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Cole Remembers September 11, 2001

By
Tom Cole
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Norman, OK – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) remembered the tragedy of September 11, 2001, when planes were hijacked by terrorists and crashed into the World Trade Centers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and in a field near Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania.

“It is hard to believe nineteen years have passed since the despicable terrorist attacks that senselessly claimed precious lives and sought to shatter our sense of safety and security,” said Cole. “Our nation will forever mourn the Americans whose lives were prematurely and viciously taken on September 11, 2001, and we will always remember the numerous heroes who arose in the aftermath of the crisis.

“Though our nation was shaken and heartbroken, we were not destroyed and we were not intimidated. Indeed, Americans quickly proved the power of our strength, resilience and resolve. We showed the world that, even on one of our darkest days, we will always unite and always prevail. Certainly, it is that same American spirit that will help see us through this coronavirus crisis as well.”

Senator Lankford Statement on President’s Decision to Withdraw From Iran Deal

By
James Lankford
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WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today made the following statement on the President’s decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also called the Iran Nuclear Deal, and impose additional sanctions on Iran.

“The Iran nuclear agreement, designed and agreed to by President Obama, had major flaws from the beginning. The agreement gave permanent tariff relief to Iran in exchange for temporary restrictions on its nuclear weapons program. Iran has spent years designing nuclear weapons, but they needed more time to develop new missiles and more money to pay for their technology. The nuclear agreement gave Iran billions of dollars and it ignored the continuing missile testing in Iran. That is unacceptable.

“I support additional sanctions on Iran, as they are the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. The Iranian regime is expanding into Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. The Middle East and the region cannot have peace with a threatening Iranian nuclear regime. I encourage the Trump Administration to immediately begin working with the international community, in close consultation with Congress, to find a solution that will ensure Iran never has access to nuclear weapons capabilities.”

On September 10, 2015, Lankford voted against the Iran deal, in the form of a resolution of disapproval. Before the vote, Lankford outlined his objections in an op-ed. After the deal went into effect, Lankford conducted oversight of the implementation of the deal. In April 2016, he introduced a Senate resolution to ensure that President Obama follows through on his commitment to reimpose sanctions if Iran violates the nuclear deal. In September 2016, Lankford and Senator David Perdue (R-GA) introduced the JCPOA Enforcement Transparency Act, which would increase oversight of the Joint Commission, a committee created under the Iran deal to monitor implementation.

Lankford serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.

Providing for Our National Defense

By
Tom Cole
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Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2022. In arriving at this point in the process of advancing this comprehensive bill to authorize critical and sustainable funding for our national defense, I was proud of the manner in which members on both sides of the aisle worked together to deliver.

When this bill was reported out of the House Armed Services Committee, it passed by a nearly unanimous vote of 57-2. Considering that Democrats have primarily produced and passed partisan legislation this Congress with no input from or consultation with Republicans, this was a refreshing development. Indeed, this NDAA offered a clear example that the House can work together and pass bipartisan legislation for the good of the American people.

At a time when the Biden Administration’s proposed budget revealed an effective cut for our defense, I was pleased that the NDAA passed in the House rejected such action. Fortunately, in the House Armed Services Committee, the panel’s top Republican, Ranking Member Mike Rogers, successfully led a bipartisan effort to add $25 billion needed for modernizing our military, countering major and proliferating threats around the world and sustaining ongoing missions, including those at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City and Fort Sill in Lawton, which are both located in the Fourth District of Oklahoma.

Along with several other important provisions, this bill rightly authorizes a 2.7 percent pay increase for service members and unprecedented investments, including an additional $15 billion in the procurement of new aircraft, combat vehicles, autonomous systems, missiles and ammunition and $6 billion in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, hypersonic and autonomous systems.

Passage of this NDAA comes at a time when our adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are building up their militaries. Due to President Biden’s careless and completely botched withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, there is now a resurgence of terrorist organizations in the region. In response, the NDAA authorizes necessary tools and resources for our military to prevail in conflict with a wide range of potential adversaries.

Rightly so, this legislation includes more than 20 provisions to hold the Biden Administration accountable. These include requiring the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to submit a plan to Congress on how it will evacuate remaining American citizens from Afghanistan, conduct intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance missions and carry out counter-terrorism missions. It also includes language that prohibits DOD from providing any financial support to the Taliban.

