|
Dear
Oklahoma
Friends
and
Neighbors,
It’s
been
a
busy
summer,
and
the
Senate
still
continues
to
work
to
deliver
the
promises
we
made
at
the
start
of
the
year.
We’ve
passed
legislation
to
grow
our
economy,
reform
government
and
increase
accountability,
support
our
nation’s
heroes,
and
protect
our
most
vulnerable.
This
new
Republican-controlled
Senate
has
had
more
roll
call
votes
on
amendments
in
the
last
seven
months
than
the
last
two
years
combined.
We
passed
a
Budget
Resolution
with
the
House
for
the
first
time
since
2009,
and
the
Appropriations
Committee,
on
which
I
serve,
has
passed
all
12
annual
bills
for
the
first
time
in
six
years.
As
we
transition
into
a
state
work
period,
the
focus
of
delivering
results
will
not
end.
August
is
the
one
time
of
the
year
Congress
isn’t
in
session.
This
will
give
me
the
ability
to
spend
more
time
traveling
Oklahoma
to
hear
from
you
and
the
priorities
you
have.
I
look
forward
to
visiting
with
you
in
the
days
ahead.
Iran
Nuclear
Agreement
In
September,
the
US
Congress
will
vote
on
one
of
the
most
consequential
issues
of
our
time:
what
will
be
required
to
stop
Iran
from
producing
nuclear
weapons?
This
is
not
a
partisan
issue;
it
is
a
national
security
issue.
After
multiple
hearings
in
the
Senate
the
past
two
weeks,
reading
all
the
public
and
classified
agreement
documents
and
meeting
personally
with
Secretary
of
State
John
Kerry,
Secretary
of
Energy
Ernest
Moniz
and
Secretary
of
Treasury
Jacob
Lew,
I
have
very
serious
concerns.
The
agreement
provides
only
limited
access
to
Iran’s
research
sites,
allows
Iran
to
start
purchasing
conventional
weapons,
releases
billions
of
dollars
to
the
Iranian
regime,
and
has
very
few
options
for
recourse.
The
agreement
does
not
allow
any
American
to
inspect
nuclear
sites;
instead
the
UN
conducts
all
inspections.
On
August
5,
I
gave
a
speech
on
the
Senate
floor
regarding
the
Iran
Nuclear
Agreement
to
give
a
partial
explanation
why
I
have
decided
to
oppose
this
deal.
I
encourage
every
Oklahoman
to
get
informed
on
this
issue
by
reading
the
unedited
agreement
on
my
website.
Please
CLICK
HERE
to
review
the
text.
To
watch
the
floor
speech, CLICK
HERE.
Redirecting
Planned
Parenthood
Funding
Following
the
release
a
few
weeks
ago
of
the
disturbing
Planned
Parenthood
videos
showing
executives
haggling
the
price
of
aborted
body
parts
over
lunch,
my
colleagues
and
I
joined
together
to
redirect
the
federal
funding
of
the
organization.
The
bill
introduced
last
week
would
redirect
taxpayer
funding
to
other
entities
that
provide
women’s
health
care
services,
including
community
health
care
centers.
There
are
9,000
community
health
centers
around
the
country
and
only
650
Planned
Parenthood
locations.
Planned
Parenthood
can
only
refer
patients
for
health
screenings
while
community
health
centers
have
the
ability
to
actually
perform
health
care
for
women.
This
bill
would
shift
taxpayer
dollars
from
the
middleman,
Planned
Parenthood,
to
the
organizations
that
can
actually
perform
screenings
and
testing
needed
to
support
women
and
children’s
health.
Unfortunately,
the
bill
failed
on
Monday,
August
3
by
a
vote
of
53-46
in
the
Senate.
I’m
proud
of
the
fight
we
waged
on
behalf
of
the
unborn,
and
I
will
continue
to
work
on
their
behalf
to
ensure
they
have
the
same
opportunities
as
every
American.
The
focus
of
this
fight
is
the
most
vulnerable
in
our
nation,
the
unborn.
To
view
my
speech
on
the
Senator
floor
prior
to
Monday’s
vote, CLICK
HERE.
To
read
an
op-ed
I
co-authored
with
Iowa’s
Sen.
Joni
Ernst
and
Kentucky’s
Sen.
Rand
Paul
in
Time
Magazine, CLICK
HERE.
To
read
an
op-ed
I
wrote
for
USA
Today, CLICK
HERE.
Regulatory
Improvement
Bills
Last
week,
I
announced,
along
with
the
Democratic
Ranking
Member
on
the
Subcommittee
for
Regulatory
Affairs
and
Federal
Management,
three
bills
that
focus
on
greater
transparency
and
accountability
in
the
federal
rulemaking
process.
The Smarter
Regulations
Through
Advance
Planning
Review
Act
would
require
agencies
to
plan
for
and
conduct
regular
mandatory
retrospective
reviews;
the Early
Participation
in
Regulations
Act
of
2015
would
allow
Americans
to
participate
in
the
regulatory
process
earlier;
and
the Principal
Rulemaking
Act
of
2015
would
ensure
that
agencies
propose
rules
that
address
real
problems.
