drug costs for the 46 million patients who have Medicare Part D by reducing the program's out-of-pocket maximum from $5,100 to $2,000. The net result would be a savings of up to $3,100 annually for patients with Medicare Part D. In July, Congresswoman Horn held a town hall focused on the soaring cost of insulin. In Oklahoma there are an estimated 355,000 people living with diabetes. Over the past decade, the price of insulin has increased 197 percent, and Medicare Part D spending on insulin has increased 840 percent. H.R. 3 would lower the average total cost of insulin by 76 percent from about $19,800 to $4,800 per year. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-fischer-applaud-nebraska-national-guard_rwanda-defense-force-state-partnership,"Inhofe, Fischer Applaud Nebraska National Guard Rwanda Defense Force State Partnership",2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), chairwoman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, today commended the Nebraska National Guard and Rwanda for beginning a new partnership as part of the National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program: I'm encouraged by the announcement that the Nebraska National Guard will partner with the Rwanda Defense Force to help prepare, deploy and sustain peacekeeping forces. State partnerships will further both AFRICOM's mission to train and assist regional partners and America's national security goals overall, Inhofe said. Rwanda is one country where we've seen stability improve by leaps and bounds since AFRICOM's creation and under the leadership of my friend, President Paul Kagame. With defense cooperation like this, we can help them continue to enhance stability and security and combat terrorism on the African continent. On the eve of the National Guard's 383rd birthday, they are showing again that they are always ready, always there' in the homeland and around the world. The signing of this state partnership represents an exciting day for the Nebraska National Guard and Rwanda, said Senator Fischer. The State Partnership Program not only advances our shared security goals, it helps develop professional military leadership and provides a unique opportunity for cooperation between our two nations. This marks the 15th state partnership between the U.S. and an African nation, and I am confident that the Nebraska National Guard will provide a vital contribution to the continuation of U.S. defense cooperation within AFRICOM. I was proud to support the Nebraska National Guard's bid for this linkage, and am looking forward to the opportunities it will bring for Nebraska and our new Rwandan partners.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-joins-cruz-to-reintroduce-the-financial-institution-customer-protection-act,Inhofe Joins Cruz to Reintroduce the Financial Institution Customer Protection Act,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) joined Ted Cruz (R-Texas) along with Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Kennedy (R-La.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), to reintroduce the Financial Institution Customer Protection Act (S. 3003). This bill prohibits federal regulators from arbitrarily forcing banking institutions to terminate their relationships with legal businesses solely because the operations of the businesses are not in line with the views of the contemporaneous administration. As part of our rights put forth in the Constitution, every citizen has the right to keep and bear armsplain and simple, Sen. Inhofe said. Under President Obama, his administration sought to penalize law-abiding small businesses through punitive financial regulations for the sole reason that their businesses didn't align with the political views of the former president. I am proud to join Sen. Cruz today in introducing the Financial Institution Customer Protection Act to ensure that this constitutional right will not be abused again by a future administration. Under the previous administration, government officials at agencies such as the Department of Justice and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation abused their power to become a partisan arm of the administration, Sen. Cruz said. This bill safeguards the American people and small businesses from being unconstitutionally cut off from their financial institutions for not falling in line with the political whims and leanings of whoever is in control of the executive branch. Federal regulators are supposed to enforce the law, not act as partisan hacks trying to impose their own agenda on the businesses they oversee, Sen. Kennedy said. This legislation prevents federal banking agencies from discriminating against lawful businesses, large or small, just because their customers or practices don't adhere to the same political views of whoever controls the administration. The government shouldn't have the ability to pressure financial institutions on which industries they are allowed to do business with based on the political beliefs of the administration, like what we saw during the Obama presidency, Sen. Tillis said.This legislation will protect America's private sector and small businesses by ensuring federal regulators act based on the merits and not political ideology. No bureaucrat should abuse the public trust by using their regulatory powers to impose their own personal preferences on the American people, Sen. Lee said. It is vital that government power be wielded transparently and accountably, and that those targeted by government be made aware of their penalization and its justification, and have the ability to challenge that action. Obama-era policies, such as Operation Choke Point, represented a direct assault on Second Amendment rights.This strong legislation would act to protect those rights, as well as the spirit of free enterprise that makes the American economy so strong, Sen. Hyde-Smith said.This bill is needed to stop the federal government under any administration from abusing financial regulations to target businesses, large or small, that offer firearms or other lawful products. We're a nation of laws, Sen. Sasse said, and that means that Washington's bureaucracy can't put a wall between American businesses and their banks just because their private views aren't popular with powerful politicians. Back in 2013, President Obama's regulators went after law-abiding firearms businesses and we have to make sure that never happens again. That's exactly what this common-sense legislation would do. Operation Choke Point was a disturbing initiative from the previous administration. For years, regulators targeted and aimed to shut down law-abiding businesses just because they operated in an industry that some in the government didn't like. This bill will ensure such bad practices never happen again while giving businesses the peace of mind to freely operate as they choose, Sen. Braun said. The full text of the bill may be viewed here. A summary is below: FinancialInstitutionCustomerProtection Act Summary This bill prohibits a federal banking agency from formally or informally suggesting, requesting, or ordering a depositoryinstitutionto terminate either a specificcustomeraccount, or group ofcustomeraccounts, or otherwise restrict or discourage it from entering into or maintaining a banking relationship with a specificcustomeror group ofcustomers, unless: - The agency has a material reason to do so, and - The reason is not based solely on reputation risk to theinstitution. The material reason criterion shall be satisfied if an agency believes that a specificcustomeror group ofcustomersposes a threat to national security, including any belief that they are involved in terrorist financing. Unless the appropriate agency determines that thecustomeror group ofcustomershas used due diligence to avoid doing business with any entity described below, the bill deems the criteria addressing ""material reason"" to be met if the agency believes acustomeror group ofcustomersis, or is acting as, a conduit for an entity which: - poses a threat to national security; - is involved in terrorist financing; - is an agency of the government of Iran, North Korea, Syria, or any country listed from time to time on the state sponsor of terrorism list; - is either located in, or subject to the jurisdiction of, any of such countries; or - does business with any entity located in such countries. If an appropriate federal banking agency orders a depositoryinstitutionto terminate a specificcustomeraccount or a group ofcustomeraccounts, the depositoryinstitutionshall inform thecustomerorcustomersof the justification for the termination. No notice may be given to thecustomer, however, if the agency requests or orders a depositoryinstitutionto terminate acustomeraccount (or a group ofcustomeraccounts) based upon a belief thatcustomeror thosecustomerspose a threat to national security or are otherwise described above. TheFinancialInstitutionsReform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 is amended to revise requirements for summoning witnesses and requiring production of books or other records the Attorney General deems relevant or material to a civil investigation in contemplation of a civil proceeding which may result in civil penalties for specified violations.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-moran-duckworth-capito-young-bustos-introduce-bill-to-promote-advancement-in-technical-aviation-training-,"Inhofe, Moran, Duckworth, Capito, Young, Bustos Introduce Bill To Promote Advancement in Technical Aviation Training",2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"US Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.VA.), introduced a bill this week to improve education and training programs at aviation maintenance technician schools. The Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act of 2019 would establish performance-based regulations to ensure aviation maintenance education institutions have the flexibility to teach core curriculum reflective of the ongoing technical advances and innovation happening across the aviation and aerospace industry. Reps. Don Young (R-Ark.) and Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) introduced the companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Innovation in the aviation and aviation maintenance industries has led to safer and more efficient aircraft. However, outdated regulations have prevented schools from implementing modern curriculum to teach students the skills necessary to maintain and repair modern, sophisticated aircraft,Inhofesaid. I am proud to introduce this legislation today which would empower schools with the flexibility to teach core curriculum reflective of the technical advances happening across the aviation and aerospace industry, would reduce restrictive government regulations, and would ensure schools are graduating successful students into productive mechanics on the flight line or maintenance floor. Allowing educational institutions the flexibility to create and implement curriculum reflective of the continual advances in the aerospace industry is critical for a student's ability to be prepared for success in their future careers, said Moran. We've seen amazing innovation and advancements in the aviation industry over the past 50 years and to keep pace, we need to make sure our workforce is prepared to meet today's technical demands, said Duckworth. This legislation will help promote the development of performance-based curriculums needed to modernize education programs and help develop the next generation of highly-skilled aviation maintenance technicians. I'm proud to join leaders like Senator Inhofe and Representatives Bustos and Young on this important effort. This legislation updates 50 year old regulations and ensure aviation maintenance education institutions have the flexibility to teach a curriculum that reflects the ongoing technical advances happening across the aviation and aerospace industry. This is especially important for the emerging aerospace industry West Virginia. Our state is home to industry leaders such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, Bombardier, and dozens of others that all need a skilled manufacturing workforce. I'm proud to join my colleague, Senator Inhofe on this legislation and I am confident that this bill will go a long way in improving the training programs at maintenance technician schools, Capito said. When it comes to transportation, Alaska's unique geography can present many challenges. Aviation is one of the most important means of traveling our state, and the demand for air travel requires a strong workforce of both aviators and the mechanics who support them, said Young. Current FAA regulations mandate a particular curriculum for maintenance technicians, but this curriculum has not been meaningfully updated in more than five decades. Our aviation sector looks almost nothing today like it did 50 years ago, and modernization is critical. The Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training 147 Act is a fix that is long overdue. Bringing our maintenance technician curriculum into the future is crucial for attracting and maintaining our mechanics, and I am proud to be supporting this legislation. I would like to thank Senators Inhofe and Duckworth, in addition to Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, for their partnership on this important issue. We must improve the pipeline from training to the workforce like the innovative partnership between Rock Valley College and AAR at the Chicago Rockford International Airport in my district which plays a major role in the economic well-being of our region, Bustos said. This legislation will allow for a smoother, more efficient transition to the workforce and ensure aviation students have an up-to-date curriculum. I hope this legislation moves forward swiftly to foster collaboration between industry and educational institutions in order to keep up with advancements in technology. Full text of the bill can be foundhere. Stakeholder Support: A number of stakeholders wrote a letter of support for The PARTT 147 Act of 2019, which can be viewed here. A letter from Oklahoma stakeholders can be found here. Background: - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations dictate what educational institutions teach aspiring aviation maintenance mechanics. These curriculum requirements, however, have not been updated in over fifty years. - The Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act of 2019 would direct FAA to promulgate a new part 147 that would establish the requirements for operating an aviation maintenance technician school certificated by FAA and the general operating rules for those holding that certificate. The bill would not change the requirement that entities operating an aviation maintenance technician school must hold an FAA certificate. - Industry bears the cost of retraining aviation maintenance technician graduates to complete basic tasks required to maintain a modern, sophisticated aircraft. - The outdated curriculum and necessary retraining upon entry into the workforce should not become a contributing factor to the looming shortage of aviation maintenance technicians that threatens to undermine the growth and competitiveness of one of the most important sectors in our economy.