Dear Oklahoma Friends and Neighbors,

It’s been a busy four weeks in Washington, DC. With the continued rainfall across the state, June was a difficult month for many Oklahomans. Our hearts are with those who experienced severe flooding. If you are in need of any assistance because of flood damage, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of my offices.

Over the past month, I have been very involved in my four committees and eight subcommittees. Appropriations, National Intelligence, International terrorism and trade have dominated my schedule. It has also been good to run into so many Oklahomans on vacation in DC with their families. Any time you come to DC, let my office know so we can connect while you are in the area.  

King v. Burwell

On Thursday, June 25, the United States Supreme Court released their much-anticipated Affordable Care Act decision in the case of King v. Burwell. The question before the Court was whether the IRS may issue subsidies to individuals who live in states with a federal exchange, even though the plain reading of the law states that subsidies are only valid in exchanges “established by the state.” 

The Court ruled that since the Affordable Care Act was “inartfully drafted” in so many areas, they assumed Congress “meant to” extend subsidies in all states, but failed to do so because they were in a hurry. This ruling sets a difficult precedent for the future of legal interpretation. This legal argument encourages a philosophy that the text is not important, instead only what the Administration’s interpretation of the text is important. It also extends greater authority of the Court to change the text of any future law if they feel the text was written in a hurry.

I am troubled not only by the precedent that was set but also the continued ambiguity this ruling will create for American families who have worked hard to comply with the law’s mandates, despite the outrageous increase in premiums and costs. American businesses, doctors, patients and state legislatures will continue to face higher costs, higher taxes, fewer healthcare options and increased mandates. This decision was a win for the Administration and a loss for the American people. This is a lost moment when we could have addressed the serious problems with the Affordable Care Act. I will continue to promote better healthcare options that return power to the patient and doctor, not the DC bureaucracy.

I have also started working on clear legislative language to curb the continual over-reach of Executive Agencies and the Courts. A return to consistent legislative authority is essential to return power to each citizen.

To view my video statement on King v. Burwell, CLICK HERE.

To read the Court’s decision, CLICK HERE. 

Marriage Supreme Court Ruling

Last week, the Supreme Court also ruled on Obergefell v. Hodges where there were two questions they considered. 1) Whether the Constitution requires states to allow same-sex couples to marry; and 2) Whether the Constitution requires states to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples who were legally married in another state. The Court’s 5-4 decision answered ‘yes’ to both questions, overturning the Sixth Circuit’s ban on same-sex marriage in Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. For the first time ever, the Court discovered a Constitutional right to same-sex marriage.

I believe each person is created in the image of God and has value and worth— every person should be respected. That belief defines my respect for people as individuals, but it also sets a standard that will not change with a Supreme Court decision.

Two years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that marriage policy is a state issue, but on Friday they reversed themselves and unilaterally redefined marriage for the nation. For people who live by the clear teaching of many different faith traditions and people who simply believe in the sanctity of marriage, it is essential that their views continue to be respected. I am concerned that now people of faith and those that have different views on marriage will face civil lawsuits for living what has been widely accepted in every culture for thousands of years. It is hard to imagine that any court would place the 14^th Amendment, a newly discovered implied right, above the free exercise of religion—a clear Constitutional right—, but in the days ahead, legislation may be needed to allow people to live their faith in America.

President Obama said after the Supreme Court announcement, “I know that Americans of good will continue to hold a wide range of views on this issue. Opposition in some cases has been based on sincere and deeply held beliefs. All of us who welcomed today's news should be mindful of that fact. Recognize different viewpoints. Revere our deep commitment to religious freedom.” 

To view my full statement on Obergefell v. Hodges, CLICK HERE. 

Trade Promotion Authority – TPA

For several months, Congress has debated legislation regarding the Trade Promotion Authority (or TPA), widely referred to as TPA. Last week, the Senate passed TPA and it was sent to the President for his signature.

During this process, there has been a lot of confusion regarding TPA and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which is currently being negotiated by the Administration, and the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). These are three separate issues, and I have written an Op-Ed about them.

CLICK HERE to read the Op-Ed I wrote for The Oklahoman newspaper. To hear from me directly on TPA, CLICK HERE. 

Cybersecurity Data Breach

On June 4, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that critical portions of their IT systems had been breached, putting at risk millions of federal employee records which have been exposed. This breach raises significant concerns as to the security of OPM record-keeping, which serves as the human resources arm for the federal government.

The lack in detection and response to the breach causes alarm because it is not the first time OPM’s systems have been compromised. The failure to catch and report security hacks continue to put federal employees and their families at risk. 

Two Committees that I sit on, the Appropriations Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee met on June 23 and 25, respectively, to conduct oversight of the OPM breach and how the federal government plans to protect sensitive information from being illegally taken in the future. To view my Q&A with the director of OPM, Katherine Archuleta, CLICK HERE.

