News Stories
The Oklahoman - Ken Raymond
At the heart of each newspaper article is a voice. It may be an official spokesman, a politician or a protester. It could come from a police officer, a business person, a judge or a philanthropist. It may be the voice of a crying victim or an exultant athlete. It could be as careful as an author’s words or as spontaneous as an artist.
But it’s there — the voice around which the story turns.
Roll Call - Matt Fuller
Rep. Tom Cole, the unofficial spokesman of the GOP rank and file in the House, has never been shy about telling the truth — at least the truth as the Oklahoma Republican sees it — with anyone who’ll listen.
The Oklahoman
State and federal officials gave their thoughts on the retirement of U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn:
The Oklahoman - Chris Casteel
The U.S. House easily passed a $585 billion defense bill on Thursday that protects Tinker Air Force Base from some of the Pentagon’s proposed cuts and promises more money for the huge maintenance depot there.
The bill passed 300-119, with all five of Oklahoma’s U.S. House members in favor. It now heads to the U.S. Senate.
Sen. Jim Inhofe, of Tulsa, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, negotiated the final version of the bill and strongly supports it.
The Oklahoman - Chris Casteel
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe protected Tinker Air Force Base’s entire fleet of AWACS planes as part of a final deal hashed out Tuesday by leaders of congressional defense committees.
Inhofe, of Tulsa, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, blocked — at least for a year — an Air Force proposal to cut seven of the 27 command-and-control planes and a reserve unit associated with them at Tinker.
Wall Street Journal - Byron Tau
President Barack Obama invoked the responsibility of the U.S. to lead on the world stage as he renewed his call for Congress to pass a $6.2 billion emergency aid package aimed at combating the Ebola outbreak.
Speaking at an event at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., Mr. Obama said American leadership at home and abroad was needed to tackle the deadly disease worldwide. “We need to protect the American people, and we need to show the world how America leads,” the president said.
Bloomberg - Heidi Przybyla
House Republican leaders are trying to persuade members not to risk a U.S. government shutdown in responding to President Barack Obama’s plan to ease deportation of undocumented immigrants.
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers has offered a plan that would keep the government operating after current funding expires Dec. 11. Rogers of Kentucky said he wants to finance the government for a full year, and retroactively cancel money in 2015 for any immigration action ordered by the president.
New York Times - Ashley Parker
Americans For Prosperity — the group founded by the billionaire Koch brothers — has met quietly with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill in recent weeks, cautioning them against fighting the president’s promised executive order on immigration with a strategy that could lead to a government shutdown.
Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey echoed that sentiment on Monday in a private meeting of newly elected House members.
Washington Post - Jonnelle Marte
About a month ago, the Post invited readers to chime in on what they thought were the best ways to fix Social Security.
With the help of the Center for Retirement Research, we presented an array of 12 solutions commonly suggested for the retirement system, which is projected to be so depleted that it will be unable to pay full benefits by 2033. Then we asked readers to pick the options they would consider.
The Ripon Advance
Rep. Tom Cole, (R-Okla.) has been instrumental in several bills during the 113th Congress that were signed into law, including the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act and the Wage Grade Employee Parity Act.
“I am proud to have co-authored, along with Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.), the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, which redirects taxpayer dollars wasted on political party conventions to instead fund valuable pediatric disease research,” Cole said.