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-praises-senate-confirmation-of-skipwith-as-fws-secretary,Inhofe Praises Senate Confirmation of Skipwith as FWS Secretary,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Environmental and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today praised the Senate confirmation of Aurelia Skipwith to serve as Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service: I am pleased to see Ms. Aurelia Skipwith confirmed today as Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, Inhofe said. When I met with her in July, I stressed the importance of ensuring the FWS completes the downlisting of the American Burying Beetle and prevents the unnecessary listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken under the Endangered Species Act, as population surveys of both species have seen sizable growth. It is very clear Ms. Skipwith is a bright, experienced candidate who understands the importance of public-private partnerships in conservation, and I am certain she will build on the Trump Administration's successful conservation efforts.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3941,Mullin Praises House Passage of NDAA Conference Report,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) today praised the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report in the House of Representatives. Passing the NDAA is critical to support our men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much to defend our freedoms, Mullin said. This bill provides a 3.1 percent pay raise for our troops-the largest in a decade-, repeals the Widow's Tax, and allows for the construction of a wall at our southern border. I applaud Chairman Adam Smith and Chairman Jim Inhofe for working across the aisle to get a solid bill, the best we could get in the current political environment, across the finish line. Mullin also worked to include a provision that provides checks and balances to the military health system. Currently, the Feres Doctrine prevents servicemembers from having their day in court when malpractice by military health care providers unconnected to combat results in severe injury or even death. The compromise language included in the conference report creates a claims system within the Department of Defense. While service members will still be prohibited from filing medical malpractice claims, the claims system gives DoD a way to investigate medical malpractice and compensate service members. This is the first major change since the Feres Doctrine was created in a 1950 Supreme Court case. I want to congratulate SFC Rich Stayskal on all his hard work to ensuring this compromise provision was included in the Conference Report, Mullin continued. While this was not the original language I helped introduce, it's a step in the right direction. Congress and the DoD must continue to work together to ensure our service members receive the highest quality of health care. This is a huge win for our warriors. Background Earlier this year, Mullin introduced H.R. 2422, the Sergeant First Class Richard Stayskal Military Medical Accountability Act of 2019, which would allow military servicemembers to sue the DoD for instances of medical malpractice unrelated to their military duties. SFC Stayskal developed terminal lung cancer after being misdiagnosed numerous times in a military health facility.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-applauds-passage-fy-2020-ndaa-conference-report,Cole Applauds Passage of FY 2020 NDAA Conference Report,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Conference Report for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation authorizes funding for the nation's military retirees, families, personnel, as well as for programs that improve readiness, capability and operations. The conference report includes provisions of great importance to Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City and Fort Sill Army Post in Lawton, which are both located in the Fourth District of Oklahoma. Cole voted in support of the legislation. The conference report includes total funding of $738 billion in base and overseas contingency operations (OCO), along with $5.3 billion for disaster recovery. It supports the largest pay increase in a decade for service members at 3.1 percent, sets in motion repeal of the Widow's Tax and addresses other key quality of life initiatives and improvements for military and civilian workers.It also creates Space Force as the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces. I am encouraged that the final National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 reflects the same bipartisan commitment to our common defense as it has for almost 60 years, said Cole. This legislation not only provides critical solutions to restore readiness and promote modernization but also ensures our military can respond to threats around the worldtoday.The NDAA advocates for and supports the individuals who make every mission possible. In getting to this point, I applaud the leadership of Oklahoma's own Senator Jim Inhofe, who as Chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee fiercely fought for the interests and needs of the nation's active duty service members, military families, retirees and civilian workers. It's important to remember that approval of this comprehensive defense bill marks the first pivotal step toward delivering on the resources, reforms and benefits contained in the NDAA. In the days ahead, both chambers of Congress must also come together to pass the Defense Appropriations bill to fund the critical programs and policies outlined in this legislation. I am hopeful that we will do just that. Notable Provisions Related to the Fourth District of Oklahoma Housing contractor mismanagement at military installations across the country, including at Tinker Air Force Base, is addressed in the conference report. Specifically, the legislation reforms the Privatized Military Housing Initiative to combat poor conditions in military family housing and includes a new Tenant Bill of Rights for military families living in any privatized housing on base. The conference report provides direct hiring authority until 2025, enabling the Department of Defense to more quickly and easily hire civilian personnel in key areas, such as defense industrial facilities like Tinker Air Force Base, as well as major range and test facilities. The report supports the success of the Army's Futures Command and the two Cross Functional Teams at Fort Sill. This includes authorized funding for Long Range Precision Fires Technology and Air and Missile Defense. The report also authorizes military construction funding for Fort Sill to undergo the second phase of its Advanced Individual Training Barracks Complex project. As the Department of Defense (DOD) seeks to implement comprehensive reform of the existing military health care system (TRICARE), the conference report demands DOD's completion of internal review and prohibits any changes that could limit access to care for service members, families and retirees.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-passes-bipartisan-ndaa-including-tenants-bill-rights,"House Passes Bipartisan NDAA, Including Tenants Bill of Rights",2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. On Wednesday night, the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in an overwhelmingly bipartisan 377-48 vote. The legislation authorizes historic investments in national defense priorities and modernizations for U.S. forces. The NDAA deal includes a historic 3.1% raise for service members the largest raise in a decade. Additionally, the finalized bill includes 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees, a repeal of the widow's tax, and a scholarship program to assist JROTC members in obtaining their pilot's license. I applaud the House for passing the NDAA in an overwhelming bipartisan vote. This bill includes important modernizations and protections for our service members, military families, and our nation's Armed Forces said Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5). I am proud that this week's bill included legislation I introduced to address a severe shortage of pilots in both our Air Force and in the aviation industry. My provision would assist JROTC members in getting their pilot's certificate. In Oklahoma, Air Force JROTC provides specialized aeronautics and space education. With about 1,000 students participating in Air Force JROTC units alone, these programs provide an important and unique service to strengthen our aerospace workforce of the future. The looming pilot crisis has the potential to adversely affect the Oklahoma National Guard and other services, Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Michael Thompson said. I applaud Congresswoman Horn's effort to address this critical pilot issue and contribute to a more promising future for our young adults who are interested in military service. The NDAA also includes a Tenants Bill of Rights to address unsafe housing conditions on military bases and other critical protections for service members in privatized base housing. Congresswoman Horn led the charge in the House for these protections after hearing about military housing problems at Tinker Air Force Base during one of her town halls. The NDAA's bipartisan Tenants Bill of Rights will protect our military families from predatory contracts and provide increased oversight of privatized base housing. Passage of the NDAA is a victory for our service members. I will continue to fight for safe housing for our military families not only at Tinker, but across the country, said Congresswoman Horn. In April, Congresswoman Horn brought lawmakers including House Armed Services' Readiness Subcommittee Chairman Garamendi to see housing conditions first-hand at Tinker Air Force Base. Last week during a hearing in the House Armed Services Committee, Congresswoman Horn questioned a contractor responsible for housing maintenance. Congresswoman Horn, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, was appointed as a conferee to the House-Senate conference committee on the NDAA. Horn was one of the only first-term lawmakers named to the conference committee, which was responsible for reaching a compromise between House and Senate versions of the NDAA. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-horn-statement-national-julius-jones-petition-day,Rep. Horn Statement on National Julius Jones Petition Day,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK On Wednesday, December 11, the Julius Jones Coalition is leading a national petition and social media campaign supporting Oklahoma death row prisoner, Julius Jones' clemency application. In October, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) sent Governor Kevin Stitt a letter requesting that the Governor review Jones' case and implement reforms that prevent the use of the death penalty in cases where uncertainty remains. Congresswoman Horn releases the following statement: I stand with Oklahoma City community and faith leaders and advocates nationwide in calling on our Governor to consider Julius Jones' petition for clemency. Ending Julius's life when there is so much uncertainty in his case would be an injustice, and we cannot answer one injustice with another. During the holiday season, I hope that we can appeal to our better angels for a more humane, just resolution to this case. Congresswoman Horn's October letter to Governor Stitt is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=121,Rep. Horn Statement on National Julius Jones Petition Day,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Horn Statement on National Julius Jones Petition Day Oklahoma City, OK, December 11, 2019 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK On Wednesday, December 11, the Julius Jones Coalition is leading a national petition and social media campaign supporting Oklahoma death row prisoner, Julius Jones' clemency application. In October, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) sent Governor Kevin Stitt a letter requesting that the Governor review Jones' case and implement reforms that prevent the use of the death penalty in cases where uncertainty remains. Congresswoman Horn releases the following statement: I stand with Oklahoma City community and faith leaders and advocates nationwide in calling on our Governor to consider Julius Jones' petition for clemency. Ending Julius's life when there is so much uncertainty in his case would be an injustice, and we cannot answer one injustice with another. During the holiday season, I hope that we can appeal to our better angels for a more humane, just resolution to this case. Congresswoman Horn's October letter to Governor Stitt is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=123,"House Passes Bipartisan NDAA, Including Tenants Bill of Rights",2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. On Wednesday night, the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in an overwhelmingly bipartisan 377-48 vote. The legislation authorizes historic investments in national defense priorities and modernizations for U.S. forces. The NDAA deal includes a historic 3.1% raise for service members the largest raise in a decade. Additionally, the finalized bill includes 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees, a