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Saturday, April 20, 2024
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SOS Cuba

By
Tom Cole
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0

In recent weeks, we have seen courageous Cubans flood the streets across their country. The Cuban people desperately desire to protest the tyranny and incompetence of the communist dictatorship that has ruled their country with an iron hand for 62 years. Their brave protests are demanding the very things most Americans take for granted – free elections, free speech and economic opportunity.

Cuba’s brutal communist regime has been quick to respond to the demonstrations of its own citizens. Protestors have been beaten in the streets, hundreds of non-violent demonstrators have been imprisoned, the internet has been cut off and media outlets have been silenced. Sadly, many western leaders and countries have ignored or soft-pedaled the plight of the Cuban people and the barbarity of the regime that rules this beleaguered island nation.

In our own country, apologists for the Cuban regime in Congress have actually blamed America for the troubles of Cuba. They claim the boycott of Cuba, maintained by multiple administrations of both parties for many decades, is the cause of the current demonstrations. In doing so, they ignore the brutality and ineptitude of the communist clique that has ruled Cuba for six decades. And they also turn a blind eye to Cuba’s efforts to spread its own brand of communism, called “democratic socialism,” across Latin America. Indeed, even as it faces demonstrations in its own streets, Cuba’s communist regime is helping to prop up despotic regimes in Venezuela and Nicaragua.

The struggle of brave and bold Cubans demanding freedom is a sobering reminder of the harsh and oppressive reality of socialism and communism. These seductive ideologies have failed time and time again when put into practice in countries around the world. When Fidel Castro came into power in 1959, Cuba was one of the wealthiest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Castro promised economic prosperity and freedom under the guise of “democratic socialism.” What the Cuban people got instead was economic stagnation and political oppression at the hands of a brutal, self-perpetuating communist dictatorship.

While many Cuban apologists on the American left blame the U.S. embargo for Cuba’s problems, the real culprit is its own communist regime. Indeed, as America’s own thriving Cuban community has demonstrated, when given political freedom and economic opportunity, Cubans, like other people, will thrive and prosper. Indeed, the contrast between the thriving Cuban community in Florida and the miserable plight of Cubans in Cuba itself is convincing proof of the superiority of democratic capitalism over the false promises of communist dictatorship.

I am disappointed that so many members of Congress have been oblivious to the drama taking place in Cuba just 90 miles off our shores. Rather than blaming American policy for the failures of Cuba’s communist regime, they should be encouraging the brave Cuban protestors and urging our government to do what it can to support their protests and rally the world to their cause. As the brightest beacon of hope for freedom and opportunity around the world, the United States must stand with the Cuban people in their fight for democracy. That is why I joined dozens of Republicans last week in urging world leaders to act in support of the Cuban people and their democratic aspirations.

The Cubans flooding their streets while waving American flags is a sobering reminder of the precious freedoms we enjoy and too often take for granted. Indeed, I am struck by the sight of Cubans celebrating the freedoms of America at a time when Americans turn their back on this global symbol of freedom. We should never take the freedoms we enjoy and that our flag embodies and symbolizes for granted. And we should never forget that as Americans we have a special obligation to offer moral and material support to those fighting for these ideals that our flag so proudly represents.

We Still Give Thanks

By
Tom Cole
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0

This has been a very trying year, filled with challenges and difficulties none of us expected to face. While I wish the trials had reached their end, we must hang on and continue to persevere. But as we do, we should also find some comfort in the blessings that exist even in such dark circumstances and recognize the hopeful light at the end of the tunnel. For in times of great abundance or of great hardship, Americans find strength when we come together to give thanks.

Indeed, the unifying American tradition of giving thanks has been woven into our history since before our nation came to be. However, it’s worth noting that Thanksgiving was made a permanent national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln during a period of extreme difficulty and crisis for the United States: The Civil War. In fact, President Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation came just a month and a half before delivering his famous Gettysburg address halfway through the war and amid great uncertainty, uneasiness and what were feared irreconcilable differences. 

As we continue to navigate and seek to overcome the coronavirus crisis of our own time, our Thanksgiving celebrations will look different than we’re used to. Whether we gather around a smaller table or see our loved ones virtually, I hope you’ll join in gratitude not only for each other but for the courage and commitment of those continuing to selflessly serve on the front lines of this awful pandemic.

