U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and James Lankford (R-Okla) and Congressmen Steve Russell (R-Okla.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.), today praised the passage of H.R. 5785, a bill which would ensure the continued safety of our nation’s airways by eliminating an unintended barrier to the hiring and retention of full-time Air Traffic Controller (ATC) Instructors. The bill removes a financial penalty for instructors willing to work full time in training our next generation of air traffic controllers. “Toda...
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Washington DC, - Congressman Steve Russell’s (OK-5) Federal Register Printing Savings Act of 2016, passed by unanimous consent out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. In his continuing effort to cut federal spending, Congressman Russell authored legislation to prohibit the mandatory printing and distribution of the Federal Register, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. The register is provided digitally and is also printed each day whether members want it or not. Unde...
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Del City, OK – Congressman Steve Russell offered the following statement regarding the increasing healthcare costs in Oklahoma and across the country: “All across the country we are seeing reports of drastic healthcare premium rate increases. Oklahoma is projected to have the highest healthcare premium increase in the nation, as much as 96% for some plans, and with an average increase of 76% due to the federal exchange. This is totally unacceptable. Neither is it surprising. Republicans have bee...
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Congressman Steve Russell (OK-5) voted against the Continuing Resolution (CR) today, stating that Congress should get its work done and stop creating hardship for those that defend our nation. The CR passed the House by a vote of 342-85, and will continue to fund the federal government on last year’s spending levels until Dec. 9, 2016. Congressman Russell was among a minority in the House of Representatives that was pushing for Congress to continue to work to pass each of the required 12 appropr...
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Congressman Steve Russell (OK-5) issued the following statement after Congress successfully voted to override President Obama’s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act: “What we see here is the will of the people being enacted. The initial vote had strong bipartisan support, and today you saw a near unanimous Senate vote, followed by strong support in the House. I understand some of the President’s thinking that court cases could hurt foreign diplomacy, but this vote doesn’t guaran...
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Congressman Russell’s (OK-5) bill, H.R. 5785, to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for an annuity supplement for certain Air Traffic Controller Instructors, like those at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, passed a vital first step out of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee by unanimous vote. This bipartisan bill prevents full-time air traffic control instructors, under contract with the Federal Aviation Administration, from being forced into early retirement due...
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Congressman Steve Russell (OK-5), a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has released Waste Watch No. 5. Waste Watch is Congressman Russell’s ongoing investigation and periodic publication that highlights agencies, programs, and cost overruns that are a drain on the American taxpayer. To date, Waste Watch has highlighted roughly $90 billion in wasteful government spending. Congressman Russell has been able to affect change including being the lead Republican co-sponsor...
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Congressman Steve Russell (OK-5) questioned Mr. Justin Cooper during the Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s hearing on the Federal Records Preservation at the State Department. On page ten of the F.B.I. findings of the Clinton Email Investigationit states: “Clinton’s immediate aides, to include Mills, Abedin, and Jacob Sullivan and (redacted) told the FBI that they were unaware of the existence of the private server until after Clinton’s tenure at State or when it became public knowledg...
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Congressman Steve Russell (OK-5) offered the following statement to reflect upon the 15th anniversary of September 11, 2001: “Every American alive had their life changed forever 15 years ago. For me, before the year was out, I deployed on Operation Enduring Freedom. September 11th is seared in our memories just as Pearl Harbor was nearly 75 years ago. As we reflect on the civilians, first-responders and warriors lost, let us never lose sight of why they sacrificed. Let us use the time we have t...
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