Moreover, the legislation notably reverses President Biden’s proposed budget cuts to our missile defense systems and continues funding for nuclear triad modernization. Amid the ongoing crisis at our southern border created by the Biden Administration, the NDAA also declares that the record number of illegal crossings there is a national security crisis.

Last week, the Senate Armed Services Committees favorably reported a bipartisan NDAA for future consideration in the U.S. Senate. This development was also the result of bipartisan cooperation and due to the leadership exemplified by Chairman Jack Reed and Ranking Member Jim Inhofe. Once the Senate takes up the legislation for a vote in the coming days, I am hopeful that it too will pass with strong, bipartisan support and that both chambers of Congress can then resolve any differences in conference and send a final bill to the president’s desk. While no bill is perfect, passage of a final and truly bipartisan NDAA is critical to strengthening our national defense and repudiating the Biden Administration’s effort to use defense to subsidize its bloated spending elsewhere. The conference process of reconciling the two versions of the NDAA is essential to further addressing and eliminating remaining concerns.

However, it’s worth nothing that in order for the priorities contained in the House-passed NDAA or the Senate Armed Services Committee’s reported bill to be fully accomplished, the authorized funding increase must be replicated in the appropriations process. At this point, Democrats have already established an effective cut in that annual appropriation. I hope they soon change course and finally adopt a bipartisan posture on that legislation, too. In fact, that must happen in order to receive my support.

In times like these, our national defense deserves our full support to counter threats of terror and hold the line on our strategic adversaries. In the days and weeks ahead, I remain committed to continuing this bipartisan process to rightfully provide for our common defense.

Cole Announces 2021 Congressional App Challenge for OK-04

By
Tom Cole
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Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) today encouraged middle school and high school students in the Fourth District of Oklahoma to participate in the 2021 Congressional App Challenge. This annual competition is designed to promote innovation, engagement and excellence in computer science through student development of an application (“app”).

“I am delighted to invite students living in the Fourth District of Oklahoma to participate in this year’s Congressional App Challenge. This educational initiative is a fantastic way for students to explore, sharpen and hone their coding and computer-based skills, which could inspire and prepare them to pursue potential careers in STEM fields. As this unique challenge gets underway, I look forward to seeing the new ideas and creativity of students.”

While this year’s Congressional App Challenge will officially launch later this month, interested students can already pre-register by visiting congressionalappchallenge.us. Beginning June 24, contest submissions will be accepted on the site’s portal with the final deadline of 11 a.m. CT on Monday, November 1, 2021. Following the submissions period, entries from the Fourth District will be judged and the winner selected by a local panel of relevant experts.

Questions can be directed to StudentSupport@CongressionalAppChallenge.us or by calling Cole’s Norman office at (405) 329-6500. Additional information can also be found atcole.house.gov/services/app-challenge.

Background on the Congressional App Challenge

Launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, this national contest invites students to create an application (“app”) for desktop/PC, web, tablet, mobile, raspberry Pi or other devices using any programming language – such as C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby or “block code.” The competition is open to all students who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of their coding experience. Winning apps from congressional districts across the country are eligible for display in the U.S. Capitol and featured on the U.S. House of Representatives’ website at House.gov.

More information is available at congressionalappchallenge.us.

Cole to Host Telephone Town Hall

By
News Release
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Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) announced today that he will host a constituent telephone town hall to discuss and answer questions about the latest legislative news and updates from Congress.

“I look forward to connecting with my constituents again during another telephone town hall,” said Cole. “Between my travels across the Fourth District of Oklahoma, legislative business in Washington this week and the latest misguided actions out of the Biden Administration, there is a lot to discuss during this next phone call event.”

Details for participating in the call are below:

Date: Monday, August 30, 2021
Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m. CT
Dial In: (833) 305-1727

In addition, to sign up to be called directly or to listen to a live audio webcast of the event, constituents can visit cole.house.gov/telephone-town-halls.

For more information or questions, please call Cole’s Norman office at (405) 329-6500.

