Weekly Columns

Throughout our more than 237-year history, countless men and women have selflessly answered the call of duty to preserve liberty by serving in our military. Now each day we wake up in a country with freedoms that are coveted, studied and admired across the world.

As we look back on the tornadoes that devastated Oklahoma last May, we still mourn the precious lives taken, neighborhoods destroyed and communities shaken. Despite a heartbreaking tragedy, especially for those living in my hometown of Moore, Oklahomans proved their resilience and the rest of the nation supported us every step of the way.

It’s now been nearly two years since our nation learned about the heartbreaking tragedy that claimed American lives in Benghazi, Libya. On the twelfth anniversary of September 11, four innocent Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were murdered during what we later learned was a terrorist attack on our consulate.

The majority of Americans look at Washington with great frustration because they feel like Congress isn’t being productive or doing anything of real value.

Last month, we surpassed 2,000 days since TransCanada first submitted its construction application for the Keystone XL pipeline. Unfortunately, even more recently, the State Department announced it will again postpone its decision on the project.

Since our nation’s birth more than 237 years ago, generations of Americans have celebrated the right to hold and voice a variety of opinions and beliefs. There are few places where this reality is displayed more clearly than in the legislative process, both at home in Oklahoma and in our nation’s capital.

In order to overcome our nation’s serious economic challenges, we must have a real plan with real reforms. Upon release of the “Path to Prosperity” budget blueprint for fiscal year 2015, Chairman Paul Ryan and the House Budget Committee again shared a positive vision for the nation’s future.