We are truly indebted to those who have gotten up each day, left their houses and gone out to fulfill several key roles. We’ve seen it in our doctors, nurses and health care workers, who have risked their own lives every day to treat COVID-19 patients as well as those with other illnesses and ailments. We’ve seen it in those transporting essential supplies and making critical deliveries. We’ve seen it in our farmers and ranchers monitoring our food supply, along with workers in food processing facilities, meat packing plants and grocery stores, who are ensuring we have food to eat. We’ve seen it also in our military service members, who are still in the field protecting us at home and abroad. And we’ve seen it in our teachers, who have creatively adapted to educate our children in undesirable circumstances. 

All the while, our incredibly talented scientists and researchers have been working around the clock to discover, develop and deliver a vaccine and life-saving treatments to defeat COVID-19 and restore our way of life. In just the last few weeks, very promising data has been released about the effectiveness of three potential vaccines, including one developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, one by Moderna and another by AstraZeneca. In test trials for Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, both vaccine candidates have shown to be more than 94 percent effective and the latest data from AstraZeneca’s vaccine developed by Oxford University reveals up to 90 percent efficacy, which is outstanding news. And thanks to Operation Warp Speed initiated by the Trump Administration in mid-May of this year, these companies already have contracts with the federal government to provide 100 million doses of their vaccines. That means that once the vaccines are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use, they can immediately start reaching Americans and saving lives. 

Although we are not out of the woods of the pandemic yet and the losses of this year have been difficult to bear, there is still a lot to be grateful for as a nation this Thanksgiving.

The Oak Ridge Boys Remember President George H.W. Bush

By
Curtis Plant
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0

What can we say that hasn’t been said or WILL be said about the loss of President George Herbert Walker Bush… That he was the 41st President of these United States…. That he was a selfless Naval pilot in the South Pacific… That he was an Ambassador to China… the head of the CIA… a Vice President… a leader… a hero… an example of being a gentlemanly force on the world stage… That he was fortunate enough to have been married to one of the most wonderful women who ever walked this planet? Yes, all of this has been said and will be alluded too with great respect over the next week or so, over and over, by dignitaries and everyday Americans such as ourselves. But how about the fact that he loved Country music and for decades we, The Oak Ridge Boys, were among his favorites.

We started to sing for him in 1982 when he was VP, and we have been singing for him ever since. We have performed our songs on Air Force One, in Kennebunkport many times, and at his home in Houston, whenever we were in the area. We have performed at the White House and several of his key birthday celebrations. But more than any of that, he was a friend. A good friend … a dear friend… we would even call him and sing to him when he wasn’t feeling well and Barbara swore that we had a healing effect on our FRIEND. To say he will be missed is an understatement so let us just say that we will miss our friend. We have laughed together, shared tears together, fished together, hiked together, shared a lot of lobster together, and sang together. Yes… he fancied himself to be quite the bass singer. We loved George Bush #41. Our families loved him. We are better people and, yes, better Americans for having ridden with him. We WILL sing for him again one day. THIS is ASSURED!

Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban, Joe Bonsall
The Oak Ridge Boys

Today, when I put on a clean t-shirt, getting ready for our Christmas show in Cheyenne, WY, I did not notice that the words on the shirt read, “Bush Protection Secret Service, Houston.” It was one of 31 t-shirts in my closet.

When we got off stage, and announcements were all over TV, a huge empty feeling consumed my heart. I remembered how much I had wanted to go fishing with him… And then that happened many times. He took me out into the ocean about 20 miles “where the big blues run,” and we caught so many fish I quit counting. When a big one broke my line, he handed me his rod and reel and said, “Use mine. I will put you on another lure.”

He was like a daddy figure to me, and he was all about making everyone around him have a good time. The sting of death always hurts, but I have so many memories to make me smile. The Oak Ridge Boys have sung “Amazing Grace” for him on Air Force One, in Kennebunkport, at the White House, and over the phone when he was in the hospital. However, singing “Amazing Grace” at his funeral will be the most difficult assignment we will ever have.

– Duane Allen, The Oak Ridge Boys

 

Let me tell you about a prayer God answered for me once in the North Atlantic. President Bush 41 had screamed about five miles straight out into the ocean in his boat, Fidelity, before he shut her down to catch some bluefish. We were so far out that all that was visible was rolling blue water, and that, along with the fish smell, was making my stomach turn. I’ve had plenty of experience deep sea fishing, and I’ve also had plenty of experience hurling over the side of a boat at sea—and that was about to happen aboard a presidential vessel.