repeal of the widow's tax, and a scholarship program to assist JROTC members in obtaining their pilot's license. I applaud the House for passing the NDAA in an overwhelming bipartisan vote. This bill includes important modernizations and protections for our service members, military families, and our nation's Armed Forces said Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5). I am proud that this week's bill included legislation I introduced to address a severe shortage of pilots in both our Air Force and in the aviation industry. My provision would assist JROTC members in getting their pilot's certificate. In Oklahoma, Air Force JROTC provides specialized aeronautics and space education. With about 1,000 students participating in Air Force JROTC units alone, these programs provide an important and unique service to strengthen our aerospace workforce of the future. The looming pilot crisis has the potential to adversely affect the Oklahoma National Guard and other services, Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Michael Thompson said. I applaud Congresswoman Horn's effort to address this critical pilot issue and contribute to a more promising future for our young adults who are interested in military service. The NDAA also includes a Tenants Bill of Rights to address unsafe housing conditions on military bases and other critical protections for service members in privatized base housing. Congresswoman Horn led the charge in the House for these protections after hearing about military housing problems at Tinker Air Force Base during one of her town halls. The NDAA's bipartisan Tenants Bill of Rights will protect our military families from predatory contracts and provide increased oversight of privatized base housing. Passage of the NDAA is a victory for our service members. I will continue to fight for safe housing for our military families not only at Tinker, but across the country, said Congresswoman Horn. In April, Congresswoman Horn brought lawmakers including House Armed Services' Readiness Subcommittee Chairman Garamendi to see housing conditions first-hand at Tinker Air Force Base. Last week during a hearing in the House Armed Services Committee, Congresswoman Horn questioned a contractor responsible for housing maintenance. Congresswoman Horn, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, was appointed as a conferee to the House-Senate conference committee on the NDAA. Horn was one of the only first-term lawmakers named to the conference committee, which was responsible for reaching a compromise between House and Senate versions of the NDAA. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://lucas.house.gov/press-release/house-fulfills-constitutional-duty-providing-common-defense,House Fulfills Constitutional Duty: Providing for Common Defense,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Conference Report for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation authorizes funding for our nation's armed services and retirees as well as a number of Oklahoma's military installations. For nearly 60 years, Congress has shared a bipartisan commitment ensuring that our nation's military has the resources it needs to defend American families. Today's passage of the NDAA was one of the final steps towards ensuring our Armed Forces have the resources they need to protect our nation, said Congressman Lucas. Lucas continued, This legislation includes critical provisions providing for our nation's common defense as well as a 3.1% pay raise for our troops, ample resources to continue to rebuild readiness and develop emerging technologies, and it establishes the United State Space Force as the sixth branch of the military. Also included in the report is a repeal of the so-called Widow's Tax, an unfair offset that has plagued the spouses of our fallen heroes for far too long. I'd like to express my sincere appreciation for Senator Inhofe's work in negotiating this agreement. As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee he was essential in crafting a compromise that reflects our nation's values and makes our country safer. Oklahoma is fortunate to have such a steadfast advocate leading the Armed Services Committee. Notable Provisions Related to Bases in Oklahoma's Third District The Conference Report provides increased funding and procurement of three addition KC-46 aircraft, bringing the total FY20 procurement to 15 KC-46 aircraft. Altus Air Force Base is programmed to receive 8 KC-46 aircraft and will provide training for all KC-46 pilots and boom operators. The Conference Report included language that supports procurement for the T-X advanced pilot training system, replacing the T-38 trainers. Pilots, including those at Vance Air Force Base, currently train on T-38 aircraft. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-praises-committee-passage-of-contract-act-of-2019,Inhofe Praises Committee Passage of CONTRACT Act of 2019,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, submitted a statement for the record today ahead of the committee's markup of the bill. The CONTRACT Act was reported favorably from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation today. This legislation, sponsored by Sen. Inhofe, is cosponsored by 26 Members of the United States Senate, which can be viewed here. Mr. Chairman, thank you for including my legislation, the Continuity for Operators with Necessary Training Required for ATC Contract Towers Act of 2019, (CONTRACT Act of 2019), on today's committee mark up. This legislation would remove the disincentive for retired FAA air traffic controllers to work at federal contract towers. It is a common-sense approach to ensuring our nation continues to have enough air traffic controllers to meet the increasing staffing needs at air traffic facilities that manage the safety and efficiency of our nation's complex airspace. Today, there are 256 air traffic control facilities participating in the FAA's Federal Contract Tower Program. These federal contract towers have a real, positive impact on impact on general aviation safety, the efficiency of large commercial airports, disaster relief and emergency medical operations, law enforcement, agriculture activities and businesses throughout the United States. In addition, many contract tower airports are located near or adjacent to military bases and manage a substantial number of military-related and national security operations, directly supporting the readiness and training of military units. Nationwide, federal contract towers handle approximately 28 percent of the nation's air traffic control tower operations, yet they account for only 14 percent of the FAA's total tower operations budget. Additionally, the average contract tower operates at one-third the cost of a federal control tower, though it is held to the same standard of excellence. Six Oklahoma airports are home to federal contract towers: Ardmore Municipal (ADM); Enid Woodring Regional (WDG); Lawton Ft. Sill Regional (LAW); Stillwater Regional (SWO); Wiley Post (PWA); University of Oklahoma Westheimer (OUN) whose tower won the 2016 Willie F. Card Contract Tower Service Award because its controllers distinguished themselves through hard work and dedication, maintaining the high standards of aviation safety while efficiently managing the air traffic of their airport. Unfortunately, federal contract towers face a unique hurtle to hiring trained and well-qualified retired FAA controllers. Because current law requires FAA air traffic controllers to retire at an age that is earlier than the normal retirement age, FAA controllers are included as a special group under the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). They are required to contribute a portion of their annual salary into a special retirement annuity account, which then provides those individuals an annuity payment during their mandatory retirement period between 57 and the social security minimum age of 61. A retired FAA controller faces a penalty deducted from their annuity payment if they work during this period. As such, this penalty results in many retired FAA controllers choosing not work as federal contract tower air traffic controllers. These experienced, retired FAA controllers should have the opportunity to use their skills at a federal contract tower without facing a financial penalty. The CONTRACT Act would allow a retired FAA controller who chooses to work as an air traffic controller at a federal contract tower to remain eligible to receive their annuity payment. Air traffic controllers ensure that our nation's airspace remains the safest in the worldI know because I talk directly to them every day I am piloting my plane in Oklahoma. I am proud to author this legislation that would prevent those retired FAA controllers who choose to continue to work as contract tower controllers from being penalized and would bring back to the air traffic controller workforce scores of retired FAA controllers who left the controller workforce rather than face this penalty. I thank my colleagues for their support of this legislation, including Senator Moran, Senator Murray, and Chairman Wicker. I look forward to working with all my colleagues to enact this legislation into law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-presented-award-for-fighting-opioid-crisis-,Senator Lankford Presented Award for Fighting Opioid Crisis,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.11.19 Senator Lankford Presented Award for Fighting Opioid Crisis WASHINGTON, DCSenator James Lankford (R-OK) today was awarded the Fight for Good award by the Salvation Army for his dedicated work in fighting the opioid crisis. As a community, we should all fight for what is good for our families and neighbors. Drug addiction has torn apart our families and individual lives. We should work until no family feels the pain of addiction, said Lankford. I will continue to support effective policies and stand up for families who have been tragically affected by the drug abuse crisis that has consumed our state. Lankford remains actively engaged in the national conversation that continues to impact Oklahoma and the nation. In 2017, following the White House'sdeclaration of a national emergency for the opioid crisis, theSenate approved an additional $3.7 billionfor cracking down on opioid abuse. Lankford also appeared in a documentary calledKilling Pain focused on the impact of the opioid crisis in Oklahoma. In 2018, Lankfordsupported the passage of H.R. 6, the Opioid Crisis Response Act. In a Senate Finance Committee hearing on April 11, 2019,Lankfordquestioned the Director of the National Institutes of Healthabout the timeline for non-addictive opioid alternatives to get to market for patients with chronic pain. In June, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Carrolltraveled to Oklahomato hear first-hand about our state's work to interdict illegal drugs and help families walk through drug addiction. In August, Lankfordalsoapplauded Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter'sworkto hold pharmaceutical companies responsible for their role in the opioid crisis in Oklahoma.In November, Lankford appeared in Facebook and Instagram public service ads across Oklahoma warning of the dangers of opioids and encouraging those who suffer from substance use disorders to seek treatment. In December,Lankford cosponsored the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Actto give law enforcement enhanced tools to combat the opioid epidemic and close a loophole in current law that makes it difficult to prosecute crimes involving some synthetic opioids. Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-lankford-rosen-statements-on-executive-order-to-combat-anti-semitism,"Senators Lankford, Rosen Statements on Executive Order to Combat Anti-Semitism",2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.11.19 Senators Lankford, Rosen Statements on Executive Order to Combat Anti-Semitism WASHINGTON, DC Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, released the following statements on today's Executive Order that seeks to address anti-Semitism around the nation and specifically on college campuses and other educational settings. The Order, based largely on the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, applies the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, which is already used by the State Department, to the enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. We must continue to prioritize combating anti-Semitism in our nation by ensuring every federal agency has the tools they need to help protect against and prevent anti-Semitic acts, said Lankford. With anti-Semitism on the rise, this Executive Order reassures the Oklahoma Jewish community and others around the country that anti-Semitic behavior will not be tolerated, particularly on our college campuses. We can and should protect our fundamental freedom to have and live a faith or to have no faith at all. Anti-Semitic attacks like the one at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and potentially the attack this week in Jersey City do not represent our American values of religious liberty or freedom. I look forward to continuing to partner with Senator Rosen to raise awareness about anti-Semitism and highlight areas where we are making important changes to combat it. I have long-supported adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, which was included in today's Executive Order on anti-Semitism in education. It's why I'm a cosponsor of the bipartisan Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, said Rosen. We must continue to work to stop hate before it starts. Earlier this year, Lankford and Rosen launched theSenate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism. Lankford attended the Executive Order signing ceremony today at the White House. