TOM COLE

FENTON, MI – Fenton Area Public Schools will add a second school resource officer to its district after being awarded a Michigan State Police grant, the district recently announced. Michigan State Police granted Fenton $143,420 for an additional school resource officer for at least three years through its School Resource Officer Grant Program. Grant funds were competitively awarded through a $25 million appropriation from the Michigan Legislature in the 2023 budget. The second school resource officer will join the district from the Fenton Police Department. Cole and Fenton Police Chief Jeff Cross attended the Fenton Area Public Schools Board of Education meeting on March 6.

Congress is making another push to end the Iraq war military authorizations, which bipartisan presidents have used for decades to justify military action across the globe.

House Republicans have put forward a bill aimed at making it easier for federal judges to arm themselves as they enter and exit courthouses as violent threats continue.

Republican congressman George Santos of New York says he is temporarily stepping down from his two congressional committees.

The committee, which will be chaired by Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), includes Reps. Chip Roy (R-Tex.), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.).

Congress is moving urgently to head off the looming U.S. rail strike.

Republicans are coming to Washington not to legislate or to govern, but to fight.

House Republicans have nominated Kevin McCarthy to serve as Speaker of the House in the next Congress. It's the first step on McCarthy's path to presiding over the House chamber.

With Republicans just one win away from gaining control of the House, Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy is maneuvering to lock up support to become the next House speaker.

Almost two centuries after a treaty guaranteed it, the Cherokee Nation is pushing to have one of its members seated in Congress.

President Joe Biden has signed into law a bill that finances the federal government through mid-December and provides another infusion of military and economic aid to Ukraine.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report on Wednesday revised its projections for GOP gains in the House.

Verbal attacks on federal law enforcement after the FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate have become enmeshed with Republican criticism of a Democratic spending bill.

The U.S. government hasn't been open to investigating its role in stripping Native Americans of their cultures and identities in boarding schools.

The U.S. government has not been open to investigating its role in stripping Native Americans of their cultures and identities in boarding schools.

The House has approved a resolution that will pave the way for letting congressional staff join a union and engage in collective bargaining.

Home-district projects for members of Congress are back, sprinkled across the government-wide $1.5 trillion bill that President Joe Biden signed recently.

The House has approved a massive spending bill anchored by $13.6 billion for battered Ukraine and its European allies.

Republican elected officials across the U.S. are criticizing President Joe Biden over his energy policies and want to ramp up domestic production as a way to help wean the nation and its allies off oil from Russia.

What to watch for at President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy appears to have settled on a strategy as a handful of Republican lawmakers stir outrage with violent, racist and sometimes Islamophobic comments: If you can’t police them, promote them.

The House has voted to censure Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona for posting an animated video that depicted him killing Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a sword.

With only hours to spare, President Joe Biden signed legislation to avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3.

WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders would like everyone to know that the nation is in crisis. There is an economic crisis, they say, with rising prices and overly generous unemployment benefits; a national security crisis; a border security crisis, with its attendant homeland security crisis, humanitarian crisis and public health crisis; and a separate energy crisis. Pressed Tuesday on whether the nation is really so beleaguered, the No. 2 Republican in the House, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisia

A dirty word for many Republicans is making the rounds on Capitol Hill -- earmarks. It's a question that's vexing Republicans as they consider whether to join a Democratic push to revive earmarks, the much-maligned practice where lawmakers direct federal spending to a specific project or institution back home. Democratic appropriators in the House see a solution and are proposing a revamped process allowing lawmakers to submit public requests for “community project funding” in federal spending bills. The ranking Republican on the committee, Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri, said earmarks would not increase the amount of money spent in a bill. “That’s something I feel pretty strongly about.”Norman worries that earmarks would be used to entice Republicans to vote for bills with expensive price tags.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., goes back to her office after speaking on the floor of the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene lashed out Friday at “morons” in both parties who voted to kick her off her committees, a day after the House meted out the unprecedented punishment that Democrats said she’d earned by spreading hateful and violent conspiracy theories. Underscoring the political vise her inflammatory commentary has clamped her party into, all but 11 Republicans voted against the Democratic move on Thursday but none rose to defend her lengthy history of outrageous social media posts. Even social media stars like Greene could find it harder to define themselves without the spotlights that committees provide. That chamber’s minority leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., this week called Greene’s words a “cancer” on the GOP and country.