I was in the seat up front, out of his view, and I began to pray in earnest. “Oh God, please don’t let me be sick out here. I can’t blow chunks over the side in front of the president…please, Lord…please.” God answered my prayers, and my churning stomach calmed. I am forever grateful. I even caught a few fish before 41 headed back to Walker’s Point. The sea breeze felt wonderful on my face on the trip back, and I was feeling pretty good about everything until the president turned to me and said. “You got a little green around the gills out there didn’t you, Joe?”

How could I even begin to think I could hide something like that from a former head of the CIA?

– Excerpt from ‘On The Road With The Oak Ridge Boys’ by Joe Bonsall
About The Oak Ridge Boys:
The Oak Ridge Boys, who have sold over 41 million units worldwide, are synonymous with “America, apple pie, baseball, pop, rock, gospel and country music.” In addition to their awards and accolades in the country and pop music fields, they have garnered five GRAMMY® Awards and twelve GMA DOVE Awards as well as the Mainstream Artist of the Year Award at the ICM Awards. The group—Joe Bonsall, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban—have earned prestigious membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame (2015 Inductees) and Grand Ole Opry, and are known worldwide as one of recording history’s most extraordinary musical successes. They have charted single after single and album after album, celebrating one double-platinum album and one double-platinum single and more than 30 Top 10 hits, including No. 1 chart-toppers “Elvira,” “Bobbie Sue,” “Thank God For Kids,” “American Made,” “Y’All Come Back Saloon,” among dozens more. For more information and to view upcoming tour dates for The Oak Ridge Boys, please visit oakridgeboys.com.

Thankful for Our Service Members

By
Tom Cole
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0

Throughout Military Appreciation Month, we reflect on the tremendous sacrifices of our service members, past and present, and pay respects to them and their families. The United States of America is indebted to them for their service. Beginning in 1775, our precious sons and daughters have stood ready to fight for our freedom and the values of democracy at home and abroad. This month we say thank you.

As the son of a career Air Force veteran, I grew up seeing firsthand the sacrifices made by our military men and women. These brave individuals and their families undoubtedly understand the meaning of patriotism and know more of sacrifice than many of us will realize in a lifetime. In answering the call to serve, members of our military will miss weddings, funerals or the births of their own children. Others will even pay the ultimate sacrifice. Because of this, we must remain committed to providing current and past members of our military with the best resources and as a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in the House, that is always a top priority of mine.

This begins with ensuring our military is fully prepared and ready at a moment’s notice when called to action. We cannot let them down and must adequately fund our military to provide the best training, weaponry and other resources to keep them safe in the line of duty. Our nation’s defense, and in many cases that of our allies and friends around the world, depends on it. We owe each service member the best chance of success when they leave home to fight for us. 

Additionally, just as we prepare members of our military for their service, our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and guardians should be able to do their job and know that their families are well tended while they are away. Military families need to have the best benefits, housing, schools and childcare facilities we can provide.

Finally, it is not enough to simply care for them while in uniform. Our veteran heroes deserve our support as they rejoin the communities they came from. This includes the right programs to assist them with the transition from the profession of arms into another meaningful vocation where they can provide for their families and enjoy a well-deserved quality of life. And while rejoining society, access to the right mental care, improving diagnosis of myriad ailments when they are most treatable and making sure our servicemembers can always get to a medical provider should be considered essential goals.

We can never do enough as a Congress and a nation to support the members of our military, and we honor the countless men and women who have selflessly answered the call of duty and in so doing pledged to relentlessly defend liberty and protect our homeland. Our fighting men and women are the best in the world and deserving of every bit of our gratitude. I certainly will continue fighting on their behalf in Congress just as they have done for us around the world. 

Cole Votes to Protect the Unborn

By
Tom Cole
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0

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), a member of the Pro-Life Caucus, issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3755. Although the legislation purports to simply codify in statute the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, it would in practice preempt any state laws regarding the protection of unborn life. Cole voted against the legislation.

“Make no mistake. H.R. 3755 is an abortion-on-demand bill masked by Democrats as legislation to strengthen women’s healthcare,” said Cole. “If enacted into law, this bill would effectively remove the rights of individual states to pass laws to protect the lives of unborn children. Indeed, this bill represents the greatest threat to defending innocent life that we have seen in the past 50 years.

