Tom Cole

Values the agriculture sector and the value it adds to the economy.

“We cannot take for granted the hard work and innovation of the agriculture sector or the value they add to the economy.”⁷

Supports policies that strengthen the American economy and support American businesses, especially small businesses.

“As your member of Congress, I will support policies that strengthen the American economy and support American businesses, especially our small businesses.”⁸

Wants to rein in excessive government spending and misguided policies.

“We must also rein in the Biden Administration’s excessive government spending and misguided policies, which instigated our present inflation crisis and threaten to drive our economy into a painful recession.”⁸

Wants to address the main drivers of the national debt.

“Additionally, we must address the main drivers of our national debt.”⁸

Wants to maintain a tax code that supports innovation and entrepreneurship.

“It is important to maintain a tax code that supports innovation and entrepreneurship.”⁸

Supports balancing the budget and reforming entitlements to pay down our debt.

“I have consistently supported legislation and policies to get the nation’s long-term fiscal house in order by balancing the budget and reforming entitlements, so we can eventually pay down our debt.”¹⁴

Supports a role for private enterprise in American healthcare and market-based solutions to healthcare problems.

“I strongly support a role for private enterprise in American healthcare and believe the answers to our nation’s health care problems entail market-based solutions, not in granting the federal government sole control over the nation’s health care industry.”²⁰

Wants to expand access to health care savings accounts (HSAs).

“Congress must expand access to health care savings accounts (HSAs), which enable individuals to set aside pre-tax dollars for their health care costs, and the services and products an HSA can cover.”²⁰

Wants to make telehealth expansions permanent.

“Congress should also make permanent current – and temporary – expansions in telehealth services, which have broadened health care access for millions of families.”²⁰

Wants to address market consolidation in the health care industry.

“Congress must also address continued market consolidation in the health care industry, which reduces patient choice and needlessly drives up the cost of health care.”²⁰

Supports increasing resources for medical research.

“As a former member of the House Appropriations Committee’s panel for health care spending, I have been a strong supporter of increasing resources for the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”²⁰

Believes public health security is national security.

“The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that public health security is national security.”²⁰

Believes the Affordable Care Act failed to live up to its promises.

“Nearly a decade since a Democrat-controlled Congress and President Obama passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, it is evident that Obamacare failed to live up to its many promises, particularly those related to affordability of and access to care.”¹⁴

Wants to secure the border first before considering other reforms to the immigration system.

“we must secure the border first; we must have tough sanctions for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants; and we must not reward those who broke our laws by providing them with amnesty.”²⁶

Supports building walls and barriers to limit illegal movement across the border.

“While not the only answer to border security, walls and barriers are effective when it comes to limiting the illegal movement of people and drugs across our borders.”²⁶

Wants bipartisan policies in place if Title 42 is repealed.

“Should Title 42 be repealed, there must be agreed upon bipartisan policies in place that properly stabilize the expected influx of migrants crossing the border.”²⁶

Supports elimination of the diversity lottery.

“I also support elimination of the diversity lottery.”²⁶

Believes securing our borders and stopping illegal immigration is a top priority.

“Just as we are a nation of immigrants, America is also a nation of laws, and those laws must be obeyed and enforced. I believe that securing our borders and stopping the flood of illegal immigrants must be a top priority for our nation.”¹⁴

Supports protection of life and has a 100 percent pro-life voting record.

“Since entering Congress, protection of life has been one of my highest priorities. Throughout my service in the U.S. House of Representatives, I have voted in support of life and currently have a 100 percent pro-life voting record.”²⁰

Supports protecting the most vulnerable, including the unborn.

“As penned in the Declaration of Independence, our forefathers founded America with the strong belief that individuals are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Among those is the right to life, which influences my commitment to protecting the most vulnerable, including the unborn.”¹⁴

Supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy that encourages domestic production and explores alternative energy solutions.

“America is a country rich in energy resources and emerging technologies, and I support an all-of-the-above energy strategy that encourages domestic production, reduces our dependency on foreign oil and explores alternative energy solutions.”³⁹

Supports traditional energy producers and tax credits for renewable energy development.

“While I am supportive of our traditional energy producers and protective of the thousands they employ, I have also supported tax credits that promote renewable energy development—like wind power—and incentivize consumers to use renewable and alternative fuels.”³⁹

Opposes the administration's decisions to cancel pipeline production and halt oil and gas leasing.

“This administration’s decisions to cancel pipeline production, release millions of barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and halt federal oil and gas leasing has only caused record-high prices at the pump.”³⁹

Believes that natural resources should be responsibly used to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources.

“I also believe that our country can and should responsibly use these resources to reduce dependence on foreign sources of energy and strengthen self-sufficiency in terms of the minerals that are essential to our economy and security.”³⁹

Supports investments in water infrastructure to ensure the availability and affordability of water resources.

“Investments in water infrastructure are critical to ensuring the availability and affordability of this critical resource.”³⁹

Wants to roll back EPA regulations that ignore states’ authority.

