News Stories

The Oklahoman - Chris Casteel

The annual budget deficit will be the lowest since 2007, but the federal government's spending and accumulated debt are still heading to dangerous levels, the Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday.

With about five weeks remaining in the federal fiscal year, the CBO is estimating a deficit of $426 billion. That would be $59 billion below the 2014 shortfall.

Ada News - Eric Swanson

Lawmakers have floated several proposals for fixing Social Security, such as raising the eligibility age and increasing the income levels subject to Social Security taxes, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole said Thursday.

Cole also said he was optimistic that Congress would find a solution to Social Security’s financial woes.

“I think in the end, the public will force people to the table,” he said.

CQ Roll Call - John Bennett

For months, House Republicans lacked a voice on a measure to authorize military operations against the Islamic State. As he had on other issues, Tom Cole sensed his party was adrift. So earlier this year he did what came naturally--he reached across the aisle.

Our Member of the Week is Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District. In Congress, he serves on the House Appropriations Committee, the House Budget Committee, and the House Rules Committee. In addition to these committees, he also serves as a Deputy Whip for the Republican Conference.

A fifth generation Oklahoman, Tom has a significant background of service to his state. He resides in Moore, OK with his wife, Ellen.

We asked Rep. Cole 10 questions…

1.) What inspired you to run for Congress?

Pauls Valley Democrat - Barry Porterfield

Issues ranging from Planned Parenthood to negotiations with Iran were front and center for a U.S. Congressman’s brief town hall talk in Pauls Valley.

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole says Congress has actually been more productive in recent times, either getting bills on education, trade, veterans, human trafficking, cyber security and even the Keystone pipeline passed or positioned to move forward in the process.

Still, he views the big ones still on the table when Congress reconvenes in September.

Norman Transcript - Joy Hampton

The biggest thing coming before Congress in September is the Iranian nuclear deal, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, said Tuesday during a visit to The Transcript offices.

The Iranian talks are a big deal. In a nutshell, Iran could agree to curb development of uranium and plutonium weapons grade sources, to allow for more open inspections and to reduce its current stockpile of low-enriched uranium in return for lifting sanctions.

The deal is being negotiated to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Capitol Beat - Patrick B. McGuigan

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, does not believe President Barack Obama's agreement with Iran is sensible, or good for the United States.

In an interview with CapitolBeatOK, he reflected on what he deemed “multiple failures” in the accord Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated.

About the only thing Cole grants Obama is his agreement that the deal with just that – a deal, not a treaty requiring approval from Congress.

National Journal - Rachel Roubein

A cam­era fol­lows House Speak­er John Boehner as he walks out of his of­fice and through Statu­ary Hall, show­ing off his cham­ber, as the video’s voi­ceover touts what he’s done to its over­head costs: cut them.

“A 14-per­cent cut in what Con­gress spends on it­self is a big suc­cess,” Boehner says. “It doesn’t hap­pen any­where else in gov­ern­ment, even though we keep try­ing.”