“Instead of allowing commonsense regulations to protect the unborn, every single state in the country would be required to allow abortion on demand at any time up to the point of birth. States would also no longer be allowed to protect the conscience rights of Americans, to ban certain barbaric procedures such as dismemberment abortion or to prevent sex-selective abortions or abortions targeting fetuses with Down Syndrome, which 70 percent of American oppose.

“Defending life, particularly for the most vulnerable among us, is one of my highest priorities as a Member of Congress. As enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the right to life is one of those unalienable rights endowed by our Creator. It is with that in mind that I strenuously oppose this bill and urge Democrats to change course.”

Earlier this week on the House floor, while managing rule debate providing for consideration of H.R. 3755, Cole made remarks in opposition to the legislation. Video is available here.

USDA to Invest in Supply Chain

By
News Release
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0

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 – Citing lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and recent supply chain disruptions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced plans to invest more than $4 billion to strengthen critical supply chains through the Build Back Better initiative. The new effort will strengthen the food system, create new market opportunities, tackle the climate crisis, help communities that have been left behind, and support good-paying jobs throughout the supply chain. Today’s announcement supports the Biden Administration’s broader work on strengthening the resilience of critical supply chains as directed by Executive Order 14017 America’s Supply Chains. Funding is provided by the American Rescue Plan Act and earlier pandemic assistance such as the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

Secretary Vilsack was also named co-chair of the Administration’s new Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. The Task Force will provide a whole of government response to address near-term supply chain challenges to the economic recovery. The Task Force will convene stakeholders to diagnose problems and surface solutions—large and small, public or private—that could help alleviate bottlenecks and supply constraints related to the economy’s reopening after the Administration’s historic vaccination and economic relief efforts.
USDA will invest more than $4 billion to strengthen the food system, support food production, improved processing, investments in distribution and aggregation, and market opportunities. Through the Build Back Better initiative, USDA will help to ensure the food system of the future is fair, competitive, distributed, and resilient; supports health with access to healthy, affordable food; ensures growers and workers receive a greater share of the food dollar; and advances equity as well as climate resilience and mitigation. While the Build Back Better initiative addresses near- and long-term issues, recent events have exposed the immediate need for action. With attention to competition and investments in additional small- and medium-sized meat processing capacity, the Build Back Better initiative will spur economic opportunity while increasing resilience and certainty for producers and consumers alike.
“The COVID-19 pandemic led to massive disruption for growers and food workers. It exposed a food system that was rigid, consolidated, and fragile. Meanwhile, those growing, processing and preparing our food are earning less each year in a system that rewards size over all else,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The Build Back Better initiative will make meaningful investments to build a food system that is more resilient against shocks, delivers greater value to growers and workers, and offers consumers an affordable selection of healthy food produced and sourced locally and regionally by farmers and processors from diverse backgrounds. I am confident USDA’s investments will spur billions more in leveraged funding from the private sector and others as this initiative gains traction across the country. I look forward to getting to work as co-chair of the new Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and help to mobilize a whole-of-government effort to address the short-term supply challenges our country faces as it recovers.”
The Build Back Better Initiative will strengthen and transform critical parts of the U.S. food system. As it makes investments through this initiative, USDA will also seek to increase transparency and competition with attention to how certain types of conduct in the livestock markets and the meat processing sector have resulted in thinly-traded markets and unfair treatment of some farmers, ranchers and small processors. Among other investments in the food system and food supply chain, Build Back Better will specifically address the shortage of small meat processing facilities across the country as well as the necessary local and regional food system infrastructure needed to support them.
Funding announcements under the Build Back Better initiative will include a mix of grants, loans, and innovative financing mechanisms for the following priorities, each of which includes mechanisms to tackle the climate crisis and help communities that have been left behind, including:

