It seems that Oklahoma’s U.S. House Delegation is ready to get to work as Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday.
Congressman Tom Cole has attended every inauguration since 2005, his first year the U.S. House of Representatives. He did not break that streak.
“I was pleased to attend the inauguration of Joe Biden as he was officially sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, and I want to offer him my best wishes as he enters the White House,” said Cole. “I also want to thank the United States Capitol Police, the National Guard and many others who protected the inaugural ceremonies and ensured a peaceful transition of power.
“Although we live in extremely divided times and a highly polarized political environment, I am hopeful all Americans will choose to see Inauguration Day as an opportunity to unite and move ahead together toward healing. Indeed, in the coming days, all elected officials should set the example by working together across party lines for the good of all Americans. As the Representative for the Fourth Congressional District of Oklahoma, I remain focused on delivering policies that reflect the best interests of my constituents and all Oklahomans,” said Cole in a statement after the ceremony.
Congressman Frank Lucas, out of pandemic precautions, watched Biden’s inauguration from home.
“Putting politics and ideology aside, today is a historic day for the United States of America as we honor our country’s most important civic ritual: the inauguration of the President of the United States. As President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris take office, I join millions of Americans in praying for our Nation’s continued success. This year, the traditions of the inaugural ceremony were a bit different- including my own tradition. As I assessed security requirements and adhered to the necessary standards for COVID-19 and the general policy of minimizing public involvement in this year’s inauguration, I, like many Americans, watched the inauguration of President Biden from home.
“In the coming days as President Biden implements his agenda, I look forward to continuing my work to better the lives of my fellow Oklahomans and ensuring that conservative solutions are brought to the table to help eradicate COVID-19 from our communities; provide targeted economic relief for the American people and businesses; and ensure businesses and industries are not crushed by burdensome government regulation,” said Lucas.
Congressman Kevin Hern says he is ready to work with the new President as long as it will benefit Oklahomans.
“Our nation has always valued the peaceful transfer of power. While President Biden and I certainly have different ideas for how to put our country on the right track, I respect the office he now holds. I have always said that I am willing to work with anyone – including President Biden – on the issues that matter to Oklahomans, especially finding common-sense solutions to the problems Americans face as we continue to combat and recover from COVID-19. We will likely more often disagree than agree on policy issues, but the fact that I did not vote for Joe Biden does not change the fact that we are now partners in the effort to forge a more perfect union,” said Hern.
Congresswoman Stephanie Bice joins Hern in trying to find areas of common ground. However, she still has concerns.
“Congratulations to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their swearing in earlier this morning. As the Biden Administration begins its term, I look forward to finding areas that we can work together to enact commonsense solutions to the problems facing our nation.
President Biden has already begun working on a new policy to address coronavirus relief. While I have deep concerns with several policies included in this plan, it’s clear that millions of families and small businesses are still in need of assistance and I am pleased that the president is making COVID-19 relief a priority.
Biden will begin his administration by issuing a number of executive orders, several of which are cause for concern, including ending construction of the border wall. I’m most concerned about the decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline permit, which has a long history of being delayed for political purposes. American oil and gas companies have helped this country immensely during COVID relief efforts. Medical equipment, including PPE, is made from oil and natural gas. But more than that, the industry provides jobs for Oklahomans and I will do everything I can to protect those jobs.
However, I am pleased to see the rollback of the travel ban. A blanket ban does little to assist national security, but instead has caused hardship for families. Despite termination of the ban, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue to screen foreign travelers seeking access to our country in order to safeguard our nation’s security.
While there is still much work to be done in this 117th Congress, I’m glad to be getting back to the business of the American people and look forward to working with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to accomplish meaningful change,” said Bice in a statement.
For Congressman Markwayne Mullin’s thoughts on Biden’s inauguration, please visit his Op-Ed on The McCarville Report here.