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3937,Mullin Applauds Agreement on USMCA,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Mullin Applauds Agreement on USMCA f t # e Washington, December 10, 2019 Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) released the following statement after it was announced that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will be voted on in the House of Representatives. This is long overdue, but I am glad to see that the USMCA will be coming for a vote on the House Floor, Mullin said. President Trump promised the American people a better trade deal with our North American trading partners and he delivered. Canada and Mexico are Oklahoma's top trading partners and this is a huge opportunity to put us on a level playing field with our neighbors. The American people have been waiting for over a year for this agreement, but now they finally have a deal that brings us into the 21st century and puts America first. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3939,Mullin Opposes Democrats Sham Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Mullin Opposes Democrats' Sham Articles of Impeachment f t # e Washington, December 10, 2019 Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) released a video today on his reaction to House Democrats announcing two articles of impeachment against President Trump, one for obstruction of Congress and one for abuse of power. Click here to download the video. The fact is that there is absolutely no impeachable offense, Mullin said. They're just trying to overturn the election because they know they don't have a candidate that can beat President Trump next year. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-statement-impeachment-articles-announcement,Cole Statement on Articles of Impeachment Announcement,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the followed statement after House Democrats announced their two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. It is not lost on me that shortly after Speaker Pelosi announced articles of impeachment, she immediately switched gears to take credit for USMCA, which was negotiated by President Trump and actually benefits the American people. After weeks of impeachment hearings, the truth is that Democrats have failed to prove their case or convince the American people that the wasted time was worth it. There are no grounds here to impeach the president, and I will be voting accordingly. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-statement-usmca-agreement,Cole Statement on USMCA Announcement,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after it was announced that President Donald Trump and Congress reached official agreement on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). For months, House Republicans have urged floor action on the trade agreement negotiated by President Trump. While I am delighted that USMCA will soon come to the floor of the House for a vote, it is disappointing that Speaker Pelosi needlessly delayed the process for more than a year, said Cole. I am eager to vote on the agreement, which strengthens and modernizes the terms of trade with our North American neighbors. I certainly expect swift and bipartisan passage in both chambers of Congress, and I very much look forward to finally releasing the benefits secured by President Trump to millions of American manufacturers, entrepreneurs, farmers and ranchers.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns/value-full-year-appropriations,The Value of Full-Year Appropriations,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Once again, Congress is quickly approaching another critical deadline related to government funding. At this time last year when Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress, more than 75 percent of annual funding had already been signed into law in record time before the start of the fiscal year. Unfortunately, now more than two months into the current fiscal year, no full-year appropriations bills have passed out of Congress or been signed into law. That means the government is currently funded until December 20 by something called a continuing resolution. A continuing resolution (CR) simply means that current spending levels and policies continue for a specified period (usually short-term). While this scenario is better than putting the country through the painful consequences of a government shutdown, funding only by CRs abdicates Congress' ability to adjust spending and policies to reflect the country's changing needs and priorities. It's important to remember that at the end of July Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, which set budgetary levels for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. This bipartisan and bicameral compromise was the result of a good faith negotiation between the president and congressional leaders, and it achieved several wins for the American people including a significant and desperately needed increase to support and rebuild our national defense. Though the budget agreement was enacted, the authorized spending cannot be realized without full-year appropriations. The process of fulfilling this fundamental function of Congress involves hearings, discussions and markups in the 12 subcommittees of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. As you might know, I sit on the House Appropriations Committee and serve as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. Each of those 12 subcommittees writes an annual funding bill, which together cover operations for the entire federal government. Sadly, each time Congress opts to pass CRs instead of completing the 12 individual bills, lawmakers irresponsibly forgo the opportunity to make changes to spending and deliver any authorized increases like the $22 billion secured for the military in the budget deal. CRs also create a lot of uncertainty for the various departments across the federal government. For example, Secretary Esper recently explained the damaging impact on the Department of Defense, CRs disrupt training, impede readiness, delay maintenance, impose uncertainty on the workforce and induce inefficient and constrained contracting practices. While CRs are certainly not an ideal or even the intended way to fund the government, there is one thing that's worse. And that is shutting down the government. When the government has a full or even partial lapse in funding, it can needlessly cause billions of dollars of damage to the economy. Moreover, it threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of dedicated federal workers, jeopardizes benefits and services Americans rely on, undermines our national defense and puts our security at risk. As Congress rapidly nears the latest deadline and as funding negotiations continue, I remain hopeful that we can finalize full-year appropriations and see them signed into law. But regardless, I will certainly be voting to keep the government open.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-horn-applauds-usmca-agreement,Rep. Horn Applauds USMCA Agreement,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. On Tuesday, House Democrats and the White House reached a deal to finalize the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The trade deal is expected to create more than 175,000 jobs and includes robust monitoring, fast and effective labor enforcement, and provisions to lower prescription drug prices. Today's bipartisan agreement is a good deal for Oklahoma's workers, businesses, and families, said Congresswoman Horn. Stronger trading relationships with our neighbors mean a stronger economy for our state. That is why I have fought to finalize a free and fair trade agreement every step of the way. In Oklahoma's 5th District, I've heard from workers, families, and businesses about the positive impact this agreement would have for the future of our economy. Until we cross the finish line and this deal is signed into law, I will continue fighting to bring lawmakers from both parties together in support of finalizing the USMCA. In 2018 alone, Oklahoma exported a total of $5.6 billion in manufactured goods globally. Nearly half of those exported goods went to Mexico and Canada. In the same year, Oklahoma agriculture exports to Mexico and Canada totaled $154 million. In July, Congresswoman Horn joined 14 fellow Democrats urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring the USMCA deal to a vote by the year's end. In November, Congresswoman Horn spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives in favor finalizing the USMCA. Video of the floor speech can be found here. Last week, Congresswoman Horn joined her colleagues in the Oklahoma delegation urging congressional leadership to finalize and pass the USMCA deal. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=119,Rep. Horn Announces Bipartisan NDAA Deal Including Tenants Bill of Rights,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"On Monday, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) signed a bipartisan deal to finalize House-Senate negotiations over the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This critical legislation authorizes historic investments in national defense priorities and modernizations for U.S. forces. The NDAA includes a Tenants Bill of Rights to address unsafe housing conditions at Tinker Air Force Base and at military bases across the country. The NDAA deal includes 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees, a repeal of the widow's tax, and a 3.1% raise for service members - the largest pay increase in a decade. A vote on the revised NDAA is expected later this week. Tonight's bipartisan deal is a victory for Tinker and for service members and military families across the country, said Congresswoman Horn. At one of my first town halls, a mother told me about the unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions that her family was forced to live in at Tinker. Since hearing her story, I've fought for housing protections for our military families, and today's bipartisan deal moves us closer to signing those safeguards into law. One important component of the NDAA is the Tenants Bill of Rights. This provision will protect our military families from predatory contracts and provide increased oversight of privatized base housing. Our fight for military families and safe housing is far from over, but today's announcement is a critical step in the right direction. This legislation provides a historic raise for our men and women in uniform who have put everything on the line to serve our country. Our bipartisan agreement also invests in critical national defense modernizations and takes care of our military families by eliminating the widow's tax. Compromise takes hard work, but this year's NDAA is proof that it pays off. Congresswoman Horn, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, was appointed as a conferee to the House-Senate conference committee on the NDAA. Horn was one of the only first-term lawmakers named to the conference committee, which was responsible for reaching a compromise between House and Senate versions of the NDAA. Congresswoman Horn brought national lawmakers to see housing conditions first-hand at Tinker in April, and she fought to include the Tenants Bill of Rights in the original NDAA and in today's bicameral bill. Last week, Congresswoman Horn questioned a contractor responsible for housing maintenance at Tinker during a hearing in the House Armed Services Committee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=120,Rep. Horn Applauds USMCA Agreement,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"On Tuesday, House Democrats and the White House reached a deal to finalize the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The trade deal is expected to create more than 175,000 jobs and includes robust monitoring, fast and effective labor enforcement, and provisions to lower prescription drug prices. Today's bipartisan agreement is a good deal for Oklahoma's workers, businesses, and families, said Congresswoman Horn. Stronger trading relationships with our neighbors mean a stronger economy for our state. That is why I have fought to finalize a free and fair trade agreement every step of the way. In Oklahoma's 5th District, I've heard from workers, families, and businesses about the positive impact this agreement would have for the future of our economy. Until we cross the finish line and this deal is signed into law, I will continue fighting to bring lawmakers from both parties together in support of finalizing the USMCA. In 2018 alone, Oklahoma exported a total of $5.6 billion in manufactured goods globally. Nearly half of those exported goods went to Mexico and Canada. In the same year, Oklahoma agriculture exports to Mexico and Canada totaled $154 million. In July, Congresswoman Horn joined 14 fellow Democrats urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring the USMCA deal to a vote by the year's end. In November, Congresswoman Horn spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives in favor finalizing the USMCA. Video of the floor speech can be found here. Last week, Congresswoman Horn joined her colleagues in the Oklahoma delegation urging congressional leadership to finalize and pass the USMCA deal. