Legislative Wrap-Up

In Congress, the majority of the last several months have been dedicated to legislative work in our nation’s capital. Since the swearing-in of the 114th Congress at the beginning of this year, I am pleased to report that there have been numerous legislative accomplishments that reflect the views and values of the American people and those I was elected to represent. Before I visit with many of you during my August town hall meetings across the Fourth District, I wanted to tell you more about what has been achieved in Congress so far this year.

In January, Republican members of the House immediately acted to address the president’s refusal to make a decision on construction of the northern route of the Keystone pipeline. Keystone legislation approved by both chambers made it to the president’s desk in late-February. But unfortunately and predictably, President Obama vetoed the bill and solidified his position against profitable American jobs that would be created by the pipeline’s construction and at no cost to taxpayers.

Both chambers of Congress passed bipartisan legislation to address human trafficking. In February, the House dedicated an entire week to consideration and passage of 12 bipartisan bills to improve enforcement of current law, ensure captors and those paying them are held accountable for their crimes, provide better recovery resources and encourage awareness training in communities. Later in the spring, both chambers passed the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, which was signed into law at the end May.

I am pleased that both chambers passed and the president signed into law H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, that permanently replaces the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate that often short-changes Medicare reimbursements for doctors. Rather than relying on another temporary and expensive ‘doc-fix’ solution, I am pleased that lawmakers voted to replace the broken payment model with a system that properly compensates physicians and allows patients to receive the best possible care. I am especially encouraged that the legislation included funding for community health centers, which provide invaluable access to quality care in communities where it would otherwise be scarce. Finally, it also included small reforms to address the broken structure of Medicare and help protect its existence for generations to come.

In the House, we remembered that when small businesses succeed, America succeeds and prospers. But as many Oklahomans know far too well, those working on Main Street are often met with excessive regulatory and tax barriers that choke innovation and discourage job creation. Republicans continued to provide solutions that empower American small business owners and employees, whose salaries support countless families across the nation. That included passage of the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act, which recognizes the important role small businesses play in creating job opportunities and raises their voices in the regulatory review and consideration process.

There have been notable achievements in my committees, starting with the House Budget Committee. In contrast to the president’s budget proposal, our committee offered in mid-March a balanced budget plan for repairing and growing the American economy. At the end of April, both chambers agreed upon a budget resolution that balances the budget in 10 years, repeals Obamacare to lead the way for patient-centered reforms and provides funding to maintain a strong national defense. Passage of the legislation marked the first time since 2001 that both chambers have passed a balanced budget, and I believe that it offered a responsible vision for the good of the American people and generations to come.

With the passage of a budget in both chambers, members of the House Appropriations Committee, of which I am also a member, were provided with a plan to guide federal spending decisions. We lost no time in getting to work and held numerous hearings and markups, including several in the subcommittee that I chair. This year, for the first time since 2009, all 12 funding bills were written, considered and passed out of the full committee and six have been considered and passed by the entire House.

In mid-June, I was pleased to support legislation that defined executive authority in trade negotiations and how Congress can appropriately scrutinize any trade deals reached with our partners abroad. Known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), it represents the authority that today’s president and future presidents should be allowed to exercise on behalf of the United States. As I’ve said before, TPA does not support or oppose specific trade agreements being negotiated now or in the future. TPA simply arms and guides the president with a list of objectives from Congress for deal-making, allows lawmakers to have access to progress with international partners, requires that any deal is made available to the public for 60 days and demands final approval from Congress. While TPA does not represent a specific trade agreement, I believe that it helps position the United States in a better way to encourage free trade and ability to compete against strong competitors like China by helping us establish common rules of the road. I am pleased that the president signed the legislation into law in late-June.

Members on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers have remained aware and outspoken on the progress of the Iran nuclear talks. After missed and extended deadlines since negotiations began two years ago, those negotiations led by the Obama Administration along with the P5+1 recently culminated in an agreement currently under congressional review. Like many of my colleagues, I am very concerned about the concessions made to Iran in the deal and the implications for the safety and security of America and our allies. At this point in time and as I’ve learned more of the details, I don’t see any possible way I could vote for it and do not think it is a worthwhile deal for our country.

Throughout the last seven months, lawmakers have acted in bipartisan cooperation to pass legislation that remembers and renews the commitment to our veterans. In February, the president signed into law the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act and just last week he signed into law the Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015. Also last week, we ended our final legislative week in the House with passage of several pieces of legislation aimed at taking care of the nation’s veterans. Bills included measures to reform mismanagement and address abuses at the Department of Veterans Affairs, improve veteran access to quality care, ensure veterans receive their earned benefits and help veterans succeed in the workforce following their military service.

After several months of legislative work, I am very much looking forward to uninterrupted time in the Fourth District to hear from my constituents and answer questions during August. I will be hosting a number of town hall meetings, where I will provide a more detailed update about what has been achieved in Congress, as well as discuss the challenges we face for the rest of the year. Thank you for your continued trust in me to serve you, and I look forward to seeing many of you in the weeks ahead.