“We find ourselves with a really good opportunity to make some big differences for the country right now. I think we can all say this, we feel privileged to be here right now.”
Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, Oklahoma’s News 9 released a 40-minute roundtable interview featuring U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), James Lankford (R-OK), and U.S. Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Tom Cole (R-OK), Kevin Hern (R-OK), and Josh Brecheen (R-OK) for a special congressional delegation sit-down discussion with long-time Washington Bureau Chief, Alex Cameron.
During the wide-ranging conversation, the members gave an inside look as to how Oklahoma’s seven-member Republican delegation is working with the Trump administration and leveraging their committee assignments to deliver big wins for the Sooner State. Highlights below.
Sen. Mullin and the Oklahoma congressional delegation’s interview can be found here.
On how the Oklahoma delegation punches above their weight:
“I have no title, and I think James [Sen. Lankford] said it right, you see a problem and you go fix it. For me, I’m a Junior Senator. I don’t have seniority over here. So, what I have to do is, if youwant to get something accomplished, you have to build a coalition to do that. What’s interesting about our delegation is we all punch way above our weight. We all have separate issues, we trust each other, we allow that individual to take the leading position on that.
“I don’t care if it’s from Tom [Rep. Cole] on approps [House Committee on Appropriations] or Frank [Rep. Lucas] on ag [House Committee on Agriculture] issues, James being with financial services [Senate Committee on Financial Services] or budget [Senate Committee on the Budget] or you have Stephanie [Rep. Bice] and we have the ability to work together now on armed services [Senate Committee on Armed Services and House Committee on Armed Services] and on approps too, and you have Kevin [Rep. Hern] and you have Josh [Rep. Brecheen] who are all leading in different aspects in the House. What we have to do is build a coalition. What I learned when I went to the Senate real quick is that both chambers worry about the other chamber and most of the time when I’m arguing with my wife, it’s a misunderstanding.”
On how the senator’s role benefits the Sooner State:
“The role that I play between the White House, between the Senate, and between the House is breaking down that miscommunication and just bringing the facts to the table.
“Instead of worrying about what someone’s going to do, build a coalition to figure out how we can accomplish what our common goal is and deliver for the American people. That’s simply having a conversation and putting the right people on the telephone, putting the right people in the room, and having a clear vision on what we’re trying to accomplish.
“Fortunately, because I served so long in the House and I have those relationships and have been able to maintain those relationships, and have been able to build relationships in the Senate, and obviously have an outstanding relationship with the president, who I call a friend, we find ourselves with a really good opportunity to make some big differences for the country right now. I think we can all say this, we feel privileged to be here right now.”
On his support for President Trump’s tariff strategy:
“I have a saying; you’re never going to change anything you’re willing to tolerate. We’ve tolerated it [Unfair trade deals] so long. We’ve known it was wrong. We’ve known we’ve had to do something and finally we’re doing it. It is uncomfortable, but at what point was we going to fix it? At what point was it coming to head where it was going to force us to fix it? There is countries who’ve gotten extremely wealthy by taking trillions of dollars outside of the United States’ economy just turn it back around and sell it to us…
“A scalpel doesn’t work, nor can you simply take tariffs one country at a time…
“People have been taking advantage of us way too long, and President Trump is finally fixing it. It’s uncomfortable, but we had to right the ship at some point. This is the time to do it.”
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