Representative Tom Cole
Representing the 4th Congressional District of Oklahoma
Floor Speeches
Cole Calls for Passage of Budget
March 28, 2012I rise to support the Ryan budget. I do so with a great deal of pride. It's the only serious plan either party has put forward that deals with the looming debt crisis we face. It cuts $5.3 trillion dollars...
GOP Budget Prevents Dangerous Cuts to Defense
March 21, 2012Remarks delivered in House Budget Committee Mark-up Meeting:Normally on our side of the aisle, we're very critical of the president for spending too much. The one area in this budget where, in our view, he spends too little, is actually...
Cole Urges Support for Baseline Budget Reform
February 2, 2012This legislation makes really significant reforms in the way the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) decides baseline calculations. The CBO automatically budgets for inflation and discretionary spending. This process runs completely counter to what every American does with their own budget....
Cole Urges Passage of Responsible Budget Plan
December 16, 2011This bill spends less --$70 billion less-- than the president requested and $6 billion less than we spent last year, the second year in a row we have actually cut discretionary funding.The bill cuts by 5% funding for EPA regulatory...
Cole Calls for End to Taxpayer Funding for Presidential Candidates
December 2, 2011The legislation before us actually does three important things. First, it eliminates an antiquated, outdated system of public financing. Second, it terminates an obsolete commission, and finally, and not incidentally, it actually saves money -- something we talk a lot...
Cole Discusses 2012 Appropriations Legislation
November 17, 2011There are certainly members on this floor that are a lot more knowledgeable about this particular piece of legislation than I am. I don't serve on any of the relevant subcommittees on Appropriations, and so they're going to talk about...
Cole: Budget Agreement Puts American People First
August 1, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor in support of the Budget Control Act:"There's no question this isn't a perfect bill."There are a lot of things we would have liked, deeper spending...
Cole: Where is the President's Plan?
July 27, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks in the House floor in support of the Budget Control Act of 2011:"Every now and then you need to step back and look at the record and put the...
Cole Urges Support for Budget Control Act
July 27, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks in the House floor in support of the Budget Control Act of 2011:"Mr. Speaker, this is the second time in this Congress has chosen, this house has chosen to...
Cole: Reassert Congress' Role, Block Libya Funding
July 7, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks before the House approved his amendment to prohibit funding for military operations in Libya by a vote of 225-201. Cole offered the amendment to the FY 2012 Department of...
Cole Remarks on Libya Resolutions
June 24, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor in opposition to H.R. 2278, which would maintain funding for the majority of U.S. operations in Libya while eliminating funding for only limited aspects of...
Cole Discusses His Amendment to Prevent "Pay to Play" in Federal Contracting
June 2, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor in support of his amendment to prevent any funds from being used by federal agencies to enforce a proposed executive order requiring that companies applying...
Cole Discusses His Amendment to Keep Politics Out of Federal Contracting
May 26, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor in support of his amendment to prohibit federal agencies from imposing a requirement that companies applying for federal contracts disclose political contributions. Cole's amendment was...
Cole Urges Support for Ryan Budget
April 15, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor in support of H.Con.Res 34, the House Republican 2012 budget resolution introduced by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan. The bill was approved Friday, April 15...
Cole Calls for Repeal of Obamacare
January 19, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 2 - a bill to repeal Obamacare. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives on January 19."I rise to...
Cole Urges Support for 9/11 First Responders
December 23, 2010WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 847, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which was approved Wednesday by the House of Representatives."Mr. Speaker, long before New York...
Cole Urges Support for Tribal Law Enforcement Bill
July 21, 2010WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 725, the Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act, which included amendments to the Tribal Law and Order Act:Mr. Speaker, I rise...
Cole Criticizes DISCLOSE Act
June 24, 2010WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor regarding H.R. 5175 - DISCLOSE Act (remarks as prepared for delivery):Madame Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this incredibly restrictive rule and the underlying legislation....
Cole Floor Speech on Resolution Honoring Wilma Mankiller
April 14, 2010WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor regarding H. Res. 1237, a resolution honoring the life of Chief Wilma Mankiller.MR COLE: "I thank you, Mr. Speaker. "Wilma Mankiller led a remarkable life. As...
Cole Floor Speech on Medicare Cuts
April 5, 2010WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor regarding H.R. 4872 and H.R. 3590 -- health care takeover legislation -- and his amendment to protect Medicare. MR COLE: "Madame Speaker, I rise today to speak...