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://lucas.house.gov/press-release/house-passes-bipartisan-legislation-stem-deepfakes-sustainable-chemistry-and,"House Passes Bipartisan Legislation on STEM, Deepfakes, Sustainable Chemistry, and Biotechnology",2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today, the U.S. House of Representatives considered and passed five bipartisanScience, Space, and Technology Committeebills under suspension of the rules. I am very pleased that today the House considered and passed five bipartisan Science Committee bills, saidChairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX).These bills work to address U.S. competitiveness; ensure that traditionally underrepresented groups help drive U.S. innovation; and to find ways to detect online imposters and deepfakes.I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their work on and support of these bills. I hope to see this legislation considered by the Senate very soon. The bills passed by the House today are a tremendous example of the bipartisan work being done by the House Science Committee on issues like STEM education, deepfake technology, biotechnology, and sustainable chemistry, saidRanking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK).Research into deepfake technology will help us better identify and combat manipulated media content. Improved biotechnology research will drive innovations in agriculture, medicine, energy, and manufacturing. Standards, training, and research into sustainable chemistry will help support safe and effective chemical products that are critical to our way of life. Finally, both the Building Blocks of STEM Act and the Minority Serving Institutions STEM Achievement Act will improve STEM education in America and help us develop a diverse and talented workforce. I'm proud to support these bills and I thank Chairwoman Johnson, and Representatives Anthony Gonzalez, Jim Baird, and Michael Waltz for their leadership on these issues. H.R. 4372,the MSI STEM Achievement Act,provides for increased transparency, accountability, and accessibility of Federal STEM education and research funding for minority serving institutions (MSIs). This legislation directs Federal science agencies and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to work to build the STEM education and research capacity at American MSIs. H.R. 4373,the Engineering Biology Research and Development Act of 2019,would establish a federal engineering biology research initiative to ensure U.S. leadership in engineering biology. It would also establish a framework for greater coordination of federal investments in engineering biology; lead to a national strategy for those investments; expand public-private partnerships; focus on the education and training for the next generation of engineering biology researchers; and address any potential ethical, legal, environmental, safety and security issues associated with engineering biology research. H.R. 2051,the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2019,establishes an interagency working group (IWG) led by the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The IWG is charged with coordinating Federal programs and activities in support of sustainable chemistry and developing a roadmap for sustainable chemistry, including a framework of attributes characterizing sustainable chemistry and assessing the state of sustainable chemistry in the United States. The IWG is also directed to identify methods by which Federal agencies can incentivize sustainable chemistry activities, challenges to sustainable chemistry progress, and opportunities for expanding Federal sustainable chemistry efforts. S. 737,the Building Blocks of STEM Act,directs the National Science Foundation to support and expand early childhood STEM education, with a focus on computer science education. H.R. 4355,the Identifying Outputs of Generative Adversarial Networks Act,directs the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Standards and Technology to support research and development of tools to detect and counter the spread of deepfakes. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://lucas.house.gov/press-release/next-stop-long-awaited-usmca-house-floor,Next Stop for Long-Awaited USMCA: House Floor,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement regarding the conclusion of negotiations for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement: Today's announcement that negotiations around USMCA have concluded is excellent news for trade in North America. America's farmers and manufacturers have waited far too long for a modernized trade agreement guaranteed to increase agricultural exports and spread economic prosperity across the country. Lucas continued, Immediate passage of this monumental agreement not only ensures the best for American trade, it strengthens our negotiation positions for other ongoing trade discussions. As China continues to distort trade relationships across the globe, the United States remains vigilant in protecting fair trade, competition, and free enterprise no matter the trading partner. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-praises-announcement-of-path-forward-on-usmca,Inhofe Praises Announcement of Path Forward on USMCA,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today praised the announcement of a path forward on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which would replace the outdated North American Free Trade Agreement. Inhofe was the only member of the Oklahoma delegation who opposed NAFTA because it harmed American truckers and put U.S. businesses at a disadvantage. Currently, roughly 15,000 jobs in Oklahoma are supported by agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico. That equals nearly $2 billion a year. Read more in his October op-ed in the Oklahoman entitled Point of View: Trump's trade policies benefit Oklahoma business. For the first time in decades, we have a president who is willing to put American jobs and workers first, Inhofe said. President Trump is refreshingly unapologetic in his commitment to American workers and the result is a new NAFTA one that actually promotes free and fair trade. However, since President Trump's announcement of the USMCA trade agreement well over a year ago, Speaker Pelosi and the rest of the House Democrats have chosen to let this important trade agreement collect dust, prohibiting its consideration on the House floor, focusing instead on their ridiculous impeachment obsession. Because of relentless pressure from our farmers, businesses and manufacturers who are counting on the USMCA to open up new markets, the deal can now be swiftly considered in both the House and Senate. I am eager to get this to the president's desk. Inhofe urged the House to bring the trade deal up for a vote, along with the rest of the Oklahoma delegation, on both October 1 of this year and again last week.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-statement-on-pelosis-articles-of-impeachment,Inhofe Statement on Pelosi's Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe made the following statement after Speaker Pelosi announces articles of impeachment as a result of her biased witch hunt against President Trump: Today Speaker Pelosi took another step forward in her goal to impeach President Trump no matter the facts, no matter the consequences. Here's the reality throughout this entire biased, unprecedented, sham process, I haven't seen any evidence that would support impeachment of the President. Instead of wasting time and money on a partisan impeachment process, I'm staying focused on delivering wins for America and President Trump through the National Defense Authorization Act, which we announced last night and includes critical national security authorizations including the creation of the Space Force, which is a priority for President Trump.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofes-ndaa-conference-report-supports-oklahoma-military,Inhofes NDAA Conference Report Supports Oklahoma Military,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced provisions he authored in the National Defense Authorization Act that will benefit Oklahoma military installations, military families and support a strong national defense. Each year, Congress passes the annual National Defense Authorization Act key legislation that fulfills our greatest responsibility to defend American families and ensure that our armed forces have the training, resources and equipment they need to complete the mission and return home safely. The NDAA is more than just numbers and budget items. It is the policy that supports the men and women who risk their lives to defend our freedoms. It creates a Space Force, guarantees we can stand up to Russia and China, and continues rebuilding the military after it was degraded during the Obama administration. As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I worked this year to make military families the focus of this year's legislation. The result: a 3.1 percent pay raise for our troops, the largest in a decade, historic reforms to privatized military housing, increased oversight over military families' relocation and personal property movement, and professional development opportunities for military spouses. Finally, I'm thrilled that this legislation finally repeals the widow's tax in a fiscally responsible manner. By putting military families first, we can strengthen our entire armed forces, as well as increase recruitment and retention. About the National Defense Authorization Act: Authorizes growing topline for national defense ($738B + $5B disaster recovery). Largest troop pay raise in a decade 3.1% Fully funds nuclear modernization Creates Space Force as the 6th Branch of the U.S. Military Authorizes 200+ new-start programs that MUST be authorized before appropriations or programs cannot begin: Artificial Intelligence (AI), 6th-gen fighter (NGAD), Hypersonic Weapons, Long-range missiles, Unmanned Systems, Cyber Capabilities, Combat Networks, B-21 bomber, 5G Expands equipment purchases: o F-35s, F-15s, F-18s, destroyers, subs, carriers, amphibious ships, Army helicopters & vehicles Sanctions against Syria, Russia, North Korea, China Cares for military families: child care, professional licensing for military spouses, improve moving process Read more about the NDAA Conference Report here. Background about Oklahoma Installations | Background about Conference Negotiation Process Oklahoma Background: The FY2020 NDAA included the following provisions Inhofe authored that will benefit Oklahoma military installations and members of the military community: Reforms to Privatized Military Housing Following reports of serious problems with housing on military installations across the country, including Tinker Air Force Base, the NDAA includes a landmark overhaul of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. These reforms include: improving quality of life for service members and their families living in privatized military housing by creating a Tenant Bill of Rights, setting up a dispute resolution process, and increasing transparency; holding private military housing companies accountable, ensuring they set high standards for construction, mitigate and stop health and hazard violations, and quickly address any problems with housing; and strengthening management of military housing within the chain of command and at the Department of Defense, including ensuring each installation has the necessary government housing employees and implementing thorough oversight and planning measures. Additionally, it would create a Senate-confirmed DOD position to oversee the military privatized housing initiative across all services. Inhofe has led the greatest number of hearings on the issues in privatized military housing over the past year. Additionally, he has visited Tinker Air Force Base on multiple occasions to witness the housing situation firsthand and hold Balfour Beatty accountable. The provisions in the NDAA are a direct result of his leadership and engagement on this critical issue. No BRAC Round The FY2020 NDAA explicitly prohibits a base realignment and closure (BRAC) round, ensuring the vital missions at all Oklahoma bases can continue to grow. After years of budgetary instability during the Obama Administration, readiness declined to a dangerously low level. Inhofe's provision in the NDAA ensures it will not be reduced any further while we rebuild the force and its readiness. Repeals Widow's Tax Currently, surviving spouses of deceased service members can face an unfair deduction in benefits known as the widow's tax. Inhofe, the first SASC Chairman to cosponsor legislation to address the issue, has been working since 2001 to end the deduction and support military families. The FY2020 NDAA phases in a complete repeal of the offset over three years. Direct Hire Authority Last year, Inhofe authored language that extends civilian hiring authority for depots, shipyards, plants and arsenals to help maintain and grow the workforce at Tinker Air Force Base and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. However, the implementation of the provision has been inconsistent, resulting in continued delays and underutilization. Inhofe corrected that in the FY20 NDAA by authoring language to clarify that direct hire authority can come from secretaries of military departments, directors of defense field activities and directors of defense agencies. The civilian workforce maintains aging equipment, adopts new technologies and is consistently recognized by industry as the benchmark of success. Because of this, the workload demands continue to grow along with the need for higher levels of technological skill sets. PIM Program Inhofe authored language that fully authorized the president's budget request for the Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) program, the primary indirect fire weapons platform in the U.S. Army's Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCT). The PIM, assembled in Elgin, Oklahoma, and used at Fort Sill, will improve force performance and survivability, while also reducing the logistics burden for soldiers. Advanced Pilot Training (T-X) Pilots, like those at Vance Air Force Base, need to train on the newest and most advanced platforms in order to be prepared for the next-generation of fighter and bomber aircraft. Inhofe authored language in the NDAA that will support procurement for the T-X advanced pilot training system, replacing the legacy T-38 trainers that have become outdated and led to longer training times. KC-46 Inhofe supported increased funding and procurement of three additional KC-46 aircraft, bringing the total FY20 procurement to 15 KC-46 aircraft. The KC-46 tankers ensure our military's ability to engage in operations around the globe. Altus Air Force Base is programmed to receive 8 KC-46 aircraft and will provide training for all KC-46 pilots and boom operators. Tinker Air Force Base provides all depot maintenance for the KC-46, and construction is underway for KC46 maintenance and fuel hangars. Supporting Organic Industrial Base As part of the organic industrial base, defense maintenance depots, like the Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base, are developing new technologies to repair damaged parts quickly and without distortion. Inhofe authored language in the NDAA that would allow the Air Force Research Lab and the Air Force Depot Innovation Centers to work with private sector partners to bring new skills and processes into full time use to repair and get Air Force systems back in service faster. Additionally, our organic industrial bases, like Tinker, have faced challenges due to recent changes in acquisition processesdespite being recognized as critical parts of our national