WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today cosponsored the Down Payment to Protect National Security Act of 2013 offered by Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). Companion legislation has been offered in the U.S. House by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA). The legislation would pay for the first year of sequestration by requiring a government-wide reduction in the number of federal... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a senior member of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works (EPW), sent a letter to Administrator Lisa Jackson asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise the proposed worst case scenario modeling guidelines of the 1-hour Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). “We have manufacturing and industrial facilities throughout Oklahoma that will be forced to abide by new EPA rules... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) submitted the following statement for a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee oversight hearing on the implementation of the Corps of Engineers water resources policies. “Thank you, Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Vitter, for holding this hearing and allowing committee members to receive testimony on the implementation of Corps of Engineers’ water resource policies. I also would like to thank Assistant Secretary Darcy and... Continue Reading »
"Thank you, Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Vitter, for holding this hearing and allowing committee members to receive testimony on the Habor Maintenance Trust Fund. I also would like to thank Assistant Secretary Darcy for testifying before us this morning, as well as the four gentlemen who will be joining us during the second panel -- this committee greatly appreciates you and relies on your expertise, so thank you very much for being here. "I would like to also take a moment to thank the... Continue Reading »
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I join you in welcoming Senator Hagel before this committee and appreciate his continued willingness to serve the United States and the men and women of our Armed Forces. “Before I continue with my opening statement, I’d like to raise concern about the sufficiency of the materials provided to this committee by our nominee. Senator Hagel only provided four speeches to the committee even though his financial disclosure form reveals that he received... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today voted against H.R. 325, which would increase the debt limit through May 19, 2013. The bill passed the Senate 64-33. “While I am pleased this bill included an enforcement mechanism that will require Senate Democrats to pass a budget, this bill provided a debt limit increase without any spending cuts,” said Inhofe. “After we addressed tax policy with the deal to avert the fiscal cliff earlier this year, my... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of Senate Armed Services Committee, today introduced legislation to conditionally suspend certain military sales to Egypt, including the F-16. "For months, I have been calling on the President and his Administration to delay F-16 deliveries to Egypt," said Inhofe. "I still am insisting the Administration suspend this transaction to Egypt. Today there was an effort on the Senate floor to cut off all sales of... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today warned of potential devastating impacts to Oklahoma’s defense sector should sequestration go unaddressed by the President. “During the presidential campaign, Obama said ‘sequestration will not happen,’ even going so far as to pressure the defense sector to disregard the WARN Act and delay issuing pink slips until after the election. Yet here we are... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today made the following statement after casting a no vote on the nomination of Sen. John Kerry for Secretary of State: “I have known Sen. Kerry for many years and consider him a friend, however, I am simply too philosophically opposed on the issues to support his nomination,” said Inhofe. “I do not believe that Kerry is a strong advocate of U.S. sovereignty, but favors expanding the powers of the United Nations at the... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today highlighted the successful test flight of the Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) by the Missile Defense Agency over the weekend. The GBI is the missile deployed to protect the United States homeland against limited ballistic missile threats from countries such as North Korea and Iran. “This test is particularly timely in light of recent threats from North... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – In an ongoing effort to delay the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Egypt, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of Senate Armed Services Committee, today sent a letter to President Obama expressing his concern and disappointment in the State Department’s decision to move forward with the delivery despite instability in the region and change of leadership. Inhofe requested the president take action to delay any remaining F-16s to Egypt until Congress has... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – On the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) commended the hundreds of Oklahomans and thousands more Americans who gathered in the nation’s capital to March for Life. “Our nation was founded on the rights of ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’ yet we have snuffed out more than 54 million American lives since Roe v. Wade,” said Inhofe. “The Obama administration's abortion mantra of a women's right to... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s ruling that President Obama’s “recess” appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) were unconstitutional: “The president knowingly tested the limits for making these controversial NLRB recess appointments, and I applaud the U.S. Court of Appeals’ ruling today that reaffirms his actions were... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), incoming ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, following a briefing with Defense officials today commented on the announcement that Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will make later today on the topic of women in combat positions. “I was on the House Committee in 1994 when Les Aspin first made these changes,” said Inhofe. “Because that policy has worked so well for so long, I am concerned about the... Continue Reading »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), incoming ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today responded to the leaked news that the Department of Defense will lift the direct combat exclusion rule for women in the military. “It is unacceptable that information on the Defense Department’s plans related to women in combat was leaked prior to Congress being briefed,” said Inhofe. “As a result we don’t yet know the details of this... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today praised a recent National Economic Research Associates report on Liquefied Natural Gas exports in a letter to Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Inhofe’s letter calls on Chu to stand behind and weigh heavily the report while moving as expeditiously as possible to approve LNG export applications pending his review. “Our nation is enjoying a boom in... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the U.S. begins delivery today of F-16 aircrafts to Egypt, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed concern for U.S. State Department’s response to his request to delay F-16 delivery. “President Morsi has failed to promote promised democracy in his country and neglected to continue Egypt’s legacy of maintaining peace in the region,” said Inhofe. “I am alarmed and disappointed in... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) met Friday with Dr. Rajiv Shah, the Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in Yetebon, Ethiopia. They toured Project Mercy during a Congressional Delegation trip that included stops in Asia and Africa. Project Mercy is a USAID/Ethiopia-supported non-government organization (NGO) 80 miles southwest of Addis Ababa working to break the cycle of famine and poverty through its relief and community... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today reacted to President Obama’s announcement on guns that includes both Executive Orders and the pursuit of legislation through Congress. “While we mourn with those who have lost loved ones, in no way should the actions of those few who act illegally impact the constitutional rights of the many,” said Inhofe. “I will continue to strongly oppose any effort to undermine the Second Amendment and an individual... Continue Reading »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), incoming Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today met with former Senator Chuck Hagel, President Obama’s nominee to be the next Secretary of Defense. Following the meeting, Inhofe released the following statement: “Chuck Hagel is a good person, and it was a pleasure to serve with him in the United States Senate. I am so very appreciative of the sacrifices he and his brother made to serve... Continue Reading »
