U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on President Biden's intent to nominate the nation’s first-ever National Cyber Director — a position created in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act: “We created the National Cyber Director position in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act to better coordinate cybersecurity efforts across the entire federal government. As we’ve seen in the... Continue Reading »
Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) issued the following joint statement regarding the Biden Administration’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget:“President Biden recently said, ‘If we don’t get moving, [China]... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), lead Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), lead Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, and Todd Young (R-Ind.), lead Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, today sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration to “reset its approach” to Iran following... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today released the following statement on news that U.S. officials will meet next week with senior officials from participant countries to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action: “Despite personal assurances from the Biden administration that they would pursue a different diplomatic approach with Iran, it appears that the administration is instead working to return to the deeply flawed... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) praised the announcement that Altus, Oklahoma, home to Altus Air Force Base, is one of five communities across the country named to the 2021 Class of Great American Defense Communities, the Association of Defense Communities (ADC) announced today in conjunction with USAA, the program’s official sponsor.The communities recognized by the Great American Defense Communities program demonstrate exemplary work in improving the quality of life of military personnel and... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today made the following statement about the Biden-Harris infrastructure proposal:“The Biden-Harris infrastructure proposal is a far cry from what President Biden and I discussed in our White House meeting,” Inhofe said. “President Biden’s plan uses roads and bridges – a truly bipartisan and popular issue – to try to advance the far left’s agenda. Its focus on advancing the environmental left’s vision for the American economy will hurt rural Oklahoma and eliminate... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) joined Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) this week to introduce bipartisan legislation to improve America’s competiveness throughout the African continent by forcing better coordination between U.S. government agencies and departments, establishing comprehensive strategic goals, countering anticompetitive measures by China, and marshaling private investments to improve U.S. exports to Africa. The... Continue Reading »
Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) joined Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Kennedy (R-La.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) in introducing the Natural Gas Export Expansion Act, which eliminates onerous regulations that discourage liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade and increases LNG exports to the over 160 countries in the World Trade Organization (WTO). This legislation offers an effective vehicle to fortify our nation’s energy security, reduce emissions at home and... Continue Reading »
Today, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) questioned witnesses at a Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee hearing entitled: “Oversight of SBA’s COVID-19 Relief Programs.”Witnesses included: Mr. Patrick Kelley, Associate Administrator, Office of Capital Access, Small Business Administration, Washington, D.C; Mr. James Rivera, Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Assistance, Small Business Administration, Washington, D.C.; Honorable Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General, Small... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today questioned witnesses at a SASC hearing on the posture of U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Cyber Command. Witnesses included: Christopher Maier, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict; General Richard D. Clarke, USA, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command; and General Paul M. Nakasone, USA, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command,... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) yesterday joined the McAlester Chamber of Commerce for a video conference: “It’s always a pleasure to speak with the McAlester Chamber of Commerce and hear about the great work being done at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant,” said Inhofe. "This community and instillation are essential in supporting the ammunition abilities and strategic readiness for our entire military. The recent visit by Gen. McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army, only further reinforces... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today delivered opening remarks at a SASC hearing on the posture of U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Cyber Command. Witnesses included: Christopher Maier, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict; General Richard D. Clarke, USA, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command; and General Paul M. Nakasone, USA, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, Director... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today introduced a resolution to simply and plainly state that it is the Sense of the Senate that the current influx of migrants at the southern border of the United States constitutes a crisis. Despite the simplicity of the resolution, it was blocked by Senate Democrats. Cosponsors of the resolution include Sens. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Tom... Continue Reading »
After the Senate Armed Services Committee today voted 13-13 on the question of whether to recommend the confirmation of Colin Kahl to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the 13 Republican members of the committee released the following statements on their unanimous opposition to the nomination: U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), lead Republican of the Senate Armed Services Committee: “The Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee are united in their opposition to... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke on the Senate floor today urging President Biden to provide sustained investment in national defense to deter adversaries like China from using military force. As Prepared for Delivery: I’m down here today to talk about something I’ve talked about many times before, and that’s the need to have a strong defense budget so we deter our adversaries, especially China, away from the possibility of war.But I... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today voted against the Senate confirmation of Shalanda Young to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). “I have the fundamental belief that every person has the right to life, including the unborn,” Inhofe said. “I cannot support the nomination of Shalanda Young, who has sadly shown she does not support life, to help run the office that plays a central role in our government, including overseeing federal agencies and administering the... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement on the nomination of Dr. Colin Kahl to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy: “I appreciate Dr. Kahl’s commitment to public service, but I cannot support his nomination to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy,” Inhofe said. “This is the number-three position at the Pentagon — and the policy role is currently even more important because the United States is... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today questioned Admiral John C. Aquilino, USN, nominated to serve as Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, about two critical elements for deterring China’s use of military force — fielding the F-35 and fifth-generation aircraft and the importance of the United States forward-positioning its forces in the Indo-Pacific. Inhofe: Let me draw on your experiences as a fighter... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) joined Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-01) and a bicameral group of 122 colleagues in sending a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressing their outrage with her brazen efforts to overturn the state-certified election results in Iowa's Second Congressional District and unseat Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02), flouting the will of Iowa voters for her own political gain. "Iowans made their choice known at the ballot box and Congresswoman... Continue Reading »
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today delivered opening remarks at a SASC hearing on the nomination of Admiral John C. Aquilino, USN, to serve as Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command. As Prepared For Delivery: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Admiral Aquilino, we thank you for your decades of service, and for your leadership in the Department of Defense’s priority theater as the commander of U.S.... Continue Reading »
