WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma, issued the following statement on Dec. 23, 2022: * * * Representative Stephanie Bice (OK-05) issued the following statement after the passage of the FY 2023 omnibus spending package. "Instead of working in regular order, Democrats in Congress have sat on their hands, waiting until the last week before Christmas to ram through a massive, 4,155-page government spending bill. "With ongoing inflation, now is not the time to drastically incr  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release: Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2617, the fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package. Cole opposed the $1.7 trillion legislation. "This bill contains many provisions I am supportive of such as the needed and substantial increase in defense sp  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, ranking Republican member of the House Rules Committee, issued the following remarks at a Dec. 22, 2022, hearing on the Consolidated Appropriations Act: * * * We're here today to discuss the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2023. Mr. Chairman, it is no secret that we are here under extraordinary circumstances. Just two days ago, the Senate introduced its amendment to H.R. 2617. The resulting bill encompasses 4,155 pages. It woul  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, ranking Republican member of the House Rules Committee, issued the following remarks at a Dec. 21, 2022, hearing on the Presidential Tax Filing and Audit Transparency Act (H.R. 9640) and National Heritage Area Act (S. 1942): * * * I'm sorry to say I'm not surprised that we're here in the death throes of a Democratic majority which continues to be obsessed with the former president. Both of these bills are a complete waste of this committee's t  more

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 24 -- Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release on Dec. 23, 2022, and letter: Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today announced a huge victory he secured to protect the right of religious liberty for our heroes in the Armed Forces. After receiving a commitment from the Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Lloyd Austin that all members who had requested a religious accommodation from the COVID-19 vaccine who have been waiting on a response, wil  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release on Dec. 23, 2022: Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded that President Biden signed the annual defense bill, the Fiscal Year 2023 James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), into law, which included provisions mirroring the DEFEND (Deterring Enemy Forces and Enabling National Defenses) Act, the first bill passed by the Senate Abraham Accords Caucus, which was introduced by Senator Jo  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Oklahoma, issued the following statement on Dec. 23, 2022: * * * Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2617- the Consolidated Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2023, otherwise known as the omnibus spending bill. Lucas opposed the legislation. "The 117th Congress has proven to be the most irresponsible and spendthrift in recent history. Since winning  more