Senators Lankford, Shaheen, and Tillis Introduce Bill To Stop Transfer of Fighter Aircraft To Turkey

By
James Lankford
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Bill Comes As Turkish President Erdogan Continues To Imprison Dr. Andrew Brunson

WASHINGTON, DC – Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) today introduced a bill to prevent the transfer of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Turkey. The bill would also block Turkey’s role as a maintenance depot for the aircraft. Under the US-led, multinational Joint Strike Fighter program, Turkey was expected to purchase more than 100 aircraft.

“Senators Shaheen and Tillis have worked diligently with me and others in Congress to address America’s rapidly deteriorating relationship with Turkey,” said Lankford. “I applaud our State Department for their ceaseless work to improve the US-Turkey relationship, but President Erdogan has continued down a path of reckless governance and disregard for the rule of law. Individual freedoms have been increasingly diminished as Erdogan consolidates power for himself, and Turkey’s strategic decisions regrettably fall more and more out of line with, and at times in contrast to, US interests. These factors make the transfer of sensitive F-35 technology and cutting-edge capabilities to Erdogan’s regime increasingly risky. Furthermore, the Turkish government continues to move closer and closer to Russia, as they hold an innocent American pastor, Andrew Brunson, in prison to use him as a pawn in political negotiations. The United States does not reward hostage-taking of American citizens; such action instead will be met with the kind of punitive measures this bill would enact.”

 “Given my steadfast commitment to NATO and the transatlantic alliance, it is with regret that our relationship with Turkey has reached a point where we must consider severing defense and business ties in order to free American hostages held in Turkey,” said Shaheen. “Turkish President Erdogan’s choice to take hostages and imprison innocent Americans, to try to gain leverage over the United States, is egregious and unlawful. Erdogan and his government must abide by the rule of law within his own country and abroad, and release Pastor Andrew Brunson and other Americans unlawfully held in Turkey. There must also be an immediate end to the harassment and detainment of locally-employed staff at the U.S. mission. Until that occurs, I’ll continue to join with Senators Lankford and Tillis to call for punitive action, including blocking the transfer of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.”

 “America is not going to forget about Andrew Brunson and the other Americans who are being wrongfully imprisoned by the Turkish government,” said Tillis. “Turkey has long been a vital NATO ally and America understands the unique national security threats it faces; however, denying the rights of law-abiding Americans undermines the relationship between our two countries. The Erdogan government should understand that Congress will pursue measures to protect the interests of American citizens, including stopping the transfer of F-35 aircraft to Turkey.”

On April 19, Lankford and Shaheen announced their decision to pursue targeted sanctions against Turkish officials in this year’s Fiscal Year 2019 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs spending bill. On April 20, Tillis and Shaheen led a 66 Member letter to the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, demanding the release of Andrew Brunson.

Senator Lankford Subcommittee Approves FY2019 Financial Services & General Government Appropriations Bill

By
James Lankford
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WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today chaired the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government and advanced a $23.688 billion funding measure that prioritizes national programs to combat terrorism financing, spur small business growth, maintain a fair and efficient judicial system, and target heroin and prescription drug abuse.

 

“This is a responsible bill that boosts our national economy, financial security, and government accountability, and I urge the Senate to pass it without delay,” Lankford “I’m pleased that we are moving forward on the appropriations process. Orderly and transparent appropriations is a core responsibility of Congress, and a place where significant government reforms can be implemented.”

 

The FY2019 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act provides $16 million above the FY2018 enacted level to fund the US Treasury Department, the Judiciary, Small Business Administration, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and several other independent agencies.

 

The measure includes targeted funding increases for the Treasury Department to combat money laundering and terrorism financing; for the SEC and CFTC to oversee our nation’s securities, swaps, and futures markets; for the Federal courts to support the administration of justice; and for the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Buildings Fund. The bill will be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

 

Bill Highlights:

 

Treasury Departmental Offices – $208.751 million for Departmental Offices, an increase of $8 million above the FY2018 enacted level. Additional funds will allow the Department to manage a growing caseload associated with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, invest in information technology improvements, and hire additional staff to conduct economic analysis of tax regulatory actions.

 

Treasury Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI) – $159 million for TFI, which combats terrorism financing and administers economic and trade sanctions through its Office of Foreign Assets Control. The FY2019 amount is $17.2 million above the enacted level and is equal to the President’s budget request.