security infrastructure. Inhofe's NDAA requires a report from the DOD to understand the impact of the recent changes to ensure the future of the organic industrial base. Counter UAS University Research Throughout the last few years, DOD and Congress have recognized the growing use and capabilities of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Absent a comprehensive response, research universities are important partners in providing military and civilian agencies with reliable threat assessments and technology evaluation. Inhofe included a provision in the NDAA that would increase funding to universities, like Oklahoma State University, to work with the DOD and rapidly respond to advancements in drone technology. Impact Aid and STARBASE Inhofe was successful in including language that fully funds supplemental Impact Aid to local educational agencies and schools with military dependent children as well as specific Impact Aid for schools with military dependent children with severe disabilities. Inhofe also supported language that reauthorizes STARBASE, a program to educate and motivate students to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.STARBASE currently operates at 76 locations in 40 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, primarily on military installations. The Oklahoma National Guard runs the STARBASE program out of four locations, the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, the Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Tinker Air Force Base and Burns Flat. Cyber Centers of Academic Excellence Inhofe secured several provisions in the NDAA to ensure DOD works directly with academic institutions that have National Security Agency cyber centers of academic excellence designations. Because of the University of Tulsa's existing leadership in cybersecurity research and education, they are well suited to engage in these efforts. Military Spouse Professional Development Military spouses serve and sacrifice alongside their service member, facing frequent moves and long deployments that often result in barriers to meaningful professional employment. To support military families, Inhofe authored two provisions to promote professional development opportunities for military spouses. First, he doubled the amount DOD can reimburse spouses for the cost of obtaining a new professional license or credential after a permanent change of station. Too many spouses face extended unemployment after a relocation because of the time and resources it takes to reestablish professional licenses and Inhofe's provision would alleviate some of the barriers they face. Secondly, his FY2020 NDAA authorizes a cooperative agreement with the Council of State Governments to encourage license portability. Other Military Construction Projects for Oklahoma Inhofe supported authorization to fully fund the second phase of the Advanced Individual Training Barracks Complex at Fort Sill and the Fuels Storage Complex at the Tulsa International Airport for the Oklahoma Air National Guard. ATC Hiring Reform Inhofe authored a provision directing the Federal Aviation Administration to give preferential consideration to individuals applying to become air traffic controllers who have prior military experience or graduated from an Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) school. Both the University of Oklahoma and Tulsa Community College are AT-CTI schools, whose graduates will benefit from this program. This provision builds on provisions that Sen. Inhofe authored that were included in the 2016 FAA reauthorization bill. Aviation Workforce Development Inhofe's provision builds on his existing workforce development provisions, this would allow pilot- and aviation-oriented organizations like AOPA and EAA to apply for pilot education grants, ensuring that these organizations that are already engaged in bringing ground school and other aviation STEM education opportunities to high school students have the ability to apply for federal grants to amplify their existing efforts. This provision expands on a top priority from the 2018 FAA reauthorization bill that Sen. Inhofe originally introduced in his 2018 FLIGHT Act. Background about Conference Negotiation Process Senate completed a bipartisan NDAA at the end of June that passed 86-8. The House completed the first-ever partisan NDAA in July. It passed without a single Republican vote. While informal conversations were happening over August, the formal conference process began in September. The entire conference committee met once for the traditional pass the gavel meeting. The remainder of the negotiations happened between what is commonly known as the big four or the bipartisan leadership of both the Senate and House committees. In this case, that was Inhofe, Reed, Thornberry and Smith Because the conference process was attempting to reconcile a bipartisan bill with a partisan one, it was arguably the most difficult process to date. Inhofe had to successfully beat back over 150 provisions in the House-passed version that would have been harmful to national security (listed above) Additionally, this year saw more extra-jurisdictional items than ever before, which increased negotiation time. Some examples: non-DOD PFAS (EPW / Energy and Commerce committees), non-DOD parental leave (Government Affairs committees) and sanctions packages (Foreign Relations and Banking committees). Despite these seemingly impossible challenges in today's partisan environment, Inhofe successfully completed an NDAA that puts national security first, and beat back the liberal domestic policy agenda.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-hassan-lead-bipartisan-plan-to-end-government-shutdowns,"Lankford, Hassan Lead Bipartisan Plan to End Government Shutdowns",2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.10.19 Lankford, Hassan Lead Bipartisan Plan to End Government Shutdowns WASHINGTON, DC Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today introduced an updated version of their bipartisanPrevent Government Shutdowns Act. As Congress approaches the threat of a second government shutdown this year, Lankford and Hassan are joined by four of their Senate colleagues to push for this commonsense reform that protects federal employees and forces Congress to stay in DC to fund the government. If signed into law, the bill would set up an automatic Continuing Resolution (CR) at the current spending level until an agreement on funding is enacted. This will prevent a government-wide shutdown, continue critical services and operations for Americans, and hold federal workers harmless while Congress negotiates. The last 40 years, we've had 21 government shutdowns led by both partieseach one costing taxpayers billions of dollars and hurting federal employees, said Lankford. The plan is simple: End government shutdowns, while keeping the government open as Members of Congress, their staffs and the Office of Management and Budget remain in Washington to finish appropriations bills. It's time to hold Congress accountable for their most basic function and stop hurting federal families and taxpayers in another government shutdown. Amidst the partisan gridlock that has too often led to costly, irresponsible government shutdowns, Republican Senator James Lankford and I have been pushing for a commonsense solution: If Congressional leadership cannot come together on a bipartisan spending bill to avert a shutdown, our bill provides automatic funding to keep the government's doors from closing, and critically, Congress stays in Washington working until a deal is reached,said Hassan.We have seen time and time again the harmful effects that government shutdowns have on Granite Staters and Americans across the country. That's why Senator Lankford and I came together to work on a measure to end government shutdowns, and I hope that our colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join us in supporting this bipartisan bill. Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI), chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Angus King (I-ME); Mike Enzi (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on the Budget; and Tim Kaine (D-VA) are original co-sponsors of the bill.Here's what they have to say: We need to reduce the dysfunction in Washington. Government shutdowns hurt people, damage our economy and benefit no one. Politicians have talked for years about ending government shutdowns without taking action. With incentives for members of both parties to shape up, maybe we can start to make Washington work for the American people again,said Johnson. When Washington's dysfunction repeatedly hurts hardworking Americans, it's clear that something needs to change,said King.We've seen the impacts of shutdowns too many times: families left struggling, local small businesses seeing stark declines in their traffic and Americans scrambling to receive the federal services they rely on. We can fix this let's come together on a bipartisan basis and make government shutdowns a thing of the past. Government shutdowns do not benefit anyone and actually end up costing taxpayers more money, Enzi said. This legislation would help hold Congress accountable while avoiding irresponsible funding lapses. It is time to end unnecessary government shutdowns for good. Our federal workers and contractors can't afford another shutdown, nor can our federal budget. I'm proud to join my colleagues on this bipartisan legislation to end government shutdowns once and for all and ensure future budget disputes won't threaten government services and operations, said Kaine. Bill Highlights The bipartisan proposal is a simple solution to address the threat of government shutdowns. If federal funding is not in place through the enactment of all regular appropriations bills or a continuing resolution (CR) by October 1, no official travel will be allowed for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) leadership or staff and Members of Congress along with their committee and personal staff. During a period of lapsed appropriations, there will be: Implementation of an automatic CR on October 1 at last year's spending levels until the passage of a law to appropriateall remaining lapsed spending for that fiscal year No taxpayer-funded travel allowances for official business (except one return flight to Washington, DC) No CODEL or STAFFDEL travel No travel reimbursement (meals, per diem, or any type, including for state and district staff) No use of campaign funds by congressional offices to supplement official duties or travel expenses Expedited consideration of bipartisan appropriations bills is provided for after 30 days to ensure that each chamber is further incentivized to process spending bills and fund the government No motions to recess or adjourn the Senate or House are in order for more than 23 hours A required recorded quorum call vote is required each day at noon in the House and Senate to confirm attendance, which keeps Members in town for mandatory votes No other matter can be considered on the floor of the Senate unless it relates to: General appropriations measures (including a CR); Daily mandatory quorum calls; After 30 days, certain expiring authorization bills and executive calendar nominations would be eligible for consideration on the Senate floor. These include a nomination for a Justice of the Supreme Court or Cabinet Secretary; Reauthorization legislation for programs operating under an authorization which expired 60 days after the beginning of the fiscal year or less. Floor restrictions in the House or Senate can be waived if a two-thirds majority vote threshold is achieved in each Chamber The bill has an effective date of September 30, 2020. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), also recently penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in support of the bill. Lankford released an episode of The Breakdown with James Lankford on the bill. Lankford and Hassan wrote an opinion piece on their simple, bipartisan legislation in July. Lankford is a member of the Senate HSGAC Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee. ### Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-shares-story-from-federal-employee-on-impact-of-government-shutdowns-on-senate-floor,Senator Lankford Shares Story From Federal Employee on Impact of Government Shutdowns on Senate Floor,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.10.19 Senator Lankford Shares Story From Federal Employee on Impact of Government Shutdowns on Senate Floor Lankford: The simple resolution is, if we get to the end of the fiscal year and our work is not done, we keep working until it is done. