Media

The world has rightfully taken notice of Russia’s role in the violence that is visibly escalating in the Middle East at the hands of ISIS. However, that unrest is not the only cause for international concern. More than two years after Russia forcibly annexed Crimea, it maintains a violent and aggressive presence in East Ukraine. With behavior that chillingly harkens back to the Cold War era, it is becoming increasingly clear that Russia won’t stop trying to forcibly broaden its territorial reach in an effort to reclaim its superpower status.

Oklahoma is the proud home of numerous military and National Guard installations. We are consistently among the top states in terms of our number of active duty personnel. And our communities that are the home to these men and women in uniform are the envy of every branch of service. That fact was reflected last week when the House Appropriations Committee, of which I am a member, passed the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MILCON) Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2017.