 

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – $11.263 billion for the IRS. Of this amount, $77 million is dedicated to implementation of tax reform.

 

In addition, to ensure accountability and transparency, the bill includes:

  • A prohibition on funds for bonuses or to rehire former employees unless employee conduct and tax compliance is given consideration;
  • A prohibition on funds for the IRS to target groups for regulatory scrutiny based on their ideological beliefs;
  • A prohibition on funds for the IRS to target individuals for exercising their First Amendment rights;
  • A prohibition on funds for the production of inappropriate videos and conferences.

 

Executive Office of the President (EOP) – $728 million for EOP, which is $2.6 million above the FY2018 enacted level.  The bill maintains the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) and Drug-Free Communities (DFC) programs within the Office of National Drug Control Policy.  The bill provides $280 million for the HIDTA program to combat heroin and prescription opioid abuse and $99 million for the DFC program.

 

Judiciary – $7.251 billion in discretionary funding for the federal judiciary, which is $140 million above the FY2018 enacted level.  This will provide sufficient funding for federal court activities, including timely and efficient processing of federal cases, court security, and defender services.

 

Small Business Administration (SBA) – $699.3 million for the SBA to provide assistance to small businesses, expand the economy, and increase job growth for unemployed and underemployed Americans.  The bill fully funds business loans at $159.2 million.  The bill also funds several valuable programs, including $130 million for Small Business Development Centers, $31 million for microloan technical assistance, $12.3 million for veteran’s outreach programs, and $11.5 million for SCORE, formerly the Service Corps of Retired Executives.

 

General Services Administration (GSA) – The bill allows GSA to spend $9.63 billion out of the Federal Buildings Fund.  This level will provide funding for rent payments for privately-owned office space leased by the government, and operations and maintenance costs for buildings owned by federal government agencies across the nation. Of this amount, the bill provides $1.08 billion for construction, and the measure fully funds the requested levels for Major Repairs and Alterations ($424.7 million) and Basic Repairs ($373.6 million) to continue addressing the backlog of repairs and renovations needs across the federal government.

 

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) – $1.695 billion for the SEC, which is equal to the FY2018 budget request and includes $37 million for the potential relocation of the SEC’s New York Regional Office.  The bill provides targeted funding for economic analysis within the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis.

 

Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) – $281.5 million for the CFTC, which is equal to the FY2019 budget request. The bill includes increased funding to boost the CFTC’s analytical expertise, cybersecurity capabilities, and financial technology to maximize the Commission’s ability to oversee the nation’s swaps, futures, and options markets.

 

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – $309.7 million for the FTC, which is equal to the FY2019 budget request.

 

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – $333.1 million for the FCC, which is equal to the FY2019 budget request.

 

Other Oversight, Accountability, and Noteworthy Provisions:

  • A prohibition on funds for an increase in pay for the Vice President and other senior political appointees;
  • A prohibition on funding for grants or contracts to tax cheats and companies with felony criminal convictions;
  • A requirement that all departments and agencies link contracts that provide award fees to successful acquisition outcomes, and prohibit the use of funds to pay for award or incentive fees for contractors with below satisfactory performance; and
  • A pay increase for civilian federal employees of 1.9 percent in calendar year 2019, equal to the 2018 increase.
  • A prohibition against the use of funds to paint portraits of federal employees, including the President, Vice President, Cabinet Members and Members of Congress;
  • A requirement that agency inspectors general have timely access to agency documents and records;

Senator Lankford, Intel Committee Unveil Recommendations To Secure Election Infrastructure

By
James Lankford
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WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in a Senate Intelligence Committee press conference to unveil Committee recommendations to secure America’s election infrastructure.

“It is vitally important that we secure our elections systems in America,” said Lankford. “This isn’t just about Russia – they were the ones to pursue these efforts in 2016, but it is just as likely that another state actor like North Korea or Iran or a hacktivist group will attempt these same things in 2018, 2020, and beyond. We must secure our infrastructure so that no nation-state or other actor has the ability to sow distrust or uncertainty to the very foundations of our democracy.”