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's floor speech. WASHINGTON, DC Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today spoke on the Senate floor to continue to push for the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, a bipartisan bill that Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and he reintroduced today. Lankford is urging his colleagues to pass this commonsense legislation as the December 20 funding deadline is fast approaching. During his floor speech, he shared the story of a federal employee who approached him on the plane yesterday as he traveled to Washington, DC from Oklahoma. She thanked him for his work on the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act but stated that she is retiring because of continued funding uncertainty. The threat of a potential shutdown is damaging because it creates needless uncertainty in federal operations. Lankford serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senate Appropriations Committee, and the Senate Finance Committee. Transcript 2019 is almost over, but there is a lot that still has to be done on this floor. A lot of bills have moved through this year. In fact, we have had 75 bills or 78 bills I should say, that have been signed into law this year so far. This year, as we worked through the process, we have had quite a few judges and nominations that the Senate has actually worked through. In fact, by the end of this week, we'll have our 50th circuit court judge that will be finished this week. There's a lot of engagement. But with a week and a half left and we're still on this floor, we still have issues like the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement. That agreement, what's called the USMCA, has been sitting over in the House for 14 months. It looks like the House is now going to take it up this week or next week. After 14 months of being there, we're pleased to be able to see some movement there. We got to be able to see the final implementing language on that. The National Defense Authorization bill, we hope to be able to move. That's been waiting for months and months and months. Under the capable leadership of Senator Inhofe as he tried to negotiate this with the House and to be able to get that done. Hopefully, that will get done either this week or next week, but it's cramming into the end of the year. We have 12 appropriations bills that are still unfinished, and we face a deadline on the 20th of December. Or we'll run into another government shutdown, which brings me to a bill that Senator Hassan and I are dropping today, something that we have negotiated for months across party lines to be able to have a nonpartisan solution to how we can never discuss, ever again, government shutdowns. This past week when I was flying up back to DC, back from home, on the plane as I was coming up, there was a federal employee that caught me in the aisle way of the plane and just said, Hey, I hear you're working on stopping government shutdowns. Thank you.' Her next comment surprised me, though. She said she's worked for a federal agency for years, that she's retiring in January because she is so tired of constantly having to prep for, prepare for, get set for a government shutdown that may be pending in the days ahead. It's worn her out. And someone who has great wisdom and experience in serving in one of our federal agencies is retiring in January and we'll lose those years of experience because she's tired of dealing with shutdowns. I don't blame her, quite frankly, though I wish she wouldn't leave. I don't blame her because year after year we end up in this same conversation, Are we going to have another shutdown?' Federal families across the country, as we approach Christmas, it seems like every year are wondering if they're about to be furloughed and won't get a check soon. And federal agency leaders from those that are Senate-confirmed all the way through the process of leadership aren't spending their time on vision-setting and on oversight. They're spending their time in their office having to be able to figure out what to do in case there's a government shutdown or working through the process of a continuing resolution because they only get funding a few days at a time. All of us know this is bad, but for years we've discussed ending government shutdowns but never done it. Senator Hassan and I have put together a nonpartisan bill that is a very straightforward approach that we bring to this body and to the House to say, Let's take government shutdowns off the table forever.' Let's make this so in the decades ahead we talk about the way-back days long ago when we used to have government shutdowns, as we have in this body now. We've had 21 government shutdowns in the last 40 years. Let's talk about the days that used to happen that never happens again. We have a very straightforward, simple solution. Our simple solution is if you get to the end of the funding cycle, at this point it would be on the 20th of December. If we get to the end of that time period, we have an automatic continuing resolution that kicks in so that federal families don't feel the effect of that across the country. They're not on furlough. But Members of Congress and our staff work seven days a week. We have a session here seven days a week, and we can't move to bills other than appropriations for 30 days so that we are locked into settling the appropriations issue. The simple resolution is if we get to the end of the fiscal year and our work is not done, we keep working until it is done. It's not that hard. But we've never made the commitment to each other that we will stay here and continue the work until it's done. What we've done instead is one of two things. Just punt a CR, a continuing resolution, for months at a time and say, Okay, let's get back to this in eight weeks,' which is what we did before. And then before that, there was a four-week continuing resolution, so we just punt it out and say, We'll keep going and we'll try to figure this out later,' which puts a lot of chaos in agencies. Or we do a government shutdown while we argue. We go home, federal workers are on furlough. Let's commit to each other we will never do that again. We will never put federal workers on furlough because we can't resolve our differences. Let's also commit to each other that when we get to the end of the fiscal year, we'll resolve the problem right then. There's nothing different from this week than there was seven weeks ago when we first started a continuing resolution. There's nothing different about it other than we just decided to go and get it resolved. When we get to the end of this problem, this Congress needs a deadline to resolve it. Let's make it and let's make it very simple and straightforward. We will stay at it until we solve it. That's our commitment and that we will hold federal workers harmless through that process. Senator Hassan and I have worked on this for months. We have three Republicans, three Democrats we're all putting this in front of this body today. We have multiple folks that have contacted us and said they want to be added as cosponsors as soon as we drop it. Well, today is the day we introduce that bill and we would welcome any of the 100 of us to be able to join us in a nonpartisan bill to end government shutdowns forever. And let's keep working until we solve the problem. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-lankford-statement-on-usmca-announcement,Senator Lankford Statement on USMCA Announcement,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.10.19 Senator Lankford Statement on USMCA Announcement WASHINGTON, DCSenator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued the following statement regarding the announcement that a deal has been agreed on between House Democrats and President Trump on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA): The negotiations for USMCA have lasted more than a year. I'm glad that the House has finally agreed to pass the USMCA. Oklahomans have been waiting for this day for months. This agreement updates the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and provides manufacturers, agricultural producers, and international businesses a greater ability to trade with our partners. I'm grateful to President Trump for continuing to work toward a solution on behalf of the American people. ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/about/books-im-reading/books-im-reading-december-2019,Books I'm Reading: December 2019,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"As an eternal learner, I am constantly reading. I invite you each month to follow along with what I'm currently reading or check back periodically for hand-picked selections of my favorites. Here's what I'm reading this month: On My Desk The Jungle Grows Backby Robert Kagan",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/members-celebrate-passage-bill-revitalize-native-languages,Members of Congress and Advocates Celebrate Passage of Bill to Revitalize Native Languages,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today,Members of Congress, and advocates celebrated the passage of the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act, a bipartisan bill to safeguard and revitalize Native American languages. The bill honors Esther Martinez, an Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo traditional storyteller and Tewa language advocate who passed away in 2006. It amends existing law to reauthorize two federal Native American language programs at the Administration for Native Americans until 2024, expand eligibility for those programs to smaller-sized Tribal language programs, and allow both programs to offer longer grant periods. The Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act, introduced by Assistant Speaker Lujn, will help preserve Native languages to combat the predicted extinction of all of the approximately 148 Native languages still spoken within the next 50 to 100 years. Biennial evaluations by the Department of Health and Human Services show the program increases fluency with 4,000 speakers and trains between 170 and 280 Native language teachers each year. The legislation was introduced by Asistant Speaker Ben Ray Lujn, and was co-sponsored by Reps. Don Young (R-Alaska), Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.), Tom Cole (R-OK), Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.), and Deb Haaland (D-N.M.). It was co-sponsored with nearly unanimous support from House Democrats, including members of Democratic Leadership and the Congressional Native American Caucus. Introduced by Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), the legislation passed the Senate in June. Esther Martinez was a champion for Native languages who spent her life teaching others and promoting the growth of indigenous languages and culture. With the passage of this bipartisan legislation, Congress has taken a major step to deliver results on this top priority for Native communities that are working to preserve their languages, said Assistant SpeakerLujn. I was proud to help spearhead the passage of this legislation to ensure language justice for future generations. Our family is thankful for the decisive action the House of Representatives has taken to pass legislation to safeguard Native languages for generations to come. This important initiative one that recognizes the legacy of Esther Martinez will help revitalize and prevent the loss of Native languages. Our language is central to our culture, and it's critical that we train Native language teachers and increase fluency with Native speakers to protect it. Esther Martinez, our mother, was committed to this cause, and we are proud to see this legislation pass in her honor, said members of Esther Martinez's family. Alaska Native heritage is central to the culture of our great state, and the diverse languages of our Native communities should be preserved and protected for future generations, said Young. Sadly, we have witnessed a steady decline in the number of speakers of various Native languages and dialects. It is urgent that we turn the tide so that these languages aren't forever lost to history. The Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act represents tremendous progress in our efforts to promote Native language education, and the funding provided to language initiatives by the Esther Martinez Program goes a long way toward revitalizing Indigenous languages in Alaska and across the country. I am grateful to Congressman Ben Ray Lujn for his continued leadership on this critical issue, and I look forward to continuing my work as Vice Chair of the Native American Caucus and Co-Chair of the America's Languages Caucus to help preserve Native language and culture for years to come. As Co-Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Native American Caucus, I was proud to be an original cosponsor of the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act, said McCollum. By helping tribal communities preserve and maintain their native languages, they are able to pass along centuries-old cultural heritage and share the unique human connection that language provides. ""Preserving Native American language is vitally important to protecting the special heritage and unique culture that exists within tribes across the United States. Ensuring Native students can learn their historic language not only promotes individual academic success, but it fosters identity and builds unity within tribes as well. As a proud co-sponsor of the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act, I am very pleased to see its passage in the House, said Cole, Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus. Our indigenous languages and traditions help keep our rich culture alive, but the programs that support language preservation are underfunded and often times lack funding altogether. Now that our bill honoring the legacy of Pueblo storyteller and self-taught linguist, Esther Martinez, has passed the House and the Senate, I urge the President to sign it into law so we can revitalize our languages and traditions said Haaland, Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus. The preservation of Native and tribal languages is essential to protecting our state's unique cultural identity for generations to come. I'm proud to join the delegation in honoring Esther Martinez's legacy by removing the barriers schools and organizations often face when accessing resources for Native language programs. This is especially critical to our rural communities, and will ensure Native students in all corners of our state have the opportunity to thrive, said Torres Small. The protection and preservation of our Native languages is crucial to the cultural identities of tribal citizens and the overall sustainability of tribal nations, said Kevin J. Allis, Chief Executive Officer of the National Congress of American Indians. We are thrilled to see the House pass the Esther Martinez Native Languages Programs Reauthorization Act, which provides tribal nations the critical resources needed to ensure Native languages continue to be spoken for generations to come. We appreciate Representative Lujn and Senator Udall's tireless efforts to get this important legislation through Congress. ""Native language preservation is central to advancing culturally responsive education. Our children thrive inside and outside of the classroom when learning their own language, said National Indian Education Association President Marita Hinds. The Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act represents a milestone in expanding tribal flexibility to develop and implement Native language immersion programs which serve the unique academic and cultural needs of Native students."" The long overdue passage of the Reauthorization of the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Program Act gives more opportunity and hope to Native American Nations who want to ensure the survival and growth of their