___5:40 p.m.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer vows there will be an impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, even if it’s after he leaves office and Democrat Joe Biden is inaugurated. If the House impeaches President Donald Trump, a Senate trial on whether to convict him of inciting insurrection seems all but certain to have to wait until President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated. ___1:05 p.m.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is suggesting that President Donald Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting Arab-Israeli peace. ___12:45 p.m.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump represents a “clear and present danger” to the nation and must be impeached. ___8:15 a.m.Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger is predicting more Republicans will join him in voting to impeach President Donald Trump.

After a violent mob launched a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that forced Raskin and his colleagues to evacuate. the Maryland Democrat and former constitutional law professor is leading the effort to remove President Donald Trump from office for inciting the riot. Now Raskin, a former constitutional law professor, is leading the effort to remove President Donald Trump from office for inciting the riot. And even as many Republicans fought the Democratic effort to remove Trump, Raskin was praised by the GOP for continuing his work during such a challenging moment. Last week's riot at the Capitol began as lawmakers were certifying Biden’s Electoral College victory over Trump.

Democrats have freely used the new system, which maximized their voting participation while Republican leaders have urged their members to vote in person. The rules changes come as Democrats hold a bare majority in the House of fewer than a half-dozen seats, the narrowest margin of control in memory. Understanding the bundle of changes requires a dive into the arcane world of House rules and parliamentary maneuvering. The Democratic-imposed rules continue a years-long trend of eroding the powers of the House minority through revisions enacted every two years. “It is all designed to take away the voice of 48 percent of this House chamber,” said Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.

WASHINGTON – There's little doubt that Nancy Pelosi will be reelected House speaker when the new Congress convenes Sunday. It could take a high-wire act for her to get there, largely thanks to the pandemic. “Yeah, I do,” Pelosi told a reporter this week when asked if she had the votes wrapped up. Miller-Meeks is certain to vote against Pelosi to be speaker. “It’s extraordinarily tricky” for Pelosi, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., an 18-year congressional veteran.

WASHINGTON – There's little doubt that Nancy Pelosi will be reelected House speaker when the new Congress convenes Sunday. It could take a high-wire act for her to get there, largely thanks to the pandemic. “Yeah, I do,” Pelosi told a reporter this week when asked if she had the votes wrapped up. Miller-Meeks is certain to vote against Pelosi to be speaker. “It’s extraordinarily tricky” for Pelosi, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., an 18-year congressional veteran.

FILE - In this Sept. 17, 2020, file photo, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, of S.C., speaks during a news conference about COVID-19, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Pelosi will start the Biden era with a narrow majority, 222-211, with a few races still undecided. Biden's first pick from the House, Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., would join the administration quickly once the president-elect is inaugurated Jan. 20, Clyburn said. Democrats are already deep into political soul-searching after a dismal November outcome for House Democrats. The danger zone was close enough that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer warned Biden last month off taking any more Democrats from his ranks.

But until recently, Congress didn't have many Indigenous members who were pushing for solutions and funding for those issues. It's fueled by efforts to recruit Indigenous candidates and back them financially, get-out-the-vote efforts and Native communities flexing their political muscle. The U.S. Senate has not had a Native American member since Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado retired in 2005. Most notably, it worked to pass two bills to help address the epidemic of missing and slain Native American women. Native Hawaiians are not among the more than 570 federally recognized Native American tribes, though they've sought the designation.

This isnt a party convention, its a Trump convention, said Rory Cooper, a Republican strategist and former congressional staffer who opposes Trump. If Republicans lose the Senate in November, we should look back at this week as a lost opportunity to introduce the country to more GOP congressional candidates. Scalise made no direct reference to the GOP's faint hopes of regaining the House majority in November's elections. Sean Parnell, a GOP challenger for a Democratic-held seat in western Pennsylvania, didnt specifically ask listeners to award Republicans House control. The inattention to the GOP's congressional efforts might have changed Wednesday when Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, delivered prime-time remarks.

OKLAHOMA CITY Voters in central Oklahoma on Tuesday will pare down a crowded field of congressional hopefuls seeking to represent the 5th District in Washington. Nine Republicans are vying for the seat held by first-term U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn, the only Democrat in the states delegation. Four of the GOP challengers have raised more than $500,000, including businesswoman Terry Neese, state Sen. Stephanie Bice, former State Superintendent Janet Barresi and businessman David Hill. Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe and U.S. Reps. Markwayne Mullin and Tom Cole all are heavy favorites in their GOP primaries Tuesday. Inhofe faces three lesser-known candidates in the GOP primary, while four Democrats are running for the opportunity to challenge him in the fall.