  1. Food Production: Food production relies on growers, including farmers and ranchers, workers, and critical inputs. But a diminishing share of the food dollar goes to these essential workers. USDA will invest in the current and future generation of food producers and workers throughout the food system with direct assistance, grants, training and technical assistance, and more.
  2. Food Processing: The pandemic highlighted challenges with consolidated processing capacity. It created supply bottlenecks, which led to a drop in effective plant and slaughter capacity. Small and midsize farmers often struggled to compete for processing access. USDA will make investments to support new and expanded regional processing capacity.
  3. Food Distribution & Aggregation: Food aggregation and distribution relies on people working together throughout the food system and having the right infrastructure to gather, move and hold the food where and when it is needed. This system was stressed during the pandemic due to long shipping distances and lack of investment in local and regional capacity. USDA will make investments in food system infrastructure that can remain resilient, flexible and responsive.
  4. Markets & Consumers: The U.S. spends more on health care and less on food than any other high-income nation; yet the U.S. has higher rates of diet-related illness and a lower life expectancy than those nations. At the same time, many socially disadvantaged and small and mid-sized producers do not have equitable access to markets. USDA will support new and expanded access to markets for a diversity of growers while helping eaters access healthy foods.

USDA will continue to make announcements through the Build Back Better initiative in the months to come. Today’s announcement is in addition to the $1 billion announced last week to purchase healthy food for food insecure Americans and build food bank capacity, putting the total announced thus far at more than $5 billion.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

Cole Votes Against D.C. Statehood

By
Tom Cole
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0

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted on H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. Passed along party lines by a vote of 216-208, Cole opposed the legislation related to granting statehood to the District of Columbia. 

“At its core, H.R. 51 has nothing to do with ensuring proper representation for the residents of the District of Columbia and everything to do with Democrats hoping to seize more favorable power in Congress,” said Cole. “But more alarming, the action outlined by the legislation is unconstitutional and would undermine the 23rd Amendment, which describes a District – not beholden to any state – to serve as the seat of our nation’s government.

“While it is certainly important for all Americans to feel fully represented in their national government, there are other solutions for the District of Columbia’s residents that are both fair and, more importantly, actually constitutional. For example, in 1846, Congress reinstated Virginia’s control of Arlington and Alexandria to provide representation to citizens living in those areas. The same could be done now if areas of D.C. were to become part of the nearby state of Maryland. However, that sort of constitutional solution wouldn’t deliver the intended power grab Democrats are hoping to achieve in their push to make D.C. the 51st state.”

A Vaccine in Record Time

By
Tom Cole
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0

When this year began, none of us expected to face a global pandemic that would steal hundreds of thousands of American lives, inflict unprecedented damage on our economy, disrupt business as usual and uproot life as we know it. But although the United States certainly did not create the coronavirus crisis, our country has led in the mission to eliminate the virus and restore our way of life by seeking to deliver a vaccine in record time. As we celebrate Christmas this week and look toward 2021, I am grateful that vaccines are already beginning to reach frontline health care workers and the most vulnerable in our communities, providing hope for better days ahead.

I urge you not to miss how remarkable this achievement is for our country and for humanity. Historically, delivery of a vaccine has never been completed in less than a year. In fact, while the fastest a vaccine has been discovered and deployed is four years, the vaccine development process usually takes as long as 10-15 years. But thanks to Operation Warp Speed (OWS), two vaccines are now ready to aid in the fight against COVID-19, with more likely to be approved for emergency use in the coming days and months. 

As you might know, OWS was initiated by the Trump Administration in mid-May and established a public-private partnership between relevant federal agencies – including the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense – and pharmaceutical companies. Since it was created, OWS has not only supported some of the scientific vaccine research but it has enabled more rapid development and testing of vaccine candidates. This accelerated timeline is not from cutting corners or sacrificing safety. It is made possible by smart adaptations to the usual process. Notably, OWS has allowed promising vaccine candidates to undergo clinical trials at essentially the same time as regulatory approval and preparation for mass production. Moreover, OWS has led to the pre-purchase of hundreds of millions of doses. That means that once a vaccine candidate is deemed safe and effective and approved for emergency use, it can be distributed almost immediately.

Indeed, we have already begun to see this rapid distribution happen with the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech and with Moderna’s soon to follow. Because the federal government pre-purchased hundreds of millions of vaccine doses months ago, manufacturing could take place at the same time as clinical trials. Since the testing and manufacturing steps in the process were simultaneous, that enabled the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to start shipping out immediately after receiving emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The first doses arrived in Oklahoma just a few days later and reached Lawton’s own Comanche County Memorial Hospital, where the ultra-cold freezer necessary is available and can serve as a safe and central storage site supporting distribution efforts in Southwest Oklahoma.

