Press Releases
June 5, 2014
Washington, DC – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after it was discovered that Fort Sill Military Base in Lawton is expected to begin housing at least 600 unaccompanied minors who illegally immigrated to the United States. Since fiscal year 2011, the number of these individuals, usually from Central America, has grown from 6,000 to 66,000 last year. By next year, this number is expected to climb even higher to 127,000.
June 2, 2014
Washington, DC – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following statement after the release of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, an American soldier who was captured by the Taliban in 2009. Bergdahl was released by the Taliban on Saturday in exchange for five senior Taliban leaders who were detained by the United States at Guantanamo Bay.
May 30, 2014
Washington, DC – Congressman John K. Delaney (MD-6) and Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) filed today the Social Security Commission Act of 2014. The legislation creates a bicameral and bipartisan commission that is modelled after the 1983 Social Security Commission.
Issues:Social Security
May 29, 2014
Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Tom Cole (OK-04) introduced the Rural Wind Energy Development Act to provide an investment tax credit to ranchers, farmers, and small businesses to offset the up-front costs of owning a distributed wind turbine. This modest expansion of current law will keep small business energy jobs growing across the United States.
Issues:Energy & Environment
May 22, 2014
Washington, DC – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 4435, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015. Before reaching the House floor, this legislation was passed out of the House Armed Services Committee on May 8 by a unanimous vote.
May 19, 2014
Washington, DC – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Representative Tom Cole (R-OK) introduced an amendment to prevent furloughs for federal Department of Defense employees paid through working capital funds. The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would ensure that thousands of workers across the country would not face unpaid leave days due to furloughs as a result of across-the-board budget cuts.
May 16, 2014
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) joined Congressman Pete Sessions (TX-32), Senator John Cornyn (TX) and several other colleagues in signing an amicus brief in support of Hotze v. Sebelius. While numerous lawsuits have been filed against the Affordable Care Act, this litigation brought forth last May questions the constitutionality of the law according to the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment and the Origination Clause.
Issues:Healthcare
May 16, 2014
Washington, DC — The American Red Cross today released a progress report on its work to help people and communities in Oklahoma rebuild and recover since a series of deadly tornadoes hit the state last May.
May 14, 2014
Washington, D.C. —Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) congratulated this year’s winner of the Congressional Art Competition from the Fourth District of Oklahoma. Aamina Yousaf, who has studied art for three years, is a sophomore student at Plainview High School in Ardmore. She is the daughter of Muhammed Yousaf and Azra Perveen, and her art teacher is Brenda Fisher.
May 8, 2014
Washington, DC – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the House supported H. Res. 567, Establishment of the Select Committee on the Events Surrounding Benghazi. This resolution comes after last week’s discovery of White House emails that revealed the Administration’s role in purposefully misreporting the cause of the attack to the American people.