Frankly Speaking - Economy
Funding America’s Priorities and Holding the White House Accountable
Dec 22, 2015As 2015 comes to an end, Congress is tasked with funding the federal government through the end of next September, or the remainder of the fiscal year. Last week the House and Senate passed a spending agreement that combined the 12 appropriations bills to fund various aspects of our government, ranging everywhere from defense to agriculture. In addition to this funding, the spending package also includes a number of policies to boost economic growth and encourage job creation in the private sector.
Filed under: Economy, Energy, General, TaxesInviting Third District Students to Apply for U.S. Service Academies
Apr 25, 2014As the Congressman representing Oklahoma’s Third District, it is always a privilege to invite young men and women to apply for the United States service academies. Each year, I have the honor of nominating students from the district to attend the academies, and I am very pleased to announce this year’s application process has begun.
Filed under: Constituent Services, Economy, Foreign Affairs, GeneralCrisis in Ukraine
Mar 27, 2014After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia signed a treaty that delineated its borders with former soviet states and defined the terms of their future relationship with Russia. Last February, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a longtime dictator with pro-Russian opinions, fled the country due to mass protests regarding citizen disagreements about the direction of the country. Shortly thereafter, a new president was designated to restore a sense of democracy and represent their interests on the international level.
Filed under: Economy, Foreign Affairs, GeneralPresident Obama’s Irresponsible Budget
Mar 7, 2014President Obama recently released his fiscal year 2015 budget proposal. While Congress ultimately has jurisdiction over drafting the budget and appropriating funding, the president’s budget serves as a blueprint and sets his administration’s agenda for the upcoming year. Sadly, the president has offered a plan to Congress that adds to our mounting debt, hikes taxes and makes indiscriminate cuts to our national defense.
Filed under: Constituent Services, Economy, General, TaxesFarm Bill Provides Safety Net for Producers and Consumers
Feb 6, 2014Congress delivered America’s farmers, ranchers and consumers what they deserve by passing the Agricultural Act of 2014 – commonly referred to as the farm bill. This five-year comprehensive bill ensures producers have the tools they need to provide an affordable and stable food and fiber supply.
Filed under: Agriculture, Agriculture Committee, Economy, Energy, General, TaxesObamacare: More Than a Web Site Problem
Nov 1, 2013On October 1, the Administration launched the Affordable Care Act enrollment web site. “Page not found,” “system down for maintenance,” “account cannot be created this time,” are the messages Americans have experienced while trying to sign-up. The rollout has been a systematic failure full of error messages, coding problems, and glitches. But, while the Administration’s failure to initiate an enrollment site that works efficiently is extremely frustrating and unwarranted, the problems with Obamacare go far beyond web site glitches.
Filed under: Constituent Services, Economy, General, Health Care, TaxesTime to Cut Spending and Open the Government
Oct 10, 2013On October 1, the United States experienced the first government shutdown since 1996. The constituents of Oklahoma’s Third District and many others across the country have felt the negative effects of the shutdown and are sadly still feeling them today. Everything from the closure of the national parks, USDA stopping collection of market data, VA administrative delays, and the furlough of many federal workers has directly impacted Americans nationwide at a time when they can ill afford it. The longer the shutdown lasts, the more they will suffer.
Filed under: Agriculture, Constituent Services, Economy, General, Health Care, Homeland Security and Defense, Immigration, Science and Tech Committee, TaxesPresident Obama is Demonstrating Poor Leadership on Syria
Sep 20, 2013In early September, President Obama announced that he would seek Congressional approval for the United States to use military force in Syria in retaliation to the chemical attack the Assad regime inflicted on hundreds of thousands of Syrians.
Filed under: Economy, Foreign Affairs, General, Homeland Security and DefenseReining in the EPA to Foster a Healthier Economy
Aug 2, 2013For years, President Obama and his Administration have been touting that they are for an “all-of-the-above” energy policy. As the president continues to repeat this same rhetoric, it is obvious he is all but for this type of energy approach. Recently, he has made speeches directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen existing rules and regulations. Instead of fostering a healthy economy with a real “all-of-the-above” energy approach, he has actually waged an indiscreet war on most of America’s main energy sources.
Filed under: Agriculture, Agriculture Committee, Economy, Energy, General, TaxesObamacare: The Flawed Law
Jul 19, 2013The Obama Administration recently announced that it will delay the implementation of a key piece of its sweeping health care reform; the employer mandate. The mandate would require any employer within the United States with over 50 employees to provide them health insurance or face steep federal penalties. Considering that a mandate of this scope is already being delayed reinforces what we already knew: Obamacare is an unworkable catastrophe. And now, even the Administration is starting to admit it.
Filed under: Economy, General, Health Care, Taxes