Dear Friend,
This Thanksgiving, I had so much to be thankful for. First and foremost, a God who loves us and has blessed me with my incredible wife and family. Next, the honor of serving Oklahomans in Congress. Last month, you elected me to serve a second term in the House and I am completely humbled by the overwhelming support I received in this election.
In January, we start a new session of Congress with more women than ever before - it's historic, and I look forward to welcoming Oklahoma's newest Congressional representative Stephanie Bice to the delegation.
Before then, however, we have a lot of ground to cover. The deadline to fund the government is coming up this week. If you're feeling a sense of deja vu, you're not alone. It seems like every several months, Congress is locked in another fight on a short-term spending bill. We do this to ourselves over and over, yet Congressional leadership hasn't changed their tactics. Do you know the definition of insanity? It's trying the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results.
We must pass a budget. We must get back to the regular order of funding the government annually with 12 appropriations bills. To this end, I have co-sponsored the No Budget, No Pay Act, which says that Congress must do our job in order to get paid. In any other job in America, you get fired for refusal to work, but not in Congress.
I joined colleagues from both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate on a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to include No Budget, No Pay in year-end funding negotiations. The bipartisan, bicameral support for this is encouraging.
In addition to this letter, there's a lot that's happened in the last month. Here are some of the highlights:
Tulsa Veterans Day Parade
The Tulsa Veterans Day Parade was a beautiful tribute honoring our men and women who have served. As Americans, we bear a great responsibility to care for those who bore the perils of battle in our place. We know that the freedoms we enjoy are not free, and that they have been paid for in the blood, sweat and tears of our best and brightest.
| Rep. Hern (right) at the Tulsa Veterans Day Parade |
Congressional App Challenge winner announced
Earlier this month, I surprised Reid Sotkin, Jenks High School, as the First District's winner of the Congressional App Challenge! Reid developed an app called "Calculating the Future", which teaches young people how to invest wisely and use the power of compounded interest. It was a great idea and wonderfully executed! We had several impressive contestants from high schools around the district this year; I look forward to seeing what next year's contestants come up with! It's so important to foster STEM skills in our students, and the Congressional App Challenge is a fun way to bring those skills to life. Students across the country will have their winning apps on display in the United States Capitol Building, and be honored by their Member of Congress.
Learn more about the app challenge here: congressionalappchallenge.us
Blue Star Mothers
My wife and I had the privilege of joining some incredible women to prepare Christmas boxes. The Blue Star Mothers send these Christmas goodies to Oklahoma soldiers serving overseas in Kuwait, Japan, South Korea, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Our soldiers are the ones sent out to protect our national security, but its their families that protect the home front while they are away.
Tammy and I were able to help box up their latest shipment of 136 care packages that are being sent out to our deserving soldiers, and I was able to write them thank you notes, expressing how proud I am of them. Many Blue Star Mothers will not have their soldiers home for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year because duty calls. We are so thankful for Blue Star Moms across Oklahoma like Janet Viel and the other 39 members that make up the wonderful Broken Arrow chapter.
| Rep. Hern (center left) and Tammy Hern (center right) join the Broken Arrow Blue Star Mothers at their headquarters. |
HERCULES Act
Last week, I introduced the HERCULES Act, which stands for Help End Redundant Claims Unnecessarily Leaving Employers Suffering. This bill aims to make the federal government more efficient. Government waste is one of the biggest problems we face as a country.
Because of the bureaucracy, it's hard to make staffing changes; the result is an inflexible workforce resistant to adopt the changes of the modern workplace. By streamlining the adverse action process, we allow issues to be resolved efficiently and give our federal agencies more room to modernize.
You can learn more about this bill here. Eagle Ops Welcome Back 5k When you see a veteran, it's good to thank them for their service, but they also need to hear "welcome home". I was proud to speak at the Eagle Ops Welcome Home 5K last month. This event honors our fallen heroes like Tech Sgt. Marshal Roberts, who was killed in action earlier this March, while also highlighting the needs of veterans in our community today. Too many of our veterans are lost to suicide year after year, and they need to know that the home they fought for overseas is eager to welcome them back with open arms. Veterans Day may be in the rear view mirror, but the veterans in our community are right here in front of us, needing a warm embrace and a "welcome home" from us all. | Rep. Hern speaks at the Eagle Ops 5k |
We're closing in on the end of a wild year. This year has challenged us in ways we never imagined, but we are coming out of it stronger than ever before.
The holidays will look a little different this year, but the meaning behind the season will never change.
Our community has showered love on those in need, we have stood up for our police officers and our military men and women who serve us every day, we have shown that we value our small businesses that make up the fabric of our community. Through everything we've faced this year, Oklahomans have shown love and kindness to their neighbors. I am so proud to represent you in Congress and can't wait to get back to work again in January.
Please let me know if there's anything my office can help you with, call us at (202) 225-2211 in DC or (918) 935-3222 in Tulsa. As always, I keep everything up-to-date at Hern.house.gov and on my Facebook page, so you know what's happening whether I'm in our nation's capitol or at work in Oklahoma.
Sincerely,
Kevin Hern
Member of Congress
| 
