Randy Krehbiel
Tulsa World Reporter
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today
Batten the hatches: With both sides dug in and blaming each other, Congress appears headed for a shutdown on Wednesday.
Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole presented a united front of his committee’s Republicans, issuing a press release with statements from just about all of them giving their side of why a continuing resolution has not been forthcoming.
Cole blamed Democrats he said are pressuring Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York to hold out for concessions from the slim Republican majority — especially after Schumer gave in and voted with the GOP to pass a continuing resolution earlier this year.
“Leader Schumer is under attack by his own left wing … and he feels like he has to do something,” Cole said. “So there is this desperate effort that could easily lead to a government shutdown. They’re demanding things to fund the government for a few weeks at a time. It’s simply ridiculous.”
Separately, 5th District Congresswoman Stephanie Bice suggested the tax credits have made health care more expensive.
“The Dems are demanding we make the ACA COVID subsidies permanent or they will shut the government down,” she said. “I’m beginning to wonder if the Affordable Care Act was a ruse (to) make health care costs so expensive you can’t afford the premiums — and the only way out is a government-run health care (single payer) system.”
Oklahoma has no Democrats in its congressional delegation, but state party Chairman John Waldron addressed the stalemate in a written statement.
“Oklahomans stand to lose big in the unnecessary government shutdown, whether it’s in food benefits for children, storm prediction, or medical care for veterans,” Waldron said. “And 40,000 Oklahomans will lose federal paychecks until it ends. What is our congressional delegation doing to stand up for hard-working Oklahoma families?”
White House welcome: A contingent of Republican Oklahoma Legislators were in Washington to meet with members of the congressional delegation and the Trump administration.
Shepherded by U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the group conferred with four Cabinet secretaries, toured several agencies and heard from several political analysts and consultants.
“I reached out to the White House about two months ago saying we’re going to have our state legislative body up here, and you know, the President loves Oklahoma,” Mullin said in a written statement. “He says it all the time, ‘It’s the only state where all 77 counties voted for me all three times.’
“So, when he knew they were coming up here, (Trump) said, ‘Let’s put a leadership day together for them. Let’s let the leaders, our Cabinet members come visit with them, talk to them, and understand the vision’ that the Trump team is driving for when he says Make America Great Again. Because, if Oklahoma is rowing in the same boat as Washington, D.C., we have a bright future as a country.”
“This was an invaluable opportunity for our state leaders to engage directly with federal decision-makers who influence issues that affect Oklahoma families, businesses and communities every day,” House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said in a press release. “We are committed to ensuring Oklahoma’s voice is heard at the national level, particularly on critical issues such as energy, agriculture, education and healthcare.”
“These meetings provided an important opportunity to advocate for the needs of Oklahomans, build relationships and ensure our state’s voice is heard on issues that directly impact our citizens,” said Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, in the same release.
Fair game: Mullin said he has no problem with Trump’s Department of Justice targeting people the president doesn’t like, such as former FBI Director James Comey and California Sen. Adam Schiff, who led impeachment proceedings against Trump during his first term.
“President Trump is very open and transparent with the American people, and he speaks his mind,” Mullin said on CNN. “That’s what his supporters love about him and that’s what America loves about him. What President Trump is saying here is, it’s time to look into them and … hold them accountable for what they said.”
Dots ‘n dashes: Mullin was among a group of lawmakers to meet with Syrian leader President Ahmed al-Shara’a in Washington.
randy.krehbiel@
tulsaworld.com
Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!
Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Randy Krehbiel
Tulsa World Reporter
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today