At the recommendation of the Office of the Attending Physician and to demonstrate my total confidence in our nation’s vaccine efforts, I received my first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine over the weekend. While vaccinations are a personal decision, defeating this terrible coronavirus is a war we must fight and win together. We can all do our part by taking the free-of-charge vaccine as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, please continue taking the same practical precautions we have learned this year to slow the spread of COVID-19. Please continue to wear a mask, social distance and frequently wash your hands. For details and ongoing updates on Oklahoma’s four-phase vaccine distribution plan, please visit oklahoma.gov/covid19/vaccine-information.

Lankford Holds IRS Accountable for Data Leaks, Targeting, Months of Backlogs

By
News Release
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0

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK), who serves on the Senate Finance Committee, today sent a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig concerning the IRS’s ability to process Americans’ private information in a safe and timely way, and the many troublesome issues facing the agency. Lankford’s letter presses the IRS for answers about the ProPublica data leak, the targeting of religious organizations seeking tax-exempt status, IT security failures, return processing backlogs, and Democrats’ proposed billions in “enforcement” funds and ongoing attempts to force Americans to have their bank accounts tracked by the IRS.

Lankford wrote in his letter, “As we enter the tax filing season, it is important that American taxpayers believe that their privacy will be protected by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and that all taxpayers will obtain unbiased treatment from the agency. Unfortunately, recent events have called into question assurances of privacy protection and fairness… As disclosures, security flaws, and backlogs continue, the secure, neutral, and efficient processing of taxpayer information must be prioritized.”

Lankford continues to be a leader in ensuring the IRS remains apolitical and receives and processes Americans’ tax information with privacy, data security, neutrality, and objective fairness at the forefront. Lankford joined Finance Committee Republicans in sending a letter to Commissioner Rettig for information on a recent collaboration with the non-profit group Code for America (CFA), a partnership aimed at helping Americans file for Democrats’ expanded child tax credits, to ensure that the appropriate privacy protections are in place for taxpayers.

Lankford has previously raised security concerns with the ProPublica data leak, which disclosed confidential, private, and legally protected taxpayer information. Lankford continues to remain concerned that the IRS and the Biden Administration are showing little regard about the chaotic handling of private taxpayer data. Lankford continues to protect Oklahomans against Democrats’ campaign to monitor Americans’ bank accounts, place taxpayer finances in a surveillance dragnet, and provide massive, additional mandatory funding to IRS for an army of IRS agents.

Lankford led a letter to Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George requesting a review of the IRS’s processes for making tax-exempt status determinations, and the apparent failure of quality controls in the case of the Christians Engaged religious organization. 

You can view the full letter HERE or below:

Dear Commissioner Rettig:

As we enter the tax filing season, it is important that American taxpayers believe that their privacy will be protected by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and that all taxpayers will obtain unbiased treatment from the agency. Unfortunately, recent events have called into question assurances of privacy protection and fairness. I write today to express concern about the IRS’s ability to process Americans’ private information in a secure, neutral, and efficient fashion. 

On June 8, 2021, the media outlet ProPublica published an article titled “The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax.” This article, the first in a series of politicized articles identifying individual taxpayers’ identities, states that ProPublica has obtained a “vast trove” of IRS data on the returns of thousands of Americans, covering more than 15 years. Such information is legally protected and is supposed to be kept private and confidential by the IRS and the Treasury Department.

These articles, aligning closely with specific partisan objectives and targeting individuals by name, is sadly reminiscent of the IRS’s mismanagement and targeting of conservative nonprofit organizations during the Obama Administration. While the inappropriate targeting of applicants for tax-exempt status by IRS employees took place nearly a decade ago, the recent consideration of Christians Engaged’s tax-exempt status application has, yet again, called into question the neutral and respectful fashion of IRS reviews. While the IRS has assured my staff that applications for tax-exempt status are to be reviewed in a neutral fashion, void of politics or an agent’s personal beliefs, and with adherence to the law and facts of each application at the forefront, the perceived hostility towards Christians Engaged as they sought tax-exempt status and the continued publication of private taxpayer data has generated concern for the IRS’s impartial and secure consideration of taxpayer data. 

