Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) serves as the top Republican, or the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Sen. Inhofe is a proud Oklahoman and long-time resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
While our country is in the most threatened position in American history, Sen. Inhofe remains committed to rebuilding our military from the readiness crisis and addressing the growing threats from our enemies. As the Chairman for the Senate Armed Services Committee, he plays a key role in ensuring that our military has the best equipment, training and resources necessary to meet our nation’s diverse security challenges.
There is no adequate compensation for the sacrifices our nation’s veterans have so bravely made on behalf of the United States. As the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and as an Army veteran, I am committed to standing up for all of our nation’s veterans and ensuring that we honor each of them with the proper care and support.
As a tireless advocate for our veterans, it is critically important to me that Oklahoma set the benchmark for the rest of the country in how we treat our veterans – and we’re doing exactly that. In just the last few years, I’ve enacted legislation to do everything from allow independent, third-party inspectors at VA hospitals to pushing all veterans care facilities to strive for higher rankings. I’ve also worked with former President Trump to reform the VA and increase accountability—giving VA directors the ability to fire poorly performing employees and strengthening whistleblower protections. I am committed to a culture of continuous improvement at the VA.
Once the need for additional infrastructure in eastern Oklahoma was identified, I worked with then-Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie to support our veterans by utilizing the CHIP-IN Act. With the help of state and local leaders, we crafted a plan to meet both goals: increase the care provided at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Center in Muskogee by adding a first-of-its-kind, regional behavioral health center, but also to open a brand new inpatient facility in Tulsa. This plan will allow veterans to get all of the care they need in eastern Oklahoma by providing excellent services at both facilities.
For over 18 years, I have led a task force of veterans to stay apprised of the issues facing veterans in Oklahoma and across the country. These regular meetings have resulted in legislation to increase education benefits, establish state of the art medical treatment facilities, and increase health care benefits and pension plans that enable our nation’s bravest men and women to have the ability to transition out of military service with world-class support. I look forward to continuing to work to provide America’s soldiers and veterans the best possible care we can.