languages. Each language matters, for deeply rooted reasons of culture, human development, and ways of being, said Dr. Bill Rivers, Executive Director, Joint National Committee for Languages. The Joint National Committee for Languages is proud of the Rep. Lujn, Rep. Cole, and the 240 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives who ensured that this vital bill will pass and proceed to the president's desk. As indigenous languages face a sharp decline, with only 20 indigenous languages expected to remain viable by the year 2050, the All Pueblo Council of Governors is grateful for the passing of the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act. The act will help tribes stem the loss of Native languages by significantly increasing support for language immersion programs which will help ensure the cultural practices vital to the traditional well-being of our indigenous nations stays alive with our stories, songs, and prayers being passed on for future generations, said Chairman E. Paul Torres, All Pueblo Council of Governors. Ohkay Owingeh is sincerely grateful for the passage of S. 256, the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act of 2019. But here at home Poe Tsawa legacy has already been established in the hearts and minds of all the Ohkay people, most of whom she instructed, including this writer, said Ron Lovato, Governor of Ohkway Owingeh Pueblo. We deeply appreciate the leadership of Senator Udall and Rep. Lujan on passage of this important legislation. This legislation will help support our efforts to preserve the Apache language and our culture by providing critical resources for our Nde' Biz program and at Mescalero Apache schools, said President Gabe Aguilar of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-horn-announces-bipartisan-ndaa-deal-including-tenants-bill-rights,Rep. Horn Announces Bipartisan NDAA Deal Including Tenants Bill of Rights,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. On Monday, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) signed a bipartisan deal to finalize House-Senate negotiations over the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This critical legislation authorizes historic investments in national defense priorities and modernizations for U.S. forces. The NDAA includes a Tenants Bill of Rights to address unsafe housing conditions at Tinker Air Force Base and at military bases across the country. The NDAA deal includes 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees, a repeal of the widow's tax, and a 3.1% raise for service members - the largest pay increase in a decade. A vote on the revised NDAA is expected later this week. Tonight's bipartisan deal is a victory for Tinker and for service members and military families across the country, said Congresswoman Horn. At one of my first town halls, a mother told me about the unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions that her family was forced to live in at Tinker. Since hearing her story, I've fought for housing protections for our military families, and today's bipartisan deal moves us closer to signing those safeguards into law. One important component of the NDAA is the Tenants Bill of Rights. This provision will protect our military families from predatory contracts and provide increased oversight of privatized base housing. Our fight for military families and safe housing is far from over, but today's announcement is a critical step in the right direction. This legislation provides a historic raise for our men and women in uniform who have put everything on the line to serve our country. Our bipartisan agreement also invests in critical national defense modernizations and takes care of our military families by eliminating the widow's tax. Compromise takes hard work, but this year's NDAA is proof that it pays off. Congresswoman Horn, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, was appointed as a conferee to the House-Senate conference committee on the NDAA. Horn was one of the only first-term lawmakers named to the conference committee, which was responsible for reaching a compromise between House and Senate versions of the NDAA. Congresswoman Horn brought national lawmakers to see housing conditions first-hand at Tinker in April, and she fought to include the Tenants Bill of Rights in the original NDAA and in today's bicameral bill. Last week, Congresswoman Horn questioned a contractor responsible for housing maintenance at Tinker during a hearing in the House Armed Services Committee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/inhofe-senate-and-house-armed-services-committees-complete-conference-on-fy20-national-defense-authorization-act,"Inhofe, Senate and House Armed Services Committees Complete Conference on FY20 National Defense Authorization Act",2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,OK,James Inhofe,I000024,www.inhofe.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, today announced details of the Conference Report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy. The Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act fulfills one of Congress' most important constitutional duties: to provide for the common defense. This bipartisan, bicameral agreement puts our troops and America's security first by continuing to rebuild our military, positioning our Armed Forces to meet the next wave of threats outlined in the National Defense Strategy, reforming the business side of the Pentagon, and most importantly, caring for our service members and their families. This conference report supports a discretionary topline of $738 billion, consistent with the recent bipartisan budget agreement. This includes $71.5 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations funding. In addition, the report authorizes $5.3 billion in emergency disaster recovery to help military installations across the country from extreme weather and natural disasters. This conference report is the product of months of hard-fought, but always civil and ultimately productive, negotiations. We would like to thank all the conferees for their contributions and hard work. We look forward to ushering the conference report through the House and Senate as soon as possible and on to the President's desk for his signature. The NDAA remains one of the few authorization bills that Congress passes year after year. That is because both houses of Congress and both parties recognize its importance and work together to support the brave men and women of our Armed Forces and to provide them with the resources, equipment, training, and policy needed to protect our nation. We take this responsibility very seriously, and we are proud to produce a conference report that achieves shared goals for the 59th year in a row. The committee summary of the final conference report is available here. Text of the conference report and the joint explanatory statement will be available on rules.house.gov.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-horn-calls-balfour-beatty-return-military-bonuses-house-armed-services,Rep. Horn Calls on Balfour Beatty to Return Military Bonuses at House Armed Services Hearing,2019-12-06,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. At a House Armed Services Subcommittee hearing on Thursday, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) questioned CEO of Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions, Rick Taylor, about the company's failure to maintain military housing and the bonus payments it received after falsifying maintenance documents. Congresswoman Horn called on the CEO to return all bonus payments Balfour Beatty received during years when the company was falsifying maintenance records. Watch video of Congresswoman Horn questioning the CEO of Balfour Beatty The way our military families and service members have been treated by Balfour Beatty is unacceptable. I first heard about the disgraceful housing conditions at Tinker Air Force Base from a military family that came to one of my town halls. Since then, I've met with countless parents and service members who live in privatized base housing and worry about their health and safety. I'm proud of the Tenants Bill of Rights I fought to include in defense funding legislation this year, but our work on this issue is far from over. At the same time Balfour Beatty was failing to maintain housing on Tinker Air Force Base, they were receiving millions of dollars in performance bonuses for a job well done. That's just wrong. I am calling on Balfour Beatty to return the millions in bonus payments it received for its work at Tinker, Lackland, and Malmstrom Air Force Bases during the years its employees were systematically falsifying maintenance records. I will continue my fight for justice until our military families are provided quality housing and Balfour Beatty has returned the money that it should never have accepted from taxpayers. Balfour Beatty CEO Rick Taylor responded during questioning that his company may return taxpayer funds received as bonus payments depending on the results of an FBI investigation into the matter. In addition to bringing Readiness Subcommittee Chair John Garamendi to tour Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, Congresswoman Kendra Horn worked to include a Tenants' Bill of Rights in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Tenants' Bill of Rights includes provisions that would ban unfair contracts and non-disclosure agreements and would appropriate $140 million for increased oversight of military housing developments. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-horn-supports-passage-voting-rights-advancement-act,Rep. Horn Supports Passage of Voting Rights Advancement Act,2019-12-06,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. On Friday, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) voted for passage of the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA), a bill to restore and update key protections for American voters. The VRAA would restore Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) to provide areas that have a history of voter discrimination with additional oversight. The bill also requires judicial review of suspect election practices and increases transparency in elections by requiring public notice of voting changes. Watch Congresswoman Horn speak on the House floor in support of the VRAA The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, said Congresswoman Horn. Today the House took a historic step towards defending that right by passing legislation to increase election oversight and strengthen transparency. I was especially honored to be a part of today's vote given Oklahoma's special role in our nation's civil rights movement. Oklahoma City was home to the very first lunch counter sit-in. Sixty-one years ago, Clara Luper led a group of 13 children to protest segregation at a Katz Drug Store. Not only did their advocacy end segregation at Katz and at storefronts throughout Oklahoma City, but they inspired sit-ins across the country. As we celebrate passage of the VRAA, we must give special thanks to the voting rights and civil rights foot soldiers who came before us and who fought to win the vote for all Americans. In 2013, the Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court decision gutted the ability of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to combat voter suppression and discrimination by voiding Section 4 of the law. Since the Shelby v. Holder decision, at least 23 states have enacted voter suppression laws, including voter roll purges, strict ID requirements, poll closures and curtailing of early voting hours. The VRAA restores Section 4 of the VRA, requiring federal oversight of jurisdictions with a history of discrimination and requiring review of suspect election practices. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=117,Rep. Horn Supports Passage of Voting Rights Advancement Act,2019-12-06,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,OK,Kendra Horn,H001083,horn.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Horn Supports Passage of Voting Rights Advancement Act VRAA strengthens voter protections, increases oversight & transparency Washington, DC, December 6, 2019 On Friday, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) voted for passage of the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA), a bill to restore and update key protections for American voters. The VRAA would restore Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) to provide areas that have a history of voter discrimination with additional oversight. The bill also requires judicial review of suspect election practices and increases transparency in elections by requiring public notice of voting changes. Watch Congresswoman Horn speak on the House floor in support of the VRAA The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, said Congresswoman Horn. Today the House took a historic step towards defending that right by passing legislation to increase election oversight and strengthen transparency. I was especially honored to be a part of today's vote given Oklahoma's special role in our nation's civil rights movement. Oklahoma City was home to the very first lunch counter sit-in. Sixty-one years ago, Clara Luper led a group of 13 children to protest segregation at a Katz Drug Store. Not only did their advocacy end segregation at Katz and at storefronts throughout Oklahoma City, but they inspired sit-ins across the country. As we celebrate passage of the VRAA, we must give special thanks to the voting rights and civil rights foot soldiers who came before us and who fought to win the vote for all Americans. In 2013, the Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court decision gutted the ability of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to combat voter suppression and discrimination by voiding Section 4 of the law. Since the Shelby v. Holder decision, at least 23 states have enacted voter suppression laws, including voter roll purges, strict ID requirements, poll closures and curtailing of early voting hours. The VRAA restores Section 4 of the VRA, requiring federal oversight of jurisdictions with a history of discrimination and requiring review of suspect election practices. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z