January 2, 2021 Issue, Page 3 of 8

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January 2, 2021 News Cole, Horn, Lucas vote for additional stimulus aid, veto override Chris Castel, The Oklahoman mary objection was that the bill the coronavirus pandemic has families. ton, I could not vote to sustain meaningful measures that coun- would require the renaming of caused unprecedented hard- "Our recoverywill depend sig- the president's veto. If Congress ters aggression shown by Russia Sen. Jim Inhofe urged his 10 U.S. Army posts named af- ships for many Americans, and nificantly on the course of the does not enact the NDAA for and China." colleagues on Tuesday to over- ter confederate generals. I applaud President Trump for virus in our communities, but fiscal year 2021, it will cost mili- Horn, who worked on the ride President Donald Trump's "He prefers that we continue urging Congress to deliver more during times of need, Congress tary families their extra combat bill as a member of the House veto of the annual defense bill, to honor the confederate lead- targeted relief to individuals and must provide stability and a and flight pay, effectively giving Armed Services Committee, saying Pentagon policy could ers who committed treasonous families in the form of stimulus bridge for individuals and fami- them an undeserved pay cut for said, "This bill passed Congress be hindered and military fami- atrocities in order to preserve checks. I am proud to support lies until we are fully on the path Christmas and shamefully dis- with overwhelming bipartisan lies hurt if the bill does not be- slavery. ... When he was called the president's request to in- of recovery." regarding the selfless sacrifices come law. out on this racist inclination, support and it sets critical de- crease the amount on checks Cole, Horn and Lucas also vot- they daily make to ensure our fense policy to keep the U.S. In a speech on the Senate he changed the reasoning for soon to reach most Americans, ed to override Trump's defense shared safety and security.” floor, the Oklahoma Repub- his veto,” Durbin said. secure, I was proud to include providing additional help as we bill veto; Hern voted against, Lucas, whose district indudes amendments like increased in- lican said, "If the (bill) is not “He claims the bill doesn't do continue to grapple with the un- and Mullin was absent. Vance Air Force Base and Altus passed, more than 200,000 enough to fight China. Or that vestments in cybersecurity and certainties and challenges facing Cole said, "I am disappointed Air Force Base, said, “Our na- military families will see we should include a measure to our communities." by the president's decision to tion's defense and those who (artificial intelligence) research. smaller paychecks in January address liability issues for tech Lucas said, "The coronavirus veto the National Defense Au- We can't let the President play serve within its ranks are well- because the special pays and companies. Never mind that pandemic has caused tremen- thorization Act, which is vitallysupported by this critical piece political games with the NDAA.” bonuses for hazard pay are all a tech company liability matters Mullin, whose district in- part of this." have nothing to do with the dous societal and economic important to supporting and of legislation. While Congress hardships across Oklahoma and strengthening our common de- shares President Trump's con- cludes the McAlester Army Am- Also, the troop levels autho- national defense authorization munition Plant voted for the rized in the bill could not be act. ... The president also fails the United States. While a num- fense and ensuring our service cerns regarding Section 230, a funded and new cybersecurity to recognize this defense au- ber of our communities have members have the resources provision which deserves its fair defense bill on Dec. 8, despite measures couldn't be imple- thorization bill does get tough begun to recover, many Okla- they need to keep us safe. share of congressional scrutiny, ‘Trump's veto threat. But he said mented, said Inhofe, the chair- on China.” homans and families are falling "As the representative for the Congress must not miss the op- in a video posted on Twitter on man of the Senate Armed Ser- The National Defense Au- even further behind and are now Fourth Congressional District portunity to pass such a strong Monday that he would have vot- vices Committee. thorization Act, which was faced with the consequences of of Oklahoma, which includes bill that provides for our Armed ed against overriding the veto if ‘The Senate is set to vote co-written by Inhofe, was ap- delaying bill payments in order Tinker Air Force Base in Mid- Service members, supports he had not missed his plane to ‘Wednesday afternoon on over- proved 84-13 by the Senate on to purchase necessities for their west City and Fort Sill in Law- military families, and includes