Congressman Markwayne Mullin was first elected to serve the people of Oklahoma’s Second Congressional District in November 2012. He is currently serving his fifth term in office.
Mullin and his wife Christie have been married since 1997 and have six children: Jim, Jayce, Andrew, Larra, Ivy, and Lynette. The Mullin family currently resides on their ranch in Westville, Oklahoma, which includes the original allotment land his family received as Cherokees. They are members of the Assembly of God Church.
A graduate of Stilwell High School, Mullin attended Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship. Shortly after, Mullin’s father fell ill and the family’s plumbing company encountered financial troubles. Mullin left college to return home and take over his family’s business, forgoing his wrestling scholarship and education.
The U.S. Constitution is clear that we should have a strong, national defense. Our men and women in the military protect us and our freedoms, allowing America to remain a leader of the free world and a beacon of hope. In order to keep us from falling behind other world powers, and to be prepared for emerging threats, we must continue to make investments in not only the most advanced equipment and technology, but also in the very people that choose to put on the uniform every day.
The private sector is the engine that drives our economy and creates real jobs and opportunity. As a business owner, I know that for many businesses it is a daily struggle just to keep the doors open. I have first-hand experience with the challenges of running businesses in this burdensome regulatory environment.
In order to do this the federal government must rein in spending, reform the tax code, and end the heavy-handed regulations that are making it harder for the private sector to create the real jobs this country desperately needs.
As the father of five children all enrolled in Oklahoma’s public school system, I firmly believe in local control for our school districts. While in Congress, I have helped pass legislation freeing our state from being forced to adhere to ineffective federal standards like Common Core.
The federal government has no business creating education standards that have a one-size-fits-all policy. These decisions should be made by the state. I believe that local school boards, parents, teachers and administrators have the best interests of our children at heart. All five of my children have their own individual learning style, and so I believe that we should have the right to be able to choose the best educational fit for each of our children.
Since being elected to Congress, I have fought for policies that preserve and grow Oklahoma’s energy jobs and assure our families can afford to keep their lights on. Oklahoma is an energy-rich state and I will make sure our priorities are included in the comprehensive U.S. energy agenda.
I have been a member of the Committee on Energy & Commerce since 2015. I will continue working to strengthen our economy by modernizing our infrastructure to keep pace with new resources, removing current barriers on energy production, and working to make America energy independent. It is important that we are able to create new jobs, lower fuel prices, and increase economic activity.
As a leader of the free world, many nations look to us during negotiations or times of crisis. Although the president is vested by the Constitution with the main responsibility to conduct foreign affairs on behalf of the American people, Congress should still use the opportunities we have to maintain our diplomatic ties with our allies and ensure that America will always be that “shining city on a hill.”
We must continue to be wary of other nations who might mean to do us harm or interfere with our country through the United Nations. Additionally, we should continue to stand by our only democratic ally in the Middle East: Israel.
I believe America should have a health care system that guarantees Oklahomans will have access to healthcare that is not only affordable but is also high quality. I favor reforms that are market-based and patient-centered and reforms that protect small businesses and their employees from interruptions to health insurance coverage and skyrocketing premiums.
Obamacare has caused premiums to skyrocket in Oklahoma and puts the government between doctors and patients. Opening a free market will encourage competing plans and options. Oklahomans can return once again to a health care market that provides access to affordable and reliable health insurance. I currently serve on the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, and will work specifically to reform Indian health care.
As a member of the Cherokee Nation, I take great pride in the role Native Americans have played throughout history. Native American tribes in Oklahoma and across the country have spent generations developing treaty negotiations and trust authorities that must be adhered to. I understand the importance of preserving sites significant to our cultural heritage and am committed to being a voice for Native Americans in Congress.
I have owned my family business since I was 20 years old, which has given me the experience to balance a budget and stay out of debt. The nation’s debt has reached over $28 trillion and is showing no sign of slowing down. In order to narrow our huge deficit and ensure that we do not leave behind massive debt for future generations, we must begin charting a course toward balancing the budget. To do this our government must cut spending and adopt policies that will enable the growth of the economy and facilitate job creation.
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I believe that Americans deserve a tax code that that is easy to understand and gives working citizens an opportunity to reap the benefits of hard-earned tax dollars. The tax code should not be so complex that the people who abide by its provisions cannot understand it, and should never be used as a means to enforce bad policies. We need significant tax reform to unleash the full economic potential of the private sector, written by people with real-world experience, not government bureaucrats. That's why I am proud of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was signed into law in December 2017 by President Trump. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) overhauls America’s tax code to deliver historic tax relief for workers, families and job creators, and revitalize our nation’s economy. By lowering taxes across the board, eliminating costly special-interest tax breaks, and modernizing our international tax system, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will help create more jobs, increase paychecks, and make the tax code simpler and fairer for Americans of all walks of life. With this bill, the typical family of four in Oklahoma’s Second District earning the median family income of $59,155 will receive a tax cut of $1,643. An Oklahoman earning $40,770 without kids will receive a $780 tax cut on average. View the policy highlights of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Conference Report at this link. In February 2018, the Internal Revenue Service released new withholding tables for employers. Click here to learn more about how this may affect your paycheck. Perform a quick "paycheck checkup" by clicking here and using the IRS Withholding Calculator. Still have questions? Visit the IRS's frequently asked questions about withholding tables. |
Maintaining our nation’s infrastructure is vitally important for both safety and commerce.
During my time in Congress, I have helped pass legislation that ensures important Oklahoma roads and bridges received the improvements they needed, allows many existing church and civic group highway signs to remain standing, and protect our nation’s waterway systems. I am committed to supporting and defending our transportation infrastructure.
The men and women of our armed services have sacrificed so much for our country and it is my firm belief that we owe no greater debt than to those who risked their lives to defend our nation. Know that I take my responsibility of serving our soldiers and veterans here in Congress seriously and that I will continue to support measures that are beneficial to our active service members, veterans, and military retirees.
While in Washington, I have introduced legislation to fix accessibility problems with the V.A. Choice Program, expand GI Bill education benefits, and improve investigations and audits in V.A. hospitals.