Oklahoma voters will vote in Tuesday's primary election on State Question 802, which would amend the Oklahoma Constitution to expand Medicaid health insurance. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, Pool, File)OKLAHOMA CITY A question on whether to expand Medicaid in Oklahoma and a crowded Republican field vying to challenge the state's lone congressional Democrat are drawing the most attention ahead of Tuesday's primary election. According to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, states that have expanded Medicaid through a ballot measure include Idaho, Maine, Nebraska and Utah. This is going to cost our state $200 million," Stitt said during an event this week with Americans for Prosperity. Republicans clearly see OK-5 as one of their best chances to flip' a House seat, and theyre correct to see it that way," said Matthew Motta, a political science professor at Oklahoma State University.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON Democrats have powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House, an election-year measure designed to brace a U.S. economy in free fall and a health care system struggling to contain a pandemic still pummeling the country. It has no chance of becoming law as written, but will likely spark difficult negotiations with the White House and Senate Republicans. The enormous Democratic measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined. This bill is nothing more than the Democratic policy agenda masquerading as a response to the coronavirus crisis, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. He said the bill is going nowhere, and is going nowhere fast.Liberal Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., also opposed the bill.

From now on, lawmakers will be allowed to cast House floor votes by proxy without being present as the Constitution requires. A single lawmaker can carry 10 proxy votes to the chamber. House lawmakers will be able to draft bills, conduct oversight and even issue subpoenas from the comfort of their homes. But Republicans warn there will be legal challenges to legislation passed during this period, questioning the constitutional legitimacy of proxy votes. Proxy votes had been allowed in committees, but that ended decades ago.

The House approved Friday a package of historic rules changes so Congress can keep functioning even while it's partly closed. Under the new rules, House lawmakers will no longer be required to travel to Washington to participate in floor votes. House lawmakers will be able to draft bills, conduct oversight and even issue subpoenas from the comfort of their homes. A key Trump ally, McCarthy argues if other Americans are at work, Congress should be, too. But Republicans warn there will be legal challenges to legislation passed during this period, questioning the constitutional legitimacy of proxy votes.

FILE PHOTO: House Rules Committee ranking member Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., listens during a House Rules Committee hearing on the impeachment against President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 17, 2019. Matt Rourke/Pool via REUTERSWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Tom Cole, a prominent Republican in the House of Representatives, announced on Thursday that he would self-quarantine until March 27 after contact with another lawmaker who has tested positive for coronavirus infection. I was informed by the Attending Physician of Congress that my friend Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart has tested positive for COVID-19, Cole said in a statement. While I have no symptoms and feel fine, I was around him for an extended period last week. Out of an abundance of caution, I am following the doctors instructions to self-quarantine until March 27.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives has slowed the advancing of its bill to address the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday to consider proposals made by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. But at the start of a committee meeting on Thursday, he said they had not heard from President Donald Trumps administration. As the meeting progressed, he said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had talked to Mnuchin and lawmakers needed to pause to review his suggestions. Pelosi had said on Thursday that the Democrats sweeping bill to address the coronavirus outbreak would move forward, and that lawmakers were having ongoing conversations with the Republican administration. The top Republican on the Rules Committee, Tom Cole, had said that the bill, as written, would probably not make it to Trump to sign into law.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives has slowed the advancing of its bill to address the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday to consider proposals made by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. But at the start of a committee meeting on Thursday, he said they had not heard from President Donald Trumps administration. As the meeting progressed, he said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had talked to Mnuchin and lawmakers needed to pause to review his suggestions. Pelosi had said on Thursday that the Democrats sweeping bill to address the coronavirus outbreak would move forward, and that lawmakers were having ongoing conversations with the Republican administration. The top Republican on the Rules Committee, Tom Cole, had said that the bill, as written, would probably not make it to Trump to sign into law.

Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON, DC For only the fourth time in U.S. history, the House of Representatives has started a presidential impeachment inquiry. A quick summary of the latest news:WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW House investigators are summoning former national security adviser John Bolton to testify in their impeachment inquiry. __WHAT'S NEXT Tim Morrison, Trump's top adviser for Russian and European affairs, is scheduled to testify Thursday before the House impeachment investigators. House Democrats are pushing toward their first formal vote on impeachment Thursday. If the House were to impeach Trump, 67 senators would need to vote "guilty" on any count to convict and remove him from office.