112th Congress
If you can't make it to one of my August town hall meetings, you can participate from home in a telephone town hall. Please call my office at 405-329-6500 for dial-in information.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 8, the Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act. The bill extends the current low tax rates for all American taxpayers and small business owners for one year, preventing a $384 billion tax increase beginning on January 1, 2013.
"It's now easier to start a business in Slovenia, Estonia and Hungary — three former Iron Curtain countries — than in America." That's the conclusion reached by the editors of Investors Business Daily in response to a study measuring the regulatory hurdles confronting entrepreneurs around the globe. According to statistics compiled by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), even liberal Canada requires fewer procedures to start a new business than American entrepreneurs face.
Congressman Tom Cole and area business leaders will hold a roundtable discussion on the impact of impending tax increases on small businesses and our national economy. Participants include representatives from the Norman Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, as well as local business leaders from numerous industries. The public and members of the media are invited to attend. The meeting will take place at the National Weather Center Auditorium in Norman.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) released the following statement after House passage of H.R. 459, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act. This legislation would allow the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a full audit of the Fed and report its findings within 12 months. Under current policy, the GAO is unable to audit Fed activities related to monetary policy matters or transactions for or with foreign central banks, governments, and international organizations.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 2362 - the Indian Tribal Trade and Investment Demonstration Project Act, which he authored. This legislation would eliminate red tape in the tribal leasing process to facilitate U.S. trade with international partners and help economic development on tribal land. Capitalizing on the interest overseas companies have shown in working with Indian tribes, H.R.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) released the following statement after the House vote on H.R. 2362 - the Indian Tribal Trade and Investment Demonstration Project Act, which he authored. This legislation would eliminate red tape in the tribal leasing process to facilitate U.S. trade with international partners and help economic development on tribal land. Capitalizing on the interest overseas companies have shown in working with Indian tribes, H.R.
Our military faces devastating reductions in capability unless the Senate and President Obama will join the House of Representatives in acting to prevent debilitating spending cuts -- half of which were never meant to be enacted.
The Pentagon is slated for $487 billion in cuts under President Obama's budget. That means that over the next five years, the military will be forced to carry out its missions with70,000 fewer soldiers, 20,000 fewer Marines, 25 fewer combat vessels and seven fewer aircraft fighter wings.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) released the following statement after House passage of H.R. 5856 - Department of Defense Appropriations Act. Cole is a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
"Anyone who thinks America spends too much for defense should examine this legislation. This year's Defense Appropriations bill cuts $28 billion and reduces the number of military personnel by 21,000.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 5856 - Department of Defense Appropriations Act. Cole is a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
"This is a good bill. As been mentioned earlier, it adds roughly $1 billion from roughly $519 billion in the base defense bill. What hasn't been mentioned, though, our overseas contingency fund [at] $88.5 billion [is] down $27 billion.