U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today convened a tele-briefing with the Department of Defense (DOD), during which DOD officials outlined how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting military readiness and what steps the Department is taking to mitigate and reduce readiness deficits. DOD briefers included: The Honorable Matthew Donovan, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and Lieutenant General Andrew Poppas, Joint Staff Director... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement on President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty:“For years, the United States, together with allies and partners, attempted to engage Russia to resolve concerns about its compliance with the Open Skies Treaty. Russia refused to engage and continued to violate the treaty. Because Putin refuses to change course, I support President Trump’s decision to move... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) joined Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) along with Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) today praised the Senate confirmation of Oklahoma attorney, Mr. John F. Heil, III, to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma.“John Heil will do a fantastic job serving Oklahoma in this new capacity and I am glad the Senate chose to confirm him today,” Inhofe said. “With more than 25 years of law experience in Tulsa County, John truly understands what it takes to serve his fellow... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Environmental and Public Works (EPW) Committee, questioned the Honorable Andrew Wheeler, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency this morning at an EPW hearing entitled, “Oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency.” Inhofe: Nothing has been said so far about the disastrous Obama-era fuel economy standards. We all knew what was happening at that time and I'd like to have you look at the SAFE Vehicle Rule and... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) praised the passage of S. Res. 586, a bipartisan resolution designating this week as National Public Works Week. The resolution encourages the public to recognize and celebrate the important contributions that public works officials make every day to improve public infrastructure in the United States.“Here in Congress, it is essential that we continue to ensure we can defend America and build up and modernize our nation’s... Continue Reading »
Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution to honor the life and legacy of former Oklahoma senator, Dr. Tom Coburn. Inhofe spoke on the Senate floor shortly before its passage to honor his colleague:“Here is the truth – there was no one like Dr. Tom Coburn,” Inhofe said in part. “…In every policy decision, Tom sought to be a faithful steward of the taxpayers' money and a dedicated public servant to Oklahoma. He had an impressive record of service – in the House of Representatives... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) praised the U.S. Treasury Department’s guidance clarifying that rural electric cooperatives with less than 500 employees are eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).“As we continue to battle COVID-19, we know the Paycheck Protection Program is saving jobs and keeping businesses open in Oklahoma. Rural electric cooperatives deliver an essential service – providing power and keeping the lights on for families and businesses in rural America. Despite... Continue Reading »
This week, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) joined U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to introduce a resolution to commemorate National Police Week 2020. Additionally, today, May 15, is Peace Officer Memorial Day, a national day to pay tribute to the local, state and federal officers who have died in the line of duty.“The coronavirus crisis is a reminder of just how truly important the law enforcement community is to the well-being of our nation,” Inhofe said. “While we can never repay them for... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, along with a group of 31 bipartisan Senators, today sent a letter to the five Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioners, expressing concern over the FCC’s order granting Ligado Network’s application to deploy a terrestrial nationwide network that would interfere with the Global Positioning System (GPS) — devastating our military and countless industries that rely on its signals.“We are concerned that the... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) held virtual town halls this week with the Oklahoma Pork Council and the Tulsa Regional Chamber on the COVID-19 response and resources available for families, individuals, small businesses and agriculture producers across the state. Specifically, Inhofe discussed the announcement last month from the Trump administration about steps to alleviate hardships in the agriculture sector with the Oklahoma Pork Council, and talked with the Tulsa Regional Chamber about the... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), called out a decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve Ligado Networks’ request to repurpose spectrum — a move that extensive testing by federal agencies shows will jeopardize Global Position System (GPS) signals that support our military, public safety and over $1 billion in commerce every day.As Prepared for Delivery:Mr. President, by now, it shouldn’t be any surprise that I oppose... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) joined U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to introduce The COVID-19 Accountability Act which authorizes the president to impose sanctions on China if China fails to cooperate and provide a full accounting of the events leading up to the outbreak of COVID-19.“The Chinese Communist Party must be held accountable for the detrimental role they played in this pandemic. Their outright deception of the origin and spread of the virus cost the world valuable time and lives... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), co-chairs of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, praised the Senate passage of S. 249, their legislation that calls for the Secretary of State to develop a strategy for Taiwan to regain observer status in the World Health Organization.“Since 2017, China has blocked Taiwan from participating in the World Health Organization,” Inhofe said. “That is unacceptable—and as we look at the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, China’s diplomatic... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) spoke on the Senate floor today against S.J.Res.68, the War Powers Resolution. As Prepared for Delivery: Just a few short months ago, President Trump made the boldest defense policy decision of his presidency to date: he authorized an air strike against the leader of Iran’s Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, in accordance with his authorities as Commander in Chief under Article II of the U.S. Constitution. Now, let’s remember who Soleimani was. He was a terrorist. He... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned witnesses today at a committee hearing to consider three Department of Defense nominations. Witnesses included: Ambassador Kenneth Braithwaite to be Secretary of the Navy; General Charles Brown to be Chief of Staff of the Air Force; and Dr. James Anderson to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Inhofe: We’ll start off again with you, Ambassador Braithwaite. It’s been very... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned witnesses at a hearing on the Department of Defense’s spectrum policy and the impacts of the Federal Communications Commission’s Ligado decision on national security. In response, witnesses described a process that disregarded years of testing and analysis that led to the Department of Defense and nearly a dozen other federal departments to object to Ligado’s proposal. The witnesses also went into detail... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered opening remarks today at a nomination hearing to consider the nominations of Ambassador Kenneth Braithwaite to be Secretary of the Navy; General Charles Brown to be Chief of Staff of the Air Force; Dr. James Anderson to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. As Prepared for Delivery: Good morning. The Committee meets today to consider the nominations of: Ambassador Kenneth... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, praised the unanimous committee passage of America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 and announced provisions in the legislation that will benefit Oklahoma. Inhofe’s provisions focus on the future of Oklahoma, including the next step in ensuring the Tulsa-West Tulsa Levees project becomes a reality. “We have some welcome news today amidst this crisis,” Inhofe said. “The EPW Committee... Continue Reading »
In opening remarks at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), committee chairman, condemned the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to approve Ligado Networks’s proposal to repurpose spectrum adjacent to Global Positioning System (GPS) frequencies for a terrestrial cellular network — a move that threatens to interfere with signals that support critical military capabilities, public safety, and commerce.Witnesses include: Dana Deasy, Chief... Continue Reading »