In December, Lankford introduced the Secure Elections Act, a bipartisan bill that mirrors many of the Committee recommendations to strengthen election cybersecurity in America and protect against foreign interference in future elections. The original co-sponsors of the Secure Elections Act are Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

During the 2016 election, intelligence reports have established that Russia hacked presidential campaign accounts, launched cyber-attacks against at least 21 state election systems, and attacked a US voting systems software company. While there is no evidence that a single vote outcome was tampered with, this dangerous precedent should be a wake-up call going into the 2018 election cycle. To protect against these threats, the bipartisan Secure Elections Act seeks to fix the existing problems and aims to bolster election systems against future threats while protecting states’ primacy in running elections.

Senator Lankford Statement on Announcement to Cancel August Recess

By
James Lankford
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WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued a statement following the announcement from Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to cancel the August state work period to continue the work the American people elected Congress to do:

 

“I appreciate Leader McConnell hearing our call to keep the Senate in session and continue our work to confirm pending executive branch and judicial nominees and to complete the appropriations process before the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2018,” said Lankford. “Our work has been delayed, but it should continue through August until it gets done. We must get the President’s nominations caught up and we must complete the appropriations process on time to avoid another omnibus disaster.”

 

On May 11, Lankford joined 15 Senators in a letter to urge McConnell to expedite floor consideration of funding bills, even if the Senate must work nights, weekends, and through the August state work period. Lankford also introduced the ‘No Budget, No Vacation Act’, which would prevent members from traveling during August until the budget and appropriations process is complete. Lankford serves on the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Reform, which is a bi-partisan panel that includes members of the Senate and House.

Putting More Pressure on North Korea

By
Tom Cole
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After the recent closing of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, its neighbor, North Korea, continues to pose one of the most persistent U.S. foreign policy challenges which has spanned the past four U.S. administrations. It is the only country to have tested nuclear weapons this century and remains the greatest and most immediate threat in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area. The hope that North Korea will resume and continue talks with South Korea after the Olympics remains a question. Whatever the outcome, confronting the North Korean threat is critical, and the U.S. must be guided by a strong sense of resolve.

While North Korea’s weapons program has been the main focus of concern, illicit activities such as narcotics trafficking, counterfeiting, and human rights violations still abound. In a recent round of new sanctions, the Trump Administration announced that it will target the illicit shipping practices of at least 56 shipping and trading companies (including vessels) that have been complicit in supporting the development of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. In addition to already imposed economic sanctions, these maritime sanctions are some of the strongest put in place to hinder North Korea’s ability to work globally and expand its nuclear capability. Robust coordination between our allies and other countries in the region is essential to applying pressure to North Korea, and China plays a key role as well.

China has provided food, crude oil, and other essential lifelines to North Korea as its largest trading partner; however, North Korean exports to China have declined by nearly 30% in 2017. China still continues to control trade between the two countries as a way to put pressure on the Kim regime and prevent “chaos and war.” If open conflict was to occur, there would be catastrophic and significant refugee flow over the borders from the Korean peninsula into China, which would have destabilizing effects throughout the region. Some Chinese leaders see strategic value in preserving North Korea as a “buffer” between China and South Korea. For this reason, China has not been a reliable partner in exerting and implementing U.N. sanctions, although it remains essential to diplomatic engagement and economic sanctions. The United States continues to emphasize cooperation with Japan and South Korea, and U.S. diplomats continue to rally the international community to loudly condemn North Korea’s unacceptable behavior. With U.S. and international sanctions, China’s ability and willingness to pressure North Korea could not be more critical.

North Korea’s emphasis on strategic and military capabilities comes at the expense of its own people, who continue to struggle with a lifeless economy and international isolation. Reports by the U.S. government and private organizations portray extreme human rights abuses by the North Korean government over many years. These reports describe a system of prison camps that house approximately 100,000 political prisoners. However, one hopeful note is that North Korea appears to be losing its ability to control information coming into North Korea from the outside world. Defectors have revealed that growing numbers of North Koreans are wary of government propaganda and have ways to access outside sources of news.

The ongoing progress of North Korea’s nuclear and missile program, provocative and destabilizing behavior, and a burgeoning biological weapons program are all reasons why engagement and the pressure of sanctions are essential. Peace will not be achievable without the complete cooperation and elimination of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and the end of its radical regime.

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