Dear Oklahoma Friends and Neighbors,

This morning, the Senate took a procedural vote to advance the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court. This vote follows an extensive background investigation, three full days of testimony by Kavanaugh under oath in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and lengthy debates and discussions among members of the Senate. After spending hours going through the facts, I remain supportive of Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination. I spoke on the Senate floor yesterday about my decision, and I encourage you to take a few moments to hear my reasons. I will provide a detailed follow-up e-newsletter to exclusively discuss Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation process in the days ahead. For now, please know that I take the advice and consent process very seriously, and I appreciate Oklahomans’ feedback regarding this and other federal issues. This has been a politically and emotionally charged process that needs some reflection. CLICK HERE to watch my floor speech.

I was grateful to be home for a few days in September so I could visit with neighbors in Clinton, Hobart, Altus, Pryor, Idabel, Hugo, Broken Bow, and Claremore. It was a great opportunity to hear from Oklahomans about some of the issues they face in their communities and some of their concerns with the issues facing our nation. I was also happy to work through a number of important legislative items (details below) that affect Oklahomans and our nation. 

UPDATE: Trade

On September 30th, President Trump announced a new agreement with Canada and Mexico, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade, formerly known as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The decades-old NAFTA agreement needed renegotiation to provide clarity on e-commerce, and more markets for our farmers, businesses, and manufacturers. Since Canada and Mexico are the top-two countries for Oklahoma trade, it was important for Oklahoma and the entire nation to finish this well. Congress has a duty to regulate trade with foreign nations, so it is essential that we and the American people have time to review the full agreement and provide full consideration in the Senate. 

My staff and I have worked closely with the White House and Administration officials during the negotiation process with Canada and Mexico to express how important it is for Oklahoma to trade with Mexico and Canada. Now that this agreement is wrapping up, it is important for the Administration to work on expanding our trade to new markets like Asia, the UK, and Africa.  

At the end of September, the White House worked to finalize the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (known as KORUS), which governs trade interactions between our two nations. We should always seek to put the interests of American workers and American consumers first in our trade agreements. CLICK HERE to read more. 

I spoke on the Senate floor this week on the new trade agreement. CLICK HERE to watch the speech. To watch my Q&A with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer during an Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, CLICK HERE. To read my statement after meeting with President Trump on trade, CLICK HERE. Last month, I taped a podcast to break down the ongoing trade negotiations; CLICK HERE to listen. 

Senate Passes Five-Year FAA Reauthorization

This week, the Senate passed a five-year extension of the FAA reauthorization to help further the important work of the FAA at places like the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City. The FAA reauthorization also includes my bill, the Federal Acquisition Savings Act of 2018, which will help save taxpayer money on equipment used by federal agencies for activities including agricultural production, construction, and highway maintenance. CLICK HERE to read my statement.

President Signs Bills to Fund the Federal Government

I serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee and, along with our counterparts in the House, we passed and the President signed into law 5 of 12 annual appropriations bills required to fund the federal government. Currently, the House and Senate are in the final stages of negotiating the third appropriations package (Transportation-Housing and Urban Development, Federal Services and General Government, which I chair, Agriculture, and Interior), and work remains on funding for State & Foreign Operations, Homeland Security, and Commerce, Justice, Science. On September 28th, President Trump signed a partial Continuing Resolution to fund the government through December 7th. 

CLICK HERE to read my statement after the Senate passed the second appropriations conference committee report to fund Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and the Department of Defense. CLICK HERE to read my statement after the Senate passed the Conference Committee Report to fund Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. 

UPDATE: Immigration

We continue to work through national and local issues that need resolution from both legal and illegal immigration. We do not have to solve everything to accomplish something. On September 18th, during a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) hearing, I questioned Acting Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner Robert Perez and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Executive Associate Director Matthew Albence about ways to solve some of the immigration placement issues for children that were created by the Flores Agreement, which limits the length of time immigrant children can be held by the US government. 

Following the September 18th hearing, I introduced the bipartisan Responsibility for Unaccompanied Minors Act, which clarifies that Health and Human Services is responsible for ensuring these children’s safety. I want to curtail illegal immigration, but I also want to assure that individuals in the hearing process are treated with care that represents our values. The bill requires HHS to run background checks before placing children with sponsors, to ensure sponsors provide adequate care for children placed in their care, to ensure the children appear at their immigration court proceedings, and to notify state governments before placing children within their borders. The bill also increases immigration court judges so the Department of Justice can process all immigration cases more efficiently. CLICK HERE to read more.  

For over a decade, HHS has also placed children who came unaccompanied into the country in the homes of adults who are not legally present in the United States. When that happens, often HHS loses track of those children because they and their sponsor do not show up for court hearings or respond to well checks.  

Federal Reorganization and Regulatory Policy

Numerous times throughout my service in the House and now in the Senate, Oklahomans have shared their ideas with me about ways to make the federal government more efficient. Two longer-term, bigger-picture ideas discussed for years in Congress (though probably not around dinner tables in Oklahoma) are federal agency reorganization and improving our federal regulatory structure. 

