Rep. Tom Cole Mourns Death of Soldier from Lawton Brandon J. Landrum
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, issued the following statement on Wednesday about the death of U.S. Army 1st Lt. Brandon J. Landrum, who was one of five soldiers killed Saturday by a roadside bomb in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. Landrum is survived by his parents, wife and children.
“Words cannot express the debt of gratitude this nation owes Lt. Landrum,” said Cole. “Many of us will never understand the true price of freedom, but it is because of the bravery of those who wear the uniform that our country is safe and our freedom is secure.…
Read the rest of Rep. Tom Cole Mourns Death of Soldier from Lawton Brandon J. Landrum
Reps. Tom Cole, James Lankford Remark on Passing of Margaret Thatcher
Reps. Tom Cole, R-Moore and James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, issued statements Monday about the passing of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher:
Cole: “Margaret Thatcher first came to my attention when I was a student living in London in the 1970′s. One of my best British friends served as her private parliamentary secretary and several others served as Conservative Members of Parliament during her extraordinary career. My own political career began as she became prime minister and I looked upon her as a role model and trailblazer.…
Read the rest of Reps. Tom Cole, James Lankford Remark on Passing of Margaret Thatcher
Rep. Tom Cole Lone Oklahoma Supporter of Violence Against Women Act Renewal
The House last week gave final legislative approval to the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, which focuses federal resources to fight assaults against women and to help victims of those assaults. There’s a White House fact sheet here.
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, was the only one of the seven-member Oklahoma congressional delegation _ counting the two senators _to vote for the bill.
Cole praised the provisions that would allow non-Indians arrested for domestic violence to be prosecuted in tribal courts.…
Read the rest of Rep. Tom Cole Lone Oklahoma Supporter of Violence Against Women Act Renewal
Reps. Tom Cole and Markwayne Mullin Address Sequester as Deadline Approaches
As the March 1 deadline approaches for automatic spending cuts, known as the sequester, to kick in, Reps. Tom Cole, R-Moore, and Markwayne Mullin, R-Westville, addressed the issue _ Cole in a column and Mullin in a prepared statement.
Here is Cole’s column:
Sequestration Should be Modified, Not Canceled
By: Congressman Tom Cole
It’s not hard to find examples of wasteful government spending. The IRS has its own television studio that costs taxpayers $4 million per year to operate. The National Science Foundation paid seniors $1.2 million to play video games for a study.…
Read the rest of Reps. Tom Cole and Markwayne Mullin Address Sequester as Deadline Approaches
Rep. Tom Cole Named to Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, was named Thursday to the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents by House Speaker John Boehner.
Cole said, “The Smithsonian Institution is an invaluable national resource for education and historic preservation. Millions of visitors to Washington, D.C., have enjoyed free access to Smithsonian museums and benefitted from the opportunity to learn more about our national and natural history by viewing the institution’s remarkable collection of artifacts.
“It’s an honor to serve this distinguished organization, and I look forward to working with the Board of Regents to continue the Smithsonian Institution’s prestigious legacy.”
Vested by Congress with the responsibility for administration of the Smithsonian Institution, the Board of Regents is made up of the chief justice of the United States, the vice president of the United States, three members of the United States Senate, three members of the United States House of Representatives, and nine private citizens, Cole’s office said.…
Read the rest of Rep. Tom Cole Named to Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents
Oklahoma Lawmakers Respond to President Obama’s Gun Proposals
Here are the full statements from Oklahoma members of Congress regarding President Barack Obama’s proposals to curb gun violence:
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee: “The president is right to examine what can be done to prevent tragedies such as Sandy Hook from occurring again. I commend his effort and look forward to working with him on areas of agreement while we continue to honestly debate areas of disagreement. For instance, the president is right to take steps to strengthen mental health databases and reporting to the NICS system so we can ensure that guns do not end up in the hands of criminals or those who are a threat to themselves or others.…
Read the rest of Oklahoma Lawmakers Respond to President Obama’s Gun Proposals
Oklahoma Congressional Offices Will Have Weekend Hours For Inauguration Tickets
Members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation are planning to have their Capitol Hill offices open at times this weekend so Oklahomans can pick up their tickets to President Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony on Monday. Not all of the offices will be open on Monday.
The lawmakers are encouraging those who have already reserved tickets to pick them up on the weekend. All of the tickets allotted to the lawmakers have been reserved. Some offices have started waiting lists.
Sen. Tom Coburn’s office will be open from 10 a.m.…
Read the rest of Oklahoma Congressional Offices Will Have Weekend Hours For Inauguration Tickets
Reps. Tom Cole, Markwayne Mullin Oppose Executive Action on Gun Control
Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Westville, said Thursday that it would be “absurd” for President Barack Obama to use executive orders to limit gun ownership. Mullin was responding to a statement made Wednesday by Vice President Joe Biden that the “president is going to act” on gun control, possibly using executive orders.
Mullin said, “What the President and the Executive branch are trying to do on gun control is absurd. The President’s use of executive orders to limit Second Amendment rights is only a tactic to bypass Congress and force untested laws onto the American people.…
Read the rest of Reps. Tom Cole, Markwayne Mullin Oppose Executive Action on Gun Control
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.…
Read the rest of Rep. Tom Cole Named to Powerful House Rules Committee
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.…
Read the rest of Rep. James Lankford Only Oklahoman Voting Against Fiscal Cliff Deal
