Tom Cole

Amid government spending fight, U.S. House GOP punts on debating major defense bill

BY: - September 13, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans sidetracked debate on the massive Defense spending bill at the last minute on Wednesday, removing it from the daily schedule just as the chamber gaveled into session. The decision follows public opposition from especially conservative Republicans to advancing any government funding measure in the absence of a written commitment from […]

Three years after landmark ruling, Congress silent on tribal jurisdiction in Oklahoma

BY: - August 30, 2023

After a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling defined much of Eastern Oklahoma as a Native American reservation, limiting state jurisdiction over tribal citizens, Congress has taken little interest in addressing the issues the tribes and state officials say the court decision has raised. The 5-4 decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma held that lands the federal […]

Split in U.S. House GOP raises potential for government shutdown this fall

BY: - August 8, 2023

WASHINGTON — Members of Congress jetted off for the August recess without a plan in place to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1 — and the lawmakers who write spending bills acknowledge that it’s a real possibility, given deep divisions. The stalemate stems from a split among House […]