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| The Inhofe
Family |
United States Senator Jim Inhofe, one of the leading conservative voices in the Senate, is a strong advocate of common sense Oklahoma values including less government, less regulation, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility and a strong national defense.
He was first elected to the Senate in 1994 to complete the unexpired term of Senator David Boren who resigned to become president of the University of Oklahoma. He was re-elected in 1996 and again in 2002.
In January 2003, Inhofe became the Chairman of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee. As Chairman, his priorities include strengthening our Nation's infrastructure, continuing strong environmental protections and improving national security. He said he will work to restore common sense and sound science to the regulatory decisions of the Environmental Protection Agency on such issues as climate variability, clean air mandates, wetlands, and endangered species.
He is also a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he continues to play a leadership role on defense and national security issues. He believes we must improve the condition of the U.S. military, and provide greater resources, necessary equipment and proper training. He also believes overseas military missions should serve vital national interests and he is one of the Senate's prime advocates for deploying a national missile defense system.
Inhofe previously served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Oklahoma's First Congressional District which encompasses Tulsa County. In 1993, he came to national attention when he succeeded in reforming the arcane discharge petition rule which the Congressional leadership had long used to keep popular bills bottled up in committees. The rule change he made possible eliminated secrecy in the legislative process. One of the first bills to benefit from this reform was the landmark, Inhofe-sponsored aviation liability bill which put America back in the aviation manufacturing business.
Inhofe grew up in Tulsa and graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in economics. He served in the U.S. Army and has been a small businessman (working in aviation, real estate and insurance) for over 30 years. He was elected to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives in 1966, served one term, and was then elected to the State Senate where he served two terms and became Minority Leader. From 1978 to 1984, he was Mayor of Tulsa. Active in aviation, Inhofe became the only member of Congress to fly an airplane around the world when he recreated Wiley Post's legendary trip around the globe. Inhofe and his wife, Kay, are members of the First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa and have been married for 46 years. They have four grown children and twelve grandchildren.
"Inhofe: an act of
political courage."
(Boston
Herald)
"(When) the Inhofe petition succeeds,
we're talking about
a revolution in the House of Representatives."
(The Wall Street Journal)
"Republicans will
have to offer a bigger vision...
Jim Inhofe could be a model for that vision."
(The Washington Times)
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