Kildee and Cole Applaud Settlement of Cobell Lawsuit
December 8, 2009WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tom Cole (R-OK) and Congressmen Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), Co-Chairs of the House Native American Caucus, praised today’s announcement of a long-awaited settlement of the Cobell lawsuit regarding the mismanagement of over 300,000 individual Indian trust accounts...
Cole Floor Speech on Pelosi's Health Care Bill
November 2, 2009WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor today regarding H.R. 3962, new health care legislation introduced by House Democrats late last week. "Mr. COLE: "Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak...
Cole Floor Speech on Wes Watkins
September 16, 2009WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) gave the following statement on the House floor regarding Congressman Wes Watkins. Today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1713, a bill designing a post office in Bennington, Okla. as the "Wes Watkins Post...
Cole Floor Speech on Cap-and-Tax Legislation
June 26, 2009WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor regarding H.R. 2454, the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill.MR COLE: "I rise today to speak against this flawed cap-and-trade or cap-and-tax legislation. There's no good time for a...
Cole Floor Speech on Comments Made by Leon Panetta
June 16, 2009WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor regarding the comments made by CIA Director Leon Panetta.Mr. COLE: "Mr. Speaker, like many Americans, I cheered when CIA Director Leon Panetta recently defended the honor...
Cole Floor Speech on Loaded War Supplemental
June 16, 2009WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor last night opposing the emergency War Supplemental conference report.Mr. COLE: "Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this conference report, and I do that with...
Cole Comments on Bipartisan War Supplemental
May 14, 2009WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) gave the following remarks on the House floor on 5/14/2009 regarding the FY 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations bill."Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this supplemental and, frankly, I want to congratulate the majority...
Cole Says Majority's Budget Proposal Undermines National Defense
April 2, 2009WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor last night opposing the Majority's budget proposal."Mr. COLE: I thank the gentleman for yielding. And, Madam Chair, I rise to oppose this Democratic budget. As we...
Cole Comments on Geithner, AIG and Bonuses
March 18, 2009WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor on 3/19/2009."Mr. COLE: I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank him for the way in which he framed the debate and did it in a...
Cole's Floor Speech on Economic Stimulus Package
January 27, 2009WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor while calling for serious procedural changes to H.R. 1, the proposed economic stimulus package."Mr. COLE: Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and distinguished ranking member of...
Cole's Floor Speech on H.R. 2, SCHIP
January 14, 2009Madame Speaker, I rise today to speak to H.R. 2 and the State Children's Health Insurance Program in general. Like many of my colleagues, I have been supportive of the underlying legislation. However, the way in which the underlying legislation...
Cole's Floor Speech on Native American Code Talkers Recognition Bill
September 24, 2008WASHINGTON – Last night Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) gave the following statement from the House floor in support of legislation he cosponsored, H.R. 4544, a bill recognizing the important contributions made by Native American Code Talkers in the wars of...
Cole's Floor Speech Regarding Toby Keith Resolution
September 18, 2008WASHINGTON -- Congressman Cole (OK-04) offered the following words in support of H.Res.1255 on September 15,2008. "Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend a great Oklahoman...
Security on All Fronts
June 30, 2008The Fourth of July holiday reminds me not only of the freedom we have secured throughout our nation's history, but also the importance of securing our liberties for the future. We all know that freedom and security are not static. ...
Cole Shines Light on Majority's Energy Inaction; Calls for Solutions
June 11, 2008WASHINGTON - Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor last night drawing attention to Speaker Pelosi and the Majority party's unwillingness to take action to expand American-made energy to help drive down the rising cost...
Rep. Cole Addresses House on National Defense Authorization Act
May 22, 2008WASHINGTON - Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor last night supporting H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. This bill authorizes budget authority for the Department of Defense and the...
Cole Makes the Following Remarks Regarding the Majority's Iraq Resolution Bill
July 12, 2007"I rise to oppose this bill because it's the wrong debate at the wrong place at the wrong time, and most importantly, it sends the wrong message. "It's the wrong debate because it serves no useful purpose. This bill will...
Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial 10th Anniversary
April 20, 2005Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me time, and I certainly want to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook) for offering this thoughtful and gracious and heartfelt resolution. I...
Congressman Cole Recognizes Ronald Reagan's Legacy on the House Floor
June 9, 2004Washington DC- Congressman Cole honored Ronald Reagan with remarks on the House floor today. Attached is the full version of his statement. Mr. Speaker, there are few men in our history and there will be few men in our...
