WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an ongoing effort to protect air traffic control towers from being closed due to sequestration, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today made the following statement on the introduction of the Protect Our Skies Act, bipartisan legislation of which he is an original cosponsor: "Just a few years ago, the FAA efficiently operated its contract control towers program with $200 million less in its agency budget than it is funded at... Continue Reading »
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I join you in welcoming our witnesses and thank them for their many years of dedicated service to our nation. “The purpose of our hearing today is to discuss the Fiscal Year 2014 budget request for the Defense Department. This request comes at a time when our military is facing unprecedented challenges categorized by escalating threats abroad and a brewing budget crisis here at... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) issued the following statement on the bombing attack during the Boston Marathon: “My prayers and those of all Oklahomans are with those who lost loved ones and those who were injured after the malicious and cowardly attacks in Boston. We owe a debt of gratitude to our heroic first responders and others on the scene who in the midst of uncertainty rushed to help those in need. “The tragic events in Boston come nearly 18 years to the day... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) yesterday was awarded the 2013 Congressional Leadership award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for promoting policies and legislation that advance domestic and international economic development. “I have long believed that the key to building a strong economy must involve less federal regulations, a well-supported transportation infrastructure, and a strong national... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), today received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Spirit of Enterprise” award for his support of pro-business issues during the second session of the 112th Congress. “I am proud to support and advance legislation that will strengthen and expand economic opportunities for all Americans,” said Inhofe. “We must remember that government is intended to help advance communities, but too often... Continue Reading »
"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the bombings yesterday in Boston." "I join you in welcoming General Dunford. General, I thank you for your continued willingness to go into harm’s way in order to serve the country. Please ensure the brave men and women you lead in Afghanistan know how grateful we are for their sacrifice, and that of their families. "As we discussed in my... Continue Reading »
Washington, DC – U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) today applauded the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps for restarting the tuition assistance program for servicemembers. Inhofe and Hagan successfully passed a bipartisan amendment last month requiring the Services to reinstate the program. "I applaud the Services' decision to restore tuition assistance in full for our active-duty military members, an... Continue Reading »
STATEMENT AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY: “Ms. McCarthy, I enjoyed meeting with you a few weeks ago, and as we discussed I enjoyed a constructive, candid relationship with Lisa Jackson. If you are confirmed, I look forward to having a similar relationship with you. “But I am very concerned about the direction the EPA, and particularly the Air Office, has gone under your leadership. Americans want energy independence, and I believe we have the domestic resources to achieve that... Continue Reading »
"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I join you in welcoming General Breedlove, who has amassed an impressive record of service. General, I thank you for your continued willingness to serve the country. Please ensure the brave men and women you lead know how grateful we are for their sacrifice, and that of their families, on behalf of our national security. "General Breedlove, we no longer have the luxury of operating in a bipolar world as we did during the Cold War- when you were cutting your teeth as a... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today made the following statement in response to President Obama’s fiscal year 2014 budget request: “As we have come to expect, the president’s budget request today is all fantasy and comes nowhere close to addressing the reality of our unstable economy. It spends $46.5 trillion over the next ten years, never cuts spending, and never balances. He raises taxes by $1.1 trillion on hardworking Americans. He targets the... Continue Reading »
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Admiral Locklear: thank you for your many years of service and for what you do every day to defend the nation. On behalf of the committee, please convey to the men and women standing watch on the Korean Peninsula and around the Pacific how grateful we are for their sacrifice, and that of their families. The recent belligerent actions of North Korea highlight the stark disparity between the Obama administration’s triumphant declaration that the tide of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to request an update and timeline for the Department of Defense’s (DOD) implementation plan for reinstating the Tuition Assistance (TA) program for service members. The letter comes after Congress passed a law requiring the service chiefs to reinstate the tuition... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) made the following statement after meeting with Customs and Border Patrol officials in Brownsville, Texas, and touring the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday: “Any immigration reform legislation Congress considers in the coming months must prioritize securing our borders and creating an effective system that tracks whether those entering on temporary visas have left the country,” said Inhofe. “With the president drastically... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) a senior member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today issued the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement to move forward with implementing Tier 3 regulations: “I remain concerned that the EPA's overly stringent requirements will impact prices at the pump for hardworking Americans,” said Inhofe. “I look forward to discussing EPA's... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) signed a letter with Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D- Nev.) pledging to oppose any legislation that increases gun restrictions. “Instead of promoting legislation that will only infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens, the president should focus on enforcing the laws that are already in place,” said Inhofe. "My... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) issued the following statement after voting against the Senate's budget resolution for fiscal year 2014. The legislation passed today by a vote of 50 to 49. "For the first time in years the Senate has passed a budget and did so in an open and public process. This was long overdue, but it was to no surprise that from the onset the majority presented us with a budget driven by more than a trillion dollars in tax hikes and... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced two amendments Thursday to the Senate Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2014 to help protect and preserve the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Amendment 139 would establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for the purpose of preventing the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, a treaty currently being negotiated by U.S. State Department officials. “The U.N. Arms... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of Senate Armed Services Committee, today introduced amendment 358 to the Senate Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2014 that establishes a $16 billion overseas contingency operations (OCO) fund, or emergency fund, to address irrecoverable impacts on the Department of Defense (DOD) incurred as a result of sequestration: “My amendment exposes the unfortunate reality that sequestering the Defense Department will not save... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today filed seven energy and environment-related amendments to the Senate Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2014. “Federal agencies such as the EPA have become too powerful under the Obama administration, and they are using their unbridled authority to enact rules and regulations at will that are hindering job growth and crushing our economy,” said... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced an amendment to the Senate Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2014 that would prevent small-community banks from having to comply with international banking regulations intended for larger institutions: "Since the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act, Oklahoma's small community banks have been entrenched in regulations that have caused their compliance costs to go up by as much as 40 percent," said Inhofe. "Now they are being... Continue Reading »