During the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs full-committee markup last month, the Committee unanimously passed my bill, The Reforming Government Act of 2018, to give the Executive Branch the authority to reorganize federal agencies and allow the Administration to implement ideas in its proposal, “Reorganizing the US Office of Personnel Management.”

Last week, the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee I chair held a hearing to review how the Administration’s regulatory policy has impacted the American economy. Federal regulations, especially those that help protect lives and families, are certainly not unnecessary, but there is a point at which we exceed commonsense in favor of burdensome or excessive. I have worked with my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find ways to provide long-term regulatory stability, which will increase our GDP and prevent a possible economic recession. When any regulation is considered, we should assess the full impact of the rule, consult with state, local, and tribal governments, and hear from small business owners at every step of the process. The information we discussed in last week’s hearing will help ensure we continue to consider bills that provide more clarity to families and businesses directly impacted by federal regulations. To watch the full hearing, please CLICK HERE.  We also explored how to streamline the complicated federal permitting process during the hearing.  Everyone who has ever tried to get a federal permit for construction knows the process is long and expensive.  

Keeping You in the Loop

• On September 13th after a long and difficult construction process, OKC VAMC Medical Director Wade Vlosich announced the grand opening of the parking garage at the center. I am grateful for the improvements to this and other locations that serve veterans around Oklahoma. I am also thankful for the dedicated medical and administrative professionals who work hard daily to serve those who served our nation. The OKC VAMC has made major improvements to their service, and we should all thank them for their important work on behalf of our veterans.  
• The City of Tulsa, in partnership with the 1921 Race Riot Centennial Commission, has been chosen as one of 14 finalists from a pool of over 200 cities for the 2018 Public Art Challenge award in a nationwide competition held by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Tulsa was also one of three cities worldwide to receive the Engaged Cities award from Cities of Service. Congratulations, Tulsa!
• At the end of September, the Trump Administration announced it would cancel an HHS contract with Advanced Bioscience Resources, Inc. (ABR). Prior to its cancellation, on September 24th, 2018, I joined 16 of my Senate colleagues to send a letter to Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb to express our concern with the FDA’s contract for fetal tissue-based research with ABR. This contract was originally set up by the FDA for the purpose of supplying fetal tissue for research purposes. ABR’s practice of buying and selling baby body parts from children that were aborted at Planned Parenthood clinics was exposed in a series of undercover videos. HHS also announced it would audit other research-based fetal tissue contracts. This is a positive step to protect the dignity of children. However, I believe the act of buying and selling aborted baby body parts must stop entirely. This is the United States of America; we can be and do better. We can ensure we have cutting-edge research while still honoring the dignity of life. There are already ethical alternatives to using fetal tissue, and we should shift federal dollars to making those a viable alternative. 
• I, along with Senator Mike Enzi, welcomed the passage of our bill, the Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency (GREAT) Act, out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The GREAT Act would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to create a comprehensive and standardized data structure to cover all data elements reported by recipients of federal awards, including grants and cooperative agreements. Congress should have usable and auditable data from grant recipients in an easy and straightforward format. When an agency spends the money of hardworking taxpayers, everyone should know how and where their money was spent. The GREAT Act streamlines data transparency requirements for grant recipients, which will ultimately make data collection and dissemination to Congress easier and faster. I look forward to full consideration on the Senate floor soon. CLICK HERE to read more.
• On September 17th, Senator Orrin Hatch and I introduced the Give Useful Information to Define Effective Compliance Act (GUIDE Compliance Act). The GUIDE Compliance Act would enhance transparency and predictability to the rulemaking process of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP), The GUIDE Act will provide consumers and providers a strong grasp of the rules issued by the BCFP, including a well-defined understanding of how those rules will directly affect them. This will provide clarity for consumers and help ensure fair enforcement. CLICK HERE to read more. 
• In September, the Administration released the National Cyber Strategy to help secure critical networks, effectively deter and respond to bad actors that wish to do our nation harm, and protect the US economy while promoting a free and open internet. It is important for the US to have a cyber doctrine so those who wish to do us harm will face consequences for attacking US cyber infrastructure. To read my full statement, CLICK HERE. 
• September 23-29 was Gold Star Families Remembrance Week. On Veterans Day and Memorial Day we honor our veterans and those who gave their last full measure of devotion to our nation. Last week was the time to honor their families. I am grateful to the Gold Star organizations that help our nation lift up these ever-grieving family members of our brave fallen service members. I wrote an opinion piece to honor Gold Star families. CLICK HERE to read the piece. 
• This week, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which improves access to care for victims of opioid addiction. This bipartisan legislation is an important step to help address our nation’s devastating struggle with addiction to opioids. We can and should balance the need to adequately treat pain with successfully treating and eliminating opioid addiction in our nation.

Stay Connected! 

If you would like more information on these topics or any other legislation currently before the US Senate, please do not hesitate to call my DC office at (202) 224-5754. My Oklahoma City office can be reached at (405) 231-4941 and my Tulsa office at (918) 581-7651. You can also follow me on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram for updates on my work in Congress.

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