Weekly Columns
January 31, 2017
Just a little more than a week after being sworn in, President Trump has proven he is a man of action. He has set a dizzying pace and shown that what he promised on the campaign trail is precisely what he intends to deliver as President.
January 23, 2017
As President Trump begins his first 100 days into his presidency, Congress is busy working hand-in-hand with the new administration. Traditionally, the President presents the outlined budget for the next fiscal year in February. This begins the appropriations process to determine how each of our agencies and the entirety of our government are funded.
January 17, 2017
Ever since the historic election on November 8, 2016, the United States has gotten a glimpse of what to expect from a Donald Trump Administration. President-elect Trump ran on an unabashedly populist platform that consistently put America first.
Issues:Economy & Small Business
January 9, 2017
Of all the policy disagreements between President Obama and Congressional Republicans, none have been as persistent or contentious as the debate over health care reform, and Obamacare specifically. So it comes as no surprise that the very first item on President-elect Trump’s agenda is the repeal of President Obama’s signature legislative “accomplishment.”
Issues:Healthcare
January 2, 2017
This week the 115th Congress will be sworn in and will immediately be faced with a host of challenges and opportunities. I am honored to serve another term as the Representative for the Fourth District of Oklahoma. When I was first elected in 2002, I was proud to serve with a Republican Administration and in the majority party in Congress.
December 27, 2016
This past year was one of great change for America. After eight years of President Obama, the American people elected perhaps the most unorthodox candidate in our nation's history. The nominating process for both parties was unlike any we have ever seen. The Democrats nearly nominated a self proclaimed Socialist before settling on the establishment front runner, Hillary Clinton.
December 20, 2016
When the 114th Congress began its session in January of 2015, many Americans had concerns about the direction of our nation, and the job approval of their Congressional leaders was appropriately low. After so many years of onerous executive overreach, House Republicans faced many challenges in the fight to block President Obama’s liberal agenda.
December 13, 2016
In Article I, section 7, clause 1 of the United States Constitution, our Founding Fathers laid out the framework for the Congressional “Power of the Purse.” Congress has the fundamental responsibility for raising revenue and appropriating spending. It has done so for more than two centuries, but the job has become more complicated than need be in recent decades.
December 11, 2016
Supporting our higher education institutions and providing adequate resources for them is a priority that Americans can agree on. Higher education is the backbone for American ingenuity and innovation, and Oklahoma is home to many colleges and universities committed to quality education.
Issues:Education
December 5, 2016
As President Obama’s days in office come to a close, the specter of significant change is on the horizon. While President-Elect Donald Trump assembles his leadership team, Congress is busy preparing our own agenda to repeal, reform and replace some of the most onerous policies of the Obama Administration.