Dear Oklahoma Friends and Neighbors, 

I am incredibly grateful for the honor to represent you and our great state of Oklahoma. As we start a new Congress and swear in a new President, there is a lot to be done. With our national security at risk, our federal debt rising out of control, and our economy stalled, we need to put in place good policies that are focused on helping the American people. Too many families face poverty, our health care system is unaffordable, and more and more Americans feel their government is telling them what to do.

Here is a quick update on what’s happened over the past few weeks in Washington, DC:

58^th Presidential Inauguration 

Last Friday, we welcomed a number of Oklahomans to Washington, DC, to celebrate the 58^th Inauguration of the President of the United States with the swearing in of Donald Trump, our 45th President. It was truly an historic event.

CLICK HERE to view the video.

Repeal and Replace Obamacare

Oklahomans know first-hand the devastation caused by the impact of the federally-run healthcare exchange. Last year, the Obama administration announced a 76-percent premium increase for Oklahoma with one health insurer left in the state on the federal exchange. That means insurance rates have increased in Oklahoma over 200 percent in just two years. My office has been flooded with calls and emails from people who used to have healthcare, but they have now chosen to pay the tax penalty because they can no longer afford health insurance. In the next two years, the most painful parts of Obamacare will be rolled out, including a huge new insurance tax and the "Cadillac tax" on healthcare coverage that is "too good." Both will drive up costs even more. On January 6, the US Senate began the process towards a smooth transition to repeal and replace Obamacare.

We must craft a health care replacement plan that provides a smooth transition from the current Obamacare exchange to a much stronger, more sustainable system that gives patients more control and more options. There are thousands of Oklahomans with serious health needs who now have subsidized healthcare. They should not be kicked off coverage in the transition, but neither should people lose their coverage because of the currently skyrocketing costs.  

In the days ahead, Congress will debate many ideas for a healthcare replacement. While some have pushed for a quick transition, there is a great need to provide time for hospitals, insurance companies, and employers to make the needed changes. In the next few months, the Trump administration will make some immediate changes to stabilize the failing healthcare system. Congress will then pass a series of bills to repair the employer healthcare system, the exchanges, and the Medicaid system. Do not look for one big healthcare bill. The plan is to pass multiple smaller bills to address the serious failures of the current system.  

CLICK HERE to watch my floor speech from last Tuesday on the congressional process to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Scott Pruitt for EPA

It was an honor to introduce Oklahoma’s own Attorney General Scott Pruitt at his nomination hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works. Scott understands that we need a balance between state responsibilities and federal responsibilities when it comes to the environment. We need clean air and water now and for the next generation, but the EPA must follow the law when it creates new regulations. I know Scott will be a strong leader committed to following the law.

CLICK HERE to view my introduction of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President Trump’s nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

I have personally visited with many of the cabinet nominees. Our office has received many calls both for and against President Trump's cabinet selections. Please feel free to express your opinions to us, and we will be glad to send you the facts we have researched on each candidate. We have noticed that in some cases, the news about nominees has not matched the facts from their sworn testimony. 

Update: American Burying Beetle Program 

Last week, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) released an extensive report, which I requested months ago, on the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) conservation efforts to protect the American burying beetle. Years ago, to protect the American burying beetle population, the FWS started to require land developers in Oklahoma and other states to invest in Conservation Banks (affectionately called "Beetle Farms"). But in the past few years, the cost of the Conservation Banks has skyrocketed, so the FWS has allowed "In-Lieu" fee payments to third party conservation organizations—which often do not even spend the money to protect the beetle. That makes no sense.  

I requested a GAO study of the integrity of the In-Lieu payment system and the management of the FWS’s American burying beetle mitigation efforts required by the Endangered Species Act. The listing of this bug has unnecessarily caused major headaches for basic infrastructure costs and needs throughout Oklahoma. The icing on the cake is that the beetle population has dramatically increased and the FWS has now determined that the beetle is a "habitat generalist" that can live almost anywhere. Because of these new facts, we are working to get the beetle off the endangered species list. 

To read the full report CLICK HERE. To read my official statement, CLICK HERE.

Presidential Executive Order on Immigration and Refugee Resettlement

On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) that would place a 90-day pause and reevaluation of the screening process for individuals traveling from seven war-torn nations and a 120-day pause for the refugee resettlement program.

I want to be clear: this is not a ban on Muslims or a permanent change in immigration policy. I have encouraged the president’s staff to evaluate American policy with an eye on both security and compassion for refugees fleeing the terrors of war and persecution.

There has been a constant misrepresentation of facts, and I would encourage you to read my statement in full. To read my statement, CLICK HERE. 

Keeping You in the Loop

• Two weeks ago, I wrote a piece for Fox News to call for the urgent release of American Pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been held in a prison in Turkey since early October without clear cause. To read the piece, CLICK HERE.  
• Last week, I participated in the 44^th annual March for Life in Washington, DC, an event to advocate for life. CLICK HERE to watch a recent video Q&A I did with the President of CareNet, a national pro-life pregnancy resource center organization. 
• Two weeks ago, I chaired the first Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management hearing of the year to examine the impact of federal regulations on small businesses. The subcommittee welcomed native Oklahoman Jerry Hietpas, President of the Action Safety Supply Company in Oklahoma City, to provide testimony. To read more, CLICK HERE. 
• In his last act as president, President Obama signed into law my bill, the TALENT Act, a bipartisan bill to codify the Presidential Innovation Fellows program. To read more about the bill, CLICK HERE.
• I’m honored to have Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina join me as co-chair of the Congressional Prayer Caucus. It is vitally important that Congress respects the right to have freedom of faith or have no faith at all. The Congressional Prayer Caucus has worked and will continue to work to successfully advocate for those fundamental values. CLICK HERE to read more.
• For several years, I have worked to pass a federal government transparency bill, the Taxpayers Right to Know Act, and earlier this month, the House passed the bill by voice vote. If adopted into law, the Taxpayers Right to Know Act would create an online database that will provide performance metrics and financial data for every federal program that costs more than $1 million. I’m grateful the House took swift action on this bill. CLICK HERE to read my full statement. 
• The United States Naval Academy offers a summer seminar in June for students who are interested in pursuing one of the nation’s service academies and serving our country. This is a six-day experience for students who have completed their junior year in high school. To apply to the USNA Summer Seminar, or for more information, CLICK HERE.  

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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