Through
hearings
in
my
subcommittee
and
many
conversations
with
fellow
Oklahomans,
it
is
clear
we
need
to
update
the
regulatory
processes
and
work
to
prevent
bad
regulations.
The
federal
government
regulates
too
much
and
dictates
too
many
aspects
of
our
day-to-day
life.
Our
American
Energy
Strategy
On
Tuesday,
I
gave
a
speech
on
the
Senate
floor
about
our
domestic
energy
production,
the
Keystone
Pipeline
decision
delay,
and
Monday’s
Climate
Action
Plan
announcement
from
the
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(EPA).
We
need
to
have
an
honest
climate
debate
in
Congress
centered
around
facts,
not
fear.
None
of
us
want
dirty
air
or
water,
but
we
do
want
a
growing
economy,
lower
energy
prices
and
local
control
of
our
farms,
businesses
and
homes.
CLICK
HERE
to
view
the
video
Social
Security
Trustees
Annual
Report
On
July
22,
the
Social
Security
and
Medicare
Board
of
Trustees
released
their
annual
report.
The
report
details
the
financial
outlook
of
Social
Security
Disability
Insurance
(SSDI)
for
the
next
year.
I
have
been
a
vocal
advocate
for
reforming
SSDI
and
the
impending
insolvency
of
the
program
if
we
do
not
act
soon.
Some
in
Congress
have
suggested
that
we
should
address
SSDI
insolvency
by
reallocating
tax
dollars
from
the
Old-Age
and
Survivors
Insurance
to
the
SSDI
fund.
The
report
released
by
the
Board
of
Trustees
clearly
outlines
that
merely
shifting
funds
from
other
programs
will
not
sustain
the
program,
and
I
agree.
We
can
protect
seniors
and
disabled
Americans
by
creating
true
reform
within
the
program.
Since
my
time
as
the
Chairman
of
House
Oversight
and
Government
Reform
Subcommittee
on
Energy
Policy,
Health
Care
and
Entitlements,
I
have
pushed
for
major
reforms.
I
will
continue
to
work
on
this
issue
on
behalf
of
Oklahomans
who
rely
on
these
programs.
Look
for
a
major
proposal
on
Disability
insurance
reform
from
my
office
this
fall.
CLICK
HERE
to
read
an
opinion
piece
I
wrote
entitled,
Social
Security
Disability
Insurance
Is
a
Looming
Crisis.
EPA
Power
Plan
Rule
As
I
alluded
to
earlier,
on
Monday,
August
3,
President
Obama
released
the
final
rule
to
his
climate
change
proposal,
which
will
be
overseen
by
the
EPA.
The
rule
would
regulate
greenhouse
gas
emission
from
power
plants.
The
President’s
effort
to
regulate
climate
change
through
the
EPA
comes
after
his
failed
attempts
of
trying
to
garner
support
from
Congress
to
push
his
international
climate
treaty.
The
proposal
calls
for
a
32
percent
reduction
in
Carbon
emissions
by
2030
from
2005
levels.
From
the
initial
read,
the
most
glaring
issue
is
the
rule
alone
will
not
achieve
the
mandated
CO2
reductions,
but
it
will
have
major
economic
repercussions
on
Americans
who
will
face
higher
energy
costs
and
food
costs.
Early
reports
indicate
that
Carbon
concentrations
would
be
reduced
by
less
than
one
percent
with
negligible
environmental
affect.
For
example,
China
emits
around
800
million
tons
of
Carbon
emissions
each
month;
the
costly
new
emissions
rule
from
the
EPA
would
reduce
Carbon
US
emissions
by
450
million
metric
tons
per
year.
Innovation
has
brought
many
new
sources
of
energy
to
our
nation,
but
none
of
them
can
provide
base
energy
for
the
foreseeable
future.
We
should
work
to
have
clean,
reliable,
inexpensive
energy
for
America
so
we
can
continue
to
produce
jobs,
grow
the
economy
and
raise
healthy
families.
Oklahoma
is
truly
an
“all
of
the
above”
energy
state.
We
should
not
have
to
fight
our
own
federal
government
to
continue
to
produce
power
for
our
state
and
nation.
Inside
Defense
This
year’s
National
Defense
Authorization
Act
(NDAA)
proposes
a
variety
of
changes
to
compensation,
benefits
and
retirements. Through
the
conference
process,
members
of
the
Senate
and
House
are
actively
negotiating
for
our
Vets. The
final
negotiations
between
the
two
versions
will
pick
up
again
in
September.
We
will
continue
to
work
to
maintain
the
promise
and
keep
our
national
defense
strong.
Stay
tuned.
Vet’s
Corner
Filing
a
disability
claim
can
be
frustrating. You
can
file
your
claim
online,
by
mail
or
a
VA
employee
can
assist
you
in
person
at
a
VA
regional
office. To
find
a
location
near
you,
call
one
of
the
three
Vet
Centers
in
Oklahoma: Lawton
Vet
Center
at
580-585-5880,
Oklahoma
City
Vet
Center
at
405-456-5184
or
Tulsa
Vet
Center
at
918-628-2760. CLICK
HERE
for
more
information
about
filing
a
disability
claim.