Additionally, on June 10, I sent a letter to Ms. Archuleta expressing great concern with the major lapse in security and ability to report the breach. The letter requested details regarding its detection of and response to the system breakdown by June 22 at 5 p.m. I currently have most of my questions answered from OPM; now it’s time to implement serious reforms.

To read the full letter I sent to Director Archuleta, CLICK HERE. 

Remanufacturing Bill Passes Senate

In February, I, along with Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), introduced the Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act, which encourages the use of remanufactured automotive parts when repairing government owned vehicles.

This is a commonsense solution to conserve American taxpayer dollars while using good-as-new auto parts remanufactured in the US. I am grateful to work with my colleague in the Senate to fix our federal budget while still fixing federal vehicles.

On June 15, the Senate passed the bill and it will now go to the House for consideration. To review the full text of the bill, CLICK HERE. 

Renewable Fuel Standard

On June 18, I chaired a hearing for the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management to examine the EPA’s management of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which mandates the amount of ethanol that is blended into our nation’s gasoline supplies. 

Some people like using ethanol in their vehicles, some do not. Because of the down economy and many new fuel efficient cars on the road, the 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard requires more gallons of ethanol be produced in America or used by American drivers. In short, the mandate is completely unworkable and irrational. Every year since 2009, the EPA has been late in stating the ethanol requirement. In fact, the EPA still has not released the required amount of ethanol to be used in America for last year.

If you want to buy ethanol, you should have that option, but you should not be forced to buy ethanol. The RFS’s intended goals were to try to help our nation’s energy security and preserve the environment, but it’s clear this mandate does not work.

The ethanol mandate has resulted in increased prices on agriculture, and studies have shown the program’s negative impact on our land and air (ethanol is a serious contributor to ground based ozone in many areas of the country).

To view my opening statement from the hearing, CLICK HERE. To watch the entire hearing, CLICK HERE.

Citizenship Language to Reflect Freedom of Religion

In April, during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the Homeland Security Department’s Budget Request for FY2016, I asked the Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson about a specific question in the US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ study materials for the naturalization test.

The question asks: “what are two rights of everyone living in the United States?” The answers provided are: Freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom to petition the government, freedom of worship and the right to bear arms.

My issue with the material is the answer “freedom of worship.” In the US, we have the free exercise of religion; that is much more than just the freedom of worship. Worship confines you to a location whereas freedom of religion is the right to exercise your religious beliefs, which is why I wrote a letter to Secretary Johnson asking him to change the language in the naturalization test and its corresponding materials to reflect our true constitutional freedom.

Our Constitution is clear – Americans have the freedom of religion and the language our Founding Fathers wrote to declare that right should not be altered.

To read the full letter to Secretary Jeh Johnson, CLICK HERE. 

Keeping You In The Loop

• On June 10, I had the pleasure to visit with Oklahoma veterans traveling from Tulsa on an Honor Flight to visit Washington, DC. It was great to hear their stories, and I was honored to thank them personally for their service to our country. To learn more about the Honor Flight program, CLICK HERE. To view pictures of the Tulsa Honor Flight at the WWII Memorial, CLICK HERE.
• On June 18, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved the FY2016 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 and the Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2016. For more information, CLICK HERE. 
• Inside Defense: McAlester Army Ammunition Plant (MCAAP) is the largest storage site for conventional ammunition in the DoD with nearly 600,000 short tons of ammunition. This is one-third of the nation’s entire stockpile located right here in southeast Oklahoma. Thank you to the 1,500 patriotic Oklahomans who are entrusted with this strategic responsibility. 
• As of Thursday, June 25, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed 9 of the 12 annual appropriations bills through the Committee with plans to finish the last three during the month of July. Most of the Appropriations bills were passed out of committee with bipartisan support but are being blocked by the Democrats as they reach the Senate floor. Ironically, the Democrats are threatening to block any appropriations bills and force a government shutdown if they do not get a bigger increase in spending. Currently the budget is scheduled to increase 1.7 percent but they want a much larger increase.
  • For more information on the FY2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Bill, CLICK HERE.
  • For more information on the approved FY2016 Labor, HHS, Education Bill, CLICK HERE. 
  • For more information on the FY2016 Interior, Environment Bill, CLICK HERE. 
  • For more information on the FY2016 Homeland Security Bill, CLICK HERE. And FY 2016 Defense Bill, CLICK HERE. 

• Did you know there are four primary VA education benefit programs that cover Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve Service Members and Veterans? They include: Post 9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty, Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve Educational Assistance Program. Each one has time limits so make sure you take advantage of this benefit while you are still eligible. Call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) or visit www.gibill.va.gov. 
• Did you know you can request flags that have been flown over the US Capitol? This is a great memento for a trip to DC or a special gift for graduations, weddings and celebrations. Contact my office today or CLICK HERE to fill out a form to request a flag that has been flown over the US Capitol. 

Stay Connected! 

If you would like more information on these topics or any other legislation currently before the U.S. 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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