Dear Oklahoma friends and neighbors:
I hope you and your families enjoyed some time together around Spring Break or maybe you just got outside to enjoy some sunshine and warmer days. Unfortunately, Spring Break for some in our state brought dangerous wildfires and high winds. I hope you’ll join me in praying for the victims of these wildfires and that the upcoming severe weather season is quiet.
Cindy and I were able to visit and pray with several victims of the wildfires as well as first responders and local officials. I spoke to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, who has jurisdiction over FEMA. She and her team were immediately responsive to the state’s request for Fire Management Assistance Grants (known as FMAG). My team remains in direct contact with the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management as well to ensure a smooth flow of information from the federal government to the state and visa versa.
CLICK HERE to watch my video from my tour of the Oklahoma wildfire damage.
So Far This Year in the Senate
Prior to the State Work Period last week when I was back in Oklahoma, the Senate was in session for 10 straight weeks, the longest since 2009. We have confirmed nominees at the fastest pace in 25 years. I interviewed each of the cabinet members privately in my office and shared our common sense Oklahoma perspective with them.
In the past two months, we passed the Laken Riley Act to ensure individuals who are here illegally that commit criminal acts are never released again back into the country. We passed the HALT Fentanyl Act, which is vital for ensuring we keep this highly dangerous drug out of our communities.
CLICK HERE to watch a video on why the HALT Fentanyl Act is important.
We also passed several Congressional Review Act resolutions of disapproval. Those basically say: the previous Administration set a rule or regulation toward the end of their time in office, and Congress wants to end it. If the resolutions pass both bodies in Congress and get signed by the President, the regulation is permanently overturned. So far we have overturned last-minute rules from the Biden Administration on cryptocurrency, environmental overreach, and even a rule that would have ended free checking for most Americans.
In the next two weeks, the Senate will vote on a new budget resolution to continue the work to fund additional border security, prevent a tax increase on families and small businesses next year, and address our rapidly rising debt. Stay tuned for more information in the days ahead.
The Trump Administration is focused on bringing down our debt and returning regulations back to each state as fast as possible. As I traveled the state, multiple people asked me about the work on government efficiency from DOGE. There is no question, with $2 trillion in overspending this year, we need to reduce the size and footprint of the federal government and dramatically reduce our national debt and deficit. The speed of the Administration has led to some missteps, which they have admitted and quickly worked to correct. But most Oklahomans I have talked to are grateful to see the progress on our massive debt.
Traveling Oklahoma During the State Work Period
I contacted the leadership of the General Services Administration (GSA) when information came out about potential cancelled leases and the sale of federal properties in Oklahoma. We were able to provide more information, which removed several properties from the closure list including the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the US Attorney’s office in Muskogee, and the Social Security office in Lawton. I also contacted the Department of Defense (DOD) when major civilian worker cuts were rumored at all of our military installations. We made sure the thousands of patriots who work everyday to protect our national security were allowed to keep serving our nation. My team and I continue to watch for areas where we can provide the Oklahoma perspective as the Trump Administration works to rein in federal inefficiency and overreach.
As a side note, I have heard from some Oklahomans who have heard rumors on social media that there is an effort in Washington, DC, to cut Social Security benefits. That is not true. In fact, the budget law prohibits changes to Social Security during a reconciliation vote. No one is planning to cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits. We absolutely need to make sure no one is wasting taxpayer money, but we should not cut off benefits to current recipients.
I stopped by a couple local TV stations to talk about DOGE and many other topics last week.
CLICK HERE to watch my interview with KXII or for KTEN CLICK HERE. They are two of the news stations for southeast Oklahoma.
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