Keeping
You
In
The
Loop
- The
week
of
August
31,
I
will
hold
Community
Conversations,
public
forums
for
face-to-face
Q&A,
across
the
Panhandle;
northern
Oklahoma;
and
Tulsa.
I
will
announce
the
details
on
social
media
and
my
website
soon!
Follow
me
on Facebook, Instagram
and
or
visit www.lankford.senate.gov.
- One-year
anniversary:
On
August
8th
of
last
year,
the
President
signed
into
law
the
bill
authorizing
a
special
envoy
for
religious
freedom
in
the
Middle
East,
yet
the
position
remains
vacant. The
Senate
State,
Foreign-Operations
Subcommittee
voted
to
appropriate
$1
million
for
the
Special
Envoy
for
Religious
Freedom
and
the
bill
notes
that
the
Committee
expects
the
position
to
be
filled
quickly. The
Middle
East
is
one
of
the
worst
places
on
earth
for
religious
freedom,
for
the
sake
of
the
many
diverse
people
across
the
region;
it
is
time
we
stand
up
for
their
right
to
practice
their
private
faith.
- Waters
of
the
US:
This
week
Senator
Inhofe
and
I
sent
a
letter
to
the
EPA
to
challenge
their
very
questionable
practice
of
soliciting
“comments”
from
environmental
groups
to
offset
legitimate
concerns
with
their
expansive
regulations.
To
read
our
letter,
CLICK
HERE.
- On
August
3,
I
was
on
MSNBC’s
“Morning
Joe”
to
discuss
the
Senate
vote
to
redirect
taxpayer
funding
from
Planned
Parenthood
to
community
health
centers.
To
check
out
the
video, CLICK
HERE.
- On
July
24,
the
Appropriations
Committee
passed
all
12
annual
Appropriations
Bills
out
of
committee
for
the
first
time
in
six
years!
To
read
more, CLICK
HERE.
- The
Occupational
Safety
and
Health
Administration
(OSHA)
earlier
this
summer
issued
new
guidance
on
Process
Safety
Management
(PSM)
standard.
This
new
rule
imposes
significant
obligations
to
many
independent
refiners
and
small
manufacturers
in
Oklahoma.
I
plan
to
address
OSHA’s
proposal
at
a
September
17
Subcommittee
hearing
entitled,
“Examining
the
Use
of
Agency
Regulatory
Guidance.”
- On
July
24,
I
signed
a
letter
with
Sen.
Lamar
Alexander
asking
the
Department
of
Labor
(DOL)
to
extend
the
comment
period
for
the
Notice
of
Proposed
Rulemaking.
On
July
6,
DOL
issued
a
notice
inviting
interested
parties
to
submit
written
comments
on
a
proposed
rule
that
would
double
the
salary
threshold
exemption
for
overtime
pay.
Comments
are
due
September
4,
2015.
The
extension
will
allow
a
reasonable
opportunity
to
review
the
proposal
and
allow
us
to
thoughtfully
respond. CLICK
HERE
to
read
the
letter.
- On
July
22,
I
appeared
on
Fox
Business
Network’s
“Lou
Dobbs
Tonight”
to
discuss
redirecting
funds
from
Planned
Parenthood
and
the
Iran
Nuclear
Deal.
To
watch
the
interview, CLICK
HERE.
- On
July
22,
the
fifth
anniversary
of
the
Dodd-Frank
regulations,
I
spoke
on
the
Senate
floor
to
discuss
the
constant
overreach
of
the
federal
government
into
private
businesses.
To
watch
the
speech, CLICK
HERE.
- Oklahoma
Forestry
Services
grants
are
available
to
rural
fire
departments
for
the
purchase
of
equipment
or
fire
station
construction.
If
you
are
a
fire
station
in
a
town
with
a
population
of
less
than
10,000,
you
can
apply
through
the Oklahoma
Forestry
Services
website
by
September
1,
2015,
or
call
405-522-6158.
- Are
you
interested
in
a
fall
internship?
My
office
is
currently
seeking
fall
interns
for
the
DC,
OKC
and
Tulsa
offices.
If
you
are
interested
in
applying,
CLICK
HERE
for
more
information.
- Did
you
know
my
office
has
a
local
contact
in
each
region
of
the
state?
If
you
ever
need
to
contact
me,
please
reach
out
to
any
of
the
following
Field
Representatives:
###
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
D.C.
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.
Notice:
If
you
wish
to
stop
ALL
electronic
communications
from
my
office,
visit
this
link
to
opt out
permanently
from
this
list.
If
you
have
any
questions
about
this
Notice
or
your
right
to
decline
future
electronic
mail
from
this
office,
please
contact
us
at
United
States
Senate,
316
Hart
Senate
Office
Building
Washington,
DC
20510. |