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July 8, 2015
News Stories

Indian Country Today - Harlan McKosato

The campaign to bring the remains of legendary Native athlete Jim Thorpe home is gathering support after lawyers representing Thorpe’s two remaining sons, Bill and Richard Thorpe, along with the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma, filed a writ of certiorari to petition the Court to hear their case after losing in U.S Appeals Court last October.

Issues:Tribal Relations

July 6, 2015
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The Oklahoman - Editorial Board

President Barack Obama said last week, on the day a deadline passed to reach an agreement with Iran on nuclear weapons, that, “I will walk away from the negotiations if in fact it’s a bad deal.” If only he truly meant that.

Instead, Obama has given the impression that he wants to reach a deal — any deal — with Iran, despite the country’s bad acts and its mullahs’ long history of saying one thing and doing another.

Issues:Foreign Affairs

July 2, 2015
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Roll Call - Marc N. Casper, Chris Hansen and Mark S. Wrighton

If you had a treasure map, why wouldn’t you follow it?

In essence, this is the opportunity we have before us with the map of the human genome. The Human Genome Project cracked our life code and provides a massive treasure trove of information that we have only just begun to explore.

Issues:Economy & Small Business

June 28, 2015
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The Hill - Tim Devaney

Congressional Republicans are using the power of the purse to do battle against a series of controversial labor regulations from the Obama administration.

They say the National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) gave a gift to labor unions by issuing what they call an “ambush election” rule that speeds up the process for organizing in the workplace.

Issues:Economy & Small Business

June 24, 2015
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The Hill - By Rebecca Shabad

The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday advanced a $153 billion bill funding the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Education and Labor for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

It marks the first time in six years the full committee advanced a funding measure for those departments, which would receive $3.7 billion less than current funding levels and $14.6 billion less than President Obama’s request for fiscal 2016.

Appropriators advanced the bill in a 30-21 vote after a nearly seven-hour markup.

Issues:Economy & Small Business

June 24, 2015
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Washington Examiner - Robert King

A House panel advanced a spending bill that effectively rolls back several provisions of Obamacare in the Republicans' latest attempts to challenge the controversial law.

The House Appropriations Committee voted 30-21 along party lines to advance a $153 billion funding bill for several federal agencies such as the Department of Labor and Department of Health and Human Services. The bill now goes before the full House.


June 21, 2015
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Norman Transcript - Staff

The House Labor Health and Human Services (HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Tom Cole recently proposed a $300 million increase for Alzheimer’s research, as requested by Alzheimer’s Association advocates. This is a significant milestone toward reaching the levels deemed necessary by scientists to realize the goal of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease — to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s by 2025.

Issues:Economy & Small BusinessHealthcare

June 21, 2015
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Norman Transcript - Staff Reports

The House Labor Health and Human Services (HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Tom Cole recently proposed a $300 million increase for Alzheimer’s research, as requested by Alzheimer’s Association advocates. This is a significant milestone toward reaching the levels deemed necessary by scientists to realize the goal of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease — to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s by 2025.

Issues:HealthcareScience and Technology

June 17, 2015
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Politico - Brian Mahoney

An appropriations subcommittee shot down a bid by Rep. Rosa DeLauro to increase funding for programs in the Labor HHS bill to the levels requested by President Barack Obama in his 2016 budget.

The amendment would have funded by nearly $11 billion child care programs, Pell grants, job training and other defunded programs, DeLauro said. “And yet even with those increases, we are only halfway back to restoring the Labor HHS bill to its fiscal year 2010 funding level,” DeLauro said.

Issues:Economy & Small Business

June 16, 2015
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The Hill - Peter Sullivan

House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled their healthcare spending bill, which moves to halt ObamaCare in its tracks while boosting healthcare funding by about $300 million overall.

The appropriations bill blocks funds from being used to “implement, administer, enforce, or further any provision of” ObamaCare.

Issues:Healthcare