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Congressman Tom Cole

Representing the 4th District of Oklahoma

Natural Resources

As a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, I take protection of our natural resources very seriously. I believe that we must maintain programs to manage our resources wisely, while working with landowners to ensure that their property rights are protected.

For Oklahomans, drought and water scarcity is part of our history. Investments in water infrastructure are critical to ensuring the availability and affordability of this critical resource. Doing so will ensure that our water resources in Oklahoma are managed in a way to meet both our present needs and those of the many generations to come.

More on Natural Resources

Two Years of Accomplishments

December 20, 2016 Weekly Columns

When the 114th Congress began its session in January of 2015, many Americans had concerns about the direction of our nation, and the job approval of their Congressional leaders was appropriately low. After so many years of onerous executive overreach, House Republicans faced many challenges in the fight to block President Obama’s liberal agenda. There were many times that House Republicans have come close to making common sense conservative progress, only to be shot down by the president’s veto pen.

Cole Supports Nomination of Congressman Ryan Zinke for Secretary of the Interior

December 15, 2016 Press Release
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after President-Elect Donald Trump nominated Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT-At Large) to serve as Secretary of the Interior. Congressman Zinke has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2015 and is currently a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
 

Cole Supports Passage of S. 612 and Oklahoma Water Rights Settlement

December 8, 2016 Press Release
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the passage of S. 612, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, which was passed by a vote of 360-61. This legislation would authorize appropriations for numerous water infrastructure projects, natural resources projects, settlements, and much more. Included as well is the Oklahoma Water Rights Settlement between the city of Oklahoma City, the state of Oklahoma, the Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation.
 

Cole Supports Nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator

December 8, 2016 Press Release
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after President-Elect Donald Trump nominated Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to serve as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pruitt has served as the Oklahoma Attorney General since 2010.
 
“I am extremely pleased with President-Elect Trump’s decision to appoint Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA,” said Cole. “This is what I predict to be one of Mr. Trump’s best appointments.”
 

Cole Applauds Passage of H.R. 1219, the Arbuckle Project Maintenance Complex and District Conveyance Act of 2015

December 7, 2016 Press Release
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole released the following statement after passage of his legislation, H.R. 1219, the Arbuckle Project Maintenance Complex and District Conveyance Act of 2015.  This bill was passed by a vote of 412-1 in the House. H.R. 1219 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey all right, title and interest in the Maintenance Complex and District Office of the federal Arbuckle project to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in Murray County, Oklahoma.
 

Cole Supports Passage of Interior and Environment Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2017

July 14, 2016 Press Release
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 5538, the Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2017.
 

Legislation to Study Chief Standing Bear Trail Passes House

April 29, 2015 Press Release
Washington, DC - Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) announced that the U.S. House of Representatives passed his legislation directing the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail (H.R. 984).

Oklahoma Delegation Calls on DOI to End Secret Agreements

September 11, 2014 Press Release
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) led the Oklahoma congressional delegation Wednesday in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Interior Sec. Sally Jewell to urge the Department’s Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) to discontinue its attempt to resolve programmatic issues with the Oklahoma Department of Mines with "secrecy agreements.”

Water Infrastructure Bill Supported by House

October 23, 2013 Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the United States House of Representatives passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2013.

Cole Praises Supreme Court Ruling on Red River Dispute

June 13, 2013 Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States upheld Oklahoma water rights in the case, Tarrant Regional Water District v. Herrmann. This case challenged the terms of the Red River Compact of 1978, a congressionally sanctioned agreement allocating water rights in the Red River Basin shared by Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

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