Washington. riding Trump's veto of the Dec. 11. Overriding Trump's $740 billion bill. The House veto will require two-thirds ap- voted overwhelmingly Monday to override the veto. proval by the senators voting. ‘The Senate has not sched- Trump's chief complaint uleda vote on raising pandemic First US case of UK COVID-19 strain about the bill, which includes stimulus payments from $600 a 3% pay raise for troops and to $2,000, as Trump has urged. covers a wide range of Defense The House voted Monday to Department activities, was raise the payments. reported in Colorado that it did not include repeal of Oklahoma votes Storm Gifford, New York Daily that it is significantly more con- Task Force, isn’t so sure the Eu- according to the Colorado De- Section 230 of the Communi- ‘Three of Oklahoma's mem- News tagious," stated Polis on Twitter. ropean strain is any more dan- partment of Health & Environ- cation Decency Act; the section bers of the U.S. House voted “The health and safety of Colora- gerous than the current virus. ment website. grants some legal immunity for the $2,000 stimulus checks, ‘The potentially more danger- dans is our top priority and we “Does it make someone more Nationally, 337,000 Ameri- to social media companies for and the same three voted to ous COVID-19 mutant strain will closely monitor this case, as ill? Is it more serious virus in cans have lost their lives to the content posted on their sites. override President Donald that has set off alarms in Europe well as all COVID-19 indicators, the sense of virulence? And the disease, according to health Trump reiterated that com- Trump's veto of the $740 bil- has been identified in the U.S. very closely." answer is, it doesn’t appear to be tracker Johns Hopkins Univer- plaint in a tweet on Tuesday. lion defense bill. On Tuesday, Colorado Gov. A Colorado state laboratory that way,” said Fauci. sity. Worldwide, the COVID-19 Inhofe said Tuesday the sec- Reps. Tom Cole, R-Moore; Jared Polis announced that the identified the variant through Although U.K. officials claim death toll has exceeded 1.78 mil- tion has "nothing to do with Kendra Horn, D-Oklahoma first case of the B.1.1.7. variant diligent sample analysis. that the vaccines being rolled lion. Nearly 1in every 5 people the military" and should be City; and Frank Lucas, R- had been discovered in his state. In late November, Polis dis- out will be strong enough to deal taken up by the Senate com- Cheyenne, voted for the higher It is believed to be the first closed that he and his partner, with the new variant, Fauci said on Earth who has succumbed to mittee that has jurisdiction in stimulus checks. Rep. Kevin confirmed mutant coronavirus Marlon Reis, had tested positive US. scientists would be carrying the disease has been an Ameri- that area. Hern, R-Tulsa, voted against, report in the U.S. for coronavirus and were self- out their own studies. can, Sen. Richard Durbin, D-IL, while Rep. Markwayne Mullin, “There is a lot we don’t know isolating, Colorado, which has record- ©2020 New York Daily News. said Trump was using Section R-Westville, was absent. about this new COVID-19 vari- But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the re- ed 326,000 coronavirus cases Visit at nydailynews.com. Dis- 230 as an excuse when his pri- Cole said, "The wrath of ant, but scientists in the United nowned immunologist leading statewide, has reported 4,631 tributed by Tribune Content Kingdom are warning the world the White House Coronavirus deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, Agency, LLC. Republicans block bigger COVID-19 stimulus checks Michael McAuliff and Dave Gold- and President Donald Trump. the push for bigger checks in But McConnell stuck to his After the House approved the tors, including McConnell allies iner, New York Daily News McConnell, R-Ky., blocked limbo despite growing support guns. He insisted he would only move bya 2-to-1 margin, Trump like Lindsey Graham and Marco Sen. Chuck Schumer’s effort to from across the political spec- permit the Senate to start dis- had weighed in overnight on Rubio, have flip-flopped in re- Republican Senate Major- allow a vote on the measure, trum. cussing the increased stimulus ‘Twitter with a call for action cent days and now claim they ity Leader Mitch McConnell re- instead suggesting he would Schumer, D-N.Y., made an im- from his Mar-a-Lago resort. payments as part of a grab-bag support the $2,000 checks. The fused Tuesday to quickly raise only allow the Senate to “begin passioned plea for the Senate to of other measures that Demo- “Give the people $2000 measure will need the support the amount of the coronavirus a process” to discuss raising the immediately increase the aid to crats oppose, including Trump's not $600, They have suffered of at least 60 senators, a heavy stimulus direct payments to checks along with other unre- hard-pressed Americans. unfounded claims of widespread enough,” the