On the recordMay 7, 2015
it is my honor to represent my family, my neighbors, and the millions of people in my very diverse State of Oklahoma. I am an ordinary Oklahoman. I do not come from a prominent political family or from any kind of political machine. My wife of 23 years, Cindy, is here in the Gallery today. We have walked through life together and have raised two incredible girls who love God and love our Nation. Stepping into this body was a high cost for my family. We took this on together. We have a tremendous staff, both here in Washington, DC, and in Oklahoma, who sacrifice incredible time and energy for the future of our Nation. Every day they work incredibly hard to solve the issues that we face as a nation. I am grateful to serve in this Chamber and for this to be my very first time to be able to speak in this Chamber. There are a few issues that I want to be able to raise and address in our conversation today. I have the opportunity to be able to live in a heritage of distinguished Oklahomans who have served in this Chamber. I serve alongside Senator Jim Inhofe, who has stood for conservative principles in this body for two decades. I am humbled to follow the irreplaceable Dr. Tom Coburn. For those of us who are Dallas Cowboy fans, my coming here is kind of like being Danny White after Roger Staubach. There have been 17 other Senators from Oklahoma, great names such as Don Nickles, Henry Bellmon, Robert S. Kerr, David Boren, and Mike Monroney, just to name a few.…