“I am committed to working to roll back these disastrous policies and replace them with commonsense regulations that will protect our environment, while not hurting small energy producing companies that help promote Oklahoma’s economy.”³⁹

Supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy that encourages domestic production.

“I support an all-of-the-above energy strategy that encourages domestic production, reduces our dependency on foreign oil and explores alternative energy solutions.”¹⁴

Believes parents should direct the education and upbringing of their children.

“I believe strongly in the authority of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children.”⁴⁵

Supports providing tools and resources for parents and teachers to provide a world-class education.

“I am committed to ensuring parents and teachers have the tools and resources necessary to provide a world class education to our children, regardless of economic status.”⁴⁵

Supported Head Start, GEAR UP, and TRIO programs to provide educational opportunities.

“During my time on the House Appropriations Committee’s panel for educational funding, I was a strong supporter of Head Start, which provides educational opportunities to low-income children, and GEAR UP and TRIO, which are designed to help disadvantaged students prepare for and succeed in college.”⁴⁵

Wants Oklahoma to have access to affordable and quality higher education.

“Our youth’s future success, and Oklahoma's too, requires access to affordable and quality higher education.”⁴⁵

Believes federal financial assistance should be available for students pursuing any education.

“I believe federal financial assistance for students should be available to students regardless of whether they are seeking a degree at a four-year institution or pursuing career and technical education (CTE).”⁴⁵

Considers career and technical education (CTE) a vital component of the educational system.

“CTE is a vital component of our secondary and postsecondary educational system.”⁴⁵

Supports ensuring parents and teachers have the tools and resources for quality education.

“As a former educator, I understand how important it is for our children to have access to a quality education. I am committed to ensuring parents and teachers have the tools and resources necessary to provide the best possible educational opportunities for our children.”¹⁴

Believes Congress ensures international stability through funding national defense and foreign assistance.

“Congress is vital in ensuring the international community remains stable, led largely by the “power of the purse,” which funds our national defense and foreign assistance.”⁵⁵

Believes foreign aid promotes American values and global leadership.

“Aid that promotes global prosperity, democracy and the rule of law, economic growth, and humanitarian interests reflects American values and global leadership.”⁵⁵

Supports ongoing investments in technology, education and science.

“Maintaining Oklahoma’s leadership in these fields requires a concerted effort to ensure ongoing investments in technology, education and science.”¹⁴

Supports providing the military with the training and resources needed to confront security challenges.

“Congress has no greater responsibility than to provide our military with the training and resources needed to confront the mounting security challenges and threats around the world.”¹⁴

Supports a strong national defense and returning fiscal discipline to the Pentagon.

“As a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I am a champion for a strong national defense and returning fiscal discipline to the Pentagon.”¹⁴

Supports providing the military with resources to confront national security challenges.

“Congress has no greater responsibility than to provide our military with the resources needed to confront the challenges to our national security.”⁵⁵

Champions a strong national defense and fiscal discipline within the Department of Defense.

“As a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I am a champion for strong national defense, the fiscal discipline of the Department of Defense (DoD), and a foreign policy platform that prioritizes our country’s interests to maximize the safety of our freedoms.”⁵⁵

Wants a robust military equipped to face a multi-domain operational future.

“I will continue to support a robust military equipped to face a multi-domain operational future.”⁵⁵

Supports ensuring funding builds stability and counters international threats.

“Through the appropriations process, Congress ensures that funding to countries builds stability and counters international threats, such as terrorism, drugs, and infectious diseases.”⁵⁵

Supports fair pay and benefits for Servicemembers, their families, and retirees.

“I will continue to support fair pay and benefits for our Servicemembers, their families, and retirees as they continue to commit themselves to protect our freedoms.”⁵⁵

Supports efforts to ensure Fort Sill has the equipment, tools, and infrastructure necessary to carry our military into the future.

“I will continue to support efforts to ensure the FCoE has the equipment, tools, and infrastructure necessary to carry our military into the future.”⁵⁵

Supports Tinker Air Force Base’s depot maintenance process and adaptation to the DoD’s changing demands.

“During my tenure in Congress, I have worked with Tinker to ensure it has the resources needed to advance its depot maintenance process and adapt to the changing demands of the DoD.”⁵⁵

Wants to roll back burdensome rules and regulations impacting farmers and ranchers.

“I will continue to work with my colleagues to roll back burdensome rules and regulations that have often posed needlessly high compliance costs for farmers and ranchers, which is crippling for agriculture production in rural America.”⁷

Supports ensuring farmers and ranchers are not needlessly regulated and that safety nets remain in place.

“There are no better stewards of the land than those whose livelihood depends on that land. In Congress, I work closely with my colleagues to ensure that our farmers and ranchers are not needlessly regulated and that safety nets, such as crop insurance, remain in place to protect against the volatile effects of drought, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters.”¹⁴

Supports managing resources wisely while protecting landowners' property rights.

“We must maintain programs to manage our resources wisely, while working with landowners to ensure that their property rights are protected.”¹⁴