Robert E. Bacharach Renominated for Federal Appeals Court
Robert E. Bacharach, an Oklahoma City magistrate judge whose nomination for a federal appeals court was blocked by Republicans in the last six months of 2012, was renominated for the post on Thursday by President Barack Obama.
Bacharach had strong bipartisan support for his nomination to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Both of Oklahoma’s Republican senators endorsed him. But Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, said “inside politics” doomed his nomination in the presidential election year. Republicans refused to allow a vote on him in the months before the presidential election and the weeks after the election.…
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New Republican Rep. Jim Bridenstine of Tulsa Refuses to Back Boehner for Speaker
Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a Tulsa Republican sworn in for his first term on Thursday, refused to vote for House Speaker John Boehner. He voted for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor instead.
Bridenstine said in an interview before the vote that he would have trouble voting for Boehner, in large part because of the debt ceiling deal struck in 2011.
“The challenge is no one is running against (Boehner)” for speaker, Bridenstine told the Oklahoman. “So what does a guy like me do?”
What he did was vote for the second ranking Republican in the House _ Cantor, of Virginia _ who has split with Boehner on some issues, including this week’s fiscal cliff deal.…
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Rep. Tom Cole Named to Powerful House Rules Committee
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, has been named to House Rules Committee, which determines the framework of debate for major pieces of legislation. The Republican members are picked by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. The selection of Cole comes after the Oklahoma lawmaker became a prominent voice in the fiscal cliff debate last month, arguing that Republicans shouldn’t hold 98 percent of taxpayers “hostage” to automatic tax increases to protect tax cuts for the wealthiest.
Cole has served on the committee before.…
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Rep. James Lankford Only Oklahoman Voting Against Fiscal Cliff Deal
Rep. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, was the only member of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation who voted against the fiscal cliff deal on Tuesday. Both of Oklahoma’s senators supported it, and four of the five House members voted aye late Tuesday night.
Among the four House members supporting it were outgoing Reps. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, and John Sullivan, R-Tulsa. Both of those members will be leaving the House on Thursday, when their replacements will be sworn in.
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, said Wednesday, “This agreement is far from perfect, but preventing the largest tax increase in history and making tax cuts permanent for 98 percent of taxpayers is a major victory for American workers and for the economy.…
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Senators Tom Coburn, Jim Inhofe Vote for Fiscal Cliff Deal
Both of Oklahoma’s Republican senators voted for the fiscal cliff deal early Tuesday morning.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, said, “While this bill is far from perfect, it does prevent massive tax increases while making tax cuts permanent for 99 percent of Americans.
“Congress and the president, however, have a lot of work to do to address our long-tern spending problem. Our debt – which is 120 percent of our economy if you count federal, state and local debt – is still the greatest threat to our national security.…
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