To date, Congress has not been provided any substantive data regarding the alleged massive leak of taxpayer information to ProPublica. While I understand that investigations into these publications are underway, the responses I have received from this Administration to date, including your agency, are unsatisfactory. Despite ProPublica’s consistent claims of having “secret IRS data,” the IRS has not been able to determine whether there has been a data breach or even a threat of a data breach. Our tax system of voluntary compliance relies on the American public’s confidence in a secure and impartial Internal Revenue Service. Unfortunately, this Administration’s appearance of causal indifference to this issue undermines such confidence and threatens the public’s trust.

I am also concerned about recent findings from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) showing that IT operational challenges and security flaws at the IRS are threatening the agency’s ability to complete its mission, and specifically, could risk unauthorized access to taxpayer information. For example, just recently, in TIGTA’s Annual Assessment of the IRS’s Information Technology Program for Fiscal Year 2021, TIGTA declared that “Until the IRS takes steps to improve its security program deficiencies and fully implement all security program components in compliance with FISMA requirements, taxpayer data could be vulnerable to inappropriate and undetected use, modification, or disclosure.” This is of great concern.

On top of this, I continue to hear from constituents experiencing refund delays and difficulty contacting the IRS, unable to get issues resolved. It is my understanding that as of December 31, 2021, the IRS had 6 million unprocessed individual returns, and that in some instances it may take 90 to 120 days to issue a refund. For amended returns, the wait is even longer. I understand the broad impact of COVID-19 on IRS operations, along with the slate of new responsibilities the agency has been tasked with, however, with the start of this year’s filing season on January 24, I am concerned about the difficulties taxpayers will face this tax season.

While Treasury officials, in reference to this tax filing season, warn of “enormous challenges” and a “frustrating season,” it seems clear that this Administration, instead of surveilling bank accounts and boosting audits, should instead prioritize the efficient and secure processing of taxpayer information. It is wildly inappropriate for this Administration to call for extensive financial account reporting requirements and billions in enforcement funds at a time when we do not have assurances that the taxpayer data the IRS already collects is secure or evidence that the IRS can process incoming data efficiently. Instead of sending agents after everyday Americans, improving taxpayer services, safeguarding taxpayer information, and eliminating backlogs should be the priority. 

As disclosures, security flaws, and backlogs continue, the secure, neutral, and efficient processing of taxpayer information must be prioritized. As a Member of the Senate Finance Committee, with oversight over the IRS, I ask that you please provide my staff and I continued updates on all of the issues I have outlined above. 

Thank you for your attention to these matters.

In God We Trust,

Congress Is At The Forefront Of The Fight Against Opioids

By
Tom Cole
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0

In recent years, our country has been ravaged by a deadly epidemic that is destroying communities and families alike. The opioid crisis has been a devastating battle for Americans young and old, and combatting this epidemic has become one of the most significant challenges facing families and communities across the nation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 115 American die each day from an opiate overdose. That is one American every 13 minutes. In fact, drug overdoses are the leading cause of death among Americans under 50. Sadly, the most significant contributor to this alarming fact is the misuse and abuse of opioids. Prescription drugs like oxycodone, codeine and morphine have become readily available through illegal channels and are being distributed without supervision from a prescribing health professional. Addiction to opioids, as well as illicit use of heroin and fentanyl, have led to the deaths of over 50,000 Americans in just one year.

Congress has worked diligently to find multiple ways to combat this killer. Numerous pieces of legislation have been passed and signed into law to establish new sets of regulations and reforms for the medical industry. Additionally, many parts of passed legislation are aimed at creating new health programs to support communities nation-wide.

Significantly, the House Appropriations Committee has made it a priority to fund programs that target combating opioid abuse. Since Fiscal Year 2015, the Committee has made significant increases in federal funds directed toward opioid prevention and response programs. As Chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, I have worked to ensure that the subcommittee secures substantial funding to address opioid and heroin abuse. In the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus spending bill, passed into law last December, the subcommittee allocated over $3.72 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services specific to combat opioid abuse. This includes supporting the numerous medical programs and research programs within the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health that are targeted toward treatment, prevention and care of opioid abuse.

We are fortunate in Congress to have a working relationship with President Trump on addressing this issue. The President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis has been a solid catalyst in bringing light to this issue to millions of Americans. And I am proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to combat opioid abuse from the ground-up. Collectively, our work can help promote education and policy solutions that can widen the scope and impact that Congress has on fighting the epidemic efficiently.

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