president tweeted lift even with Trump's backing. $2,000, rebuffing demands for lated issues. “Let the chips fall where they fraud in the presidential elec- at 1:53 a.m. McConnell has staunchly bigger checks from Democrats The move effectively leaves may,” Schumer said. tion he lost. At least five Republican sena- opposed spending more than the $900 billion stimulus that has already passed. He spent McConnell announces support for months refusing to even consid- er more expensive bills passed by the Democratic-led House. ‘Trump threw a wrench into overriding Trump’s defense bill veto the debate by initially refusing to sign the compromise bill that was negotiated between McCo- nnell, Democrats and Treasury as president’s grip on GOP slips Secretary Steven Mnuchin. He derided the $600 pay- ments as “a disgrace.” But he caved Sunday night and signed it anyway while renewing his demand for bigger direct pay- Chris Sommerfeldt, New York more time when we vote to- federate leaders. and some progressive Demo- ments. ‘leadership’ will allow the bad Daily News morrow,” McConnell said of the Defense Bill to pass,” Trump crats in the upper chamber are In his floor remarks, McCon- ‘The House took Trump at his so-called National Defense Au- nell said there are always provi- tweeted. “A disgraceful act of threatening to block fast-track word and passed a new measure Senate Majority Leader Mitch thorization Act, which includes sions requested by both parties cowardice and total submission passage of the override resolu- raising the payments amount to McConnell vowed Tuesday 3% pay raises for members of that do not make it into the by weak people to Big Tech. Ne- tion until McConnell allows a $2,000. The vote attracted the to override President Donald the armed forces and billions of NDAA. gotiate a better Bill, or get bet- vote on a House-approved mea- support of some GOP lawmak- Trump's veto of this year's de- dollars for military construction “and yet for 59 consecutive ter leaders, NOW! Senate should sure to increase the forthcom- ers. fense bill, dealing an embarrass- projects and other Pentagon ac- years and counting, Washington not approve NDAA until fixed!!!” ing coronavirus stimulus checks McConnell also announced ing blow to the outgoing com- tivities. has put our differences aside, Trump’s push for repealing from $600 to $2,000. for the first time that he will mander in chief that suggests Trump, who's furious with found common ground and the so-called Section 230 social Sanders could hold up the seek a vote to override Trump's his firm grip on the Republican McConnell and other GOP passed the annual defense bill,” media protections is unrelated override resolution until Jan. veto of a must-pass defense Party is loosening. leaders for not doing more to he said. “Not once in six decades to the military, and many Re- McConnell, the top Republi- help him subvert Joe Biden's publicans questioned the logic 1, which he suggested he will do spending bill that passed with has a Congress let its differences can in Congress, said in a floor election, vetoed the NDAA on prevent it from completing this of using the NDAA as a vehicle unless McConnell clears the way overwhelming bipartisan sup- speech that he’s teeing up a Dec. 23 because Republicans work for its national security for that crusade. for a vote on the stimulus check port. Wednesday vote in the Senate rejected his demand for the bill and our men and women who ‘Two-thirds of the Senate need measure, One procedural hiccup in- on a House-approved resolution to include a provision to repeal wear the uniform.” to support the override resolu- “Let me be clear: If Senator volves Sen. Bernie Sanders, to rescind Trump’s veto of the Trump, who's spending the tion to squash Trump's veto. McConnell doesn't agree to an LVt, who is blocking a vote liability protections for social $741 billion military spending holidays tweeting and golfing With McConnell’s blessing, that up or down vote to provide the overriding the Trump veto un- media companies like Twitter. bill. If successful, it will mark ‘The president was also upset at his private club in Florida, appears a near-certainty. working people of our country til McConnell agrees to allow a the first congressional veto that Republicans allowed the lashed out at McConnell before ‘There is, however, one other a $2,000 direct payment, Con- vote on the $2,000 payments. override of Trump's presidency. NDAA to include an amendment he announced support for the snag that could delay the over- gress will not be going home for His objection will have to be “{ would urge my colleagues mandating the renaming of U.S. override. ride. New Year's Eve,” Sanders said in resolved to move ahead with to support this legislation one military bases named for Con- “Weak and tired Republican Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., astatement. “Let's do our job.” overriding the veto.