Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Inhofe
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) has been an ally for veterans, advocating for them in the Senate for 28 years. As the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Inhofe has been influential in the Committee’s decisions – including many decisions to assist and better the lives of veterans.
As a tireless advocate for our veterans, it has been critically important to Sen. Inhofe that Oklahoma set the benchmark for the rest of the country in how we treat our veterans, and he has ensured just that. Sen. Inhofe has championed legislation to do everything from allow independent, third-party inspectors at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals to pushing all veterans care facilities to strive for higher rankings. He 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. Inhofe has been committed to a culture of continuous improvement at the VA.
Once the need for additional infrastructure in eastern Oklahoma was identified, Inhofe 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, he 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 allows veterans access to the care they need in eastern Oklahoma by providing excellent services at both facilities.
For over 18 years, Sen. Inhofe has led a veteran’s task force 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 transition out of military service with world-class support.
Sen. Inhofe has been honored with numerous awards for his work on behalf of veterans. In 2010, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) presented him with the DAV award for his work to advance veterans priorities in Congress. In 2013, he received the Air Force Character and Leadership award from the U.S. Air Force Academy. In 2017, he was awarded the Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service by the U.S. Army.
Pre-Senate
1991
Cosponsored H.R. 2525 – Department of Veterans Affairs Codification Act: Revises federal provisions which established the Department of Veterans Affairs as an executive department. Redesignates the Veterans Health Services and Research Administration as the Veterans Health Administration. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a commission to recommend individuals to the president whenever a vacancy occurs in the positions of Chief Medical Director and Chief Benefits Director of the Department. Includes the Veterans’ Canteen Service and the Board of Contract Appeals within the Department. This legislation became Public Law on August 6, 1991.
Cosponsored H.R. 1047 – Veterans’ Benefits Programs Improvement Act of 1991: Improves and extend veterans’ benefit programs authorized to Department of Veterans Affairs. Increases compensation and pension programs requiring treatment in a VA facility and presumptive periods. Increases time veterans and surviving families have to qualify and file for the National Service Life Insurance. Expands the health-related provisions and real property and facilities procurements. This legislation became Public Law on August 14, 1991.
Cosponsored H.R. 3 – Veterans’ Compensation Amendments of 1991: Increases the rates of: (1) veterans’ disability compensation; (2) additional compensation for veterans’ dependents; (3) the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans; (4) dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children; and (5) supplemental dependency and indemnity compensation for disabled adult children. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to adjust administratively the rates of disability compensation payable to persons who are not in receipt of compensation for service-connected disability or death. Requires the Secretary to increase such rates at the same time and by the same percentage as any increase in social security benefit amounts paid under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act. This legislation became Public Law on February 6, 1991.
Timeline of Sen. Inhofe’s Accomplishments for Veterans
Sen. Jim Inhofe was elected on November 8, 1994, in a special election and was seated in the U.S Senate in November 1994 – the 103rd Congress. During his tenure in the Senate, Inhofe secured many achievements for veterans and their families.
1997
Cosponsored S.1021 – Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998: Amends Federal employment provisions to prohibit veterans’ preference eligibles or veterans who have been separated from military service under honorable conditions, after three years or more of active service, from being denied the opportunity to compete for vacant positions, for which the agency making the announcement will accept applications from individuals outside its own workforce under merit promotion procedures. Requires such announcements to indicate that such preference eligibles or veterans are so eligible. Directs the Office of Personnel Management to establish an appointing authority to appoint such preference eligibles and veterans. This legislation became Public Law on October 31, 1998.
Cosponsored S.813 – Veteran’s Cemetery Protection Act of 1997: Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review and amend the federal sentencing guidelines to provide a sentencing enhancement for any offense against the property of a national cemetery. This legislation became Public Law on November 19, 1997.
1999
Cosponsored S.4 – Solders, Sailors’, Airmen’s, and Marines’ Bill of Rights Act of 1999: Provides: (1) an increase in such pay as of July 1, 2000, for officer and enlisted personnel within specified pay grades; and (2) a pay increase for fiscal years after 2000 of one percent over the percentage increase as calculated under the Employment Cost Index. This legislation passed the Senate on February 24, 1999.
2000
Cosponsored S.Amdt.3173 – Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001: This sought to extend the eligibility for medical care under CHAMPUS and TRICARE to persons over the age of 64. This amendment was agreed to in the Senate on June 7, 2000, while the Act became Public Law on October 30, 2000.
Cosponsored S.1771 – Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 2000: Amends federal veterans’ benefits provisions to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make reasonable efforts to assist in the development of information and medical or lay evidence necessary to establish the eligibility of a claimant for veterans’ benefits.
2001
Supported Passage of TriCare for Life: Inhofe voted for the Fiscal Year 2001 Defense Authorization bill that included provisions allowing for the extension of benefits, under the TriCare military health care system, to all military retirees with at least 20 years of service, whether or not they were eligible for Medicare.
Cosponsored S.170 – Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2001: A bill to permit disabled veterans to receive both military pay and veterans’ disability compensation, eliminating the current dollar-for-dollar offset between the two.
Cosponsored S.145 – SBP Benefits Improvement Act of 2001: A bill to alleviate reductions in annuities for veterans’ survivors over the age of 62 which currently occur under the Survivors Benefits Plan (SBP).
2005
Established Oklahoma Veterans Task Force: Inhofe set up a regular forum, which meets several times a year, for representatives of veterans groups to communicate their legislative and policy priorities directly to the senator.
Protecting Military Reservists: Inhofe supported legislation that allowed ready reservists to deduct travel expenses associated with reserve training and providing employers and self-employed reservists with an income tax credit for costs associated with such training.
Sponsored S.2779 – Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes Act: A bill that prohibits a person from carrying out a demonstration: (1) at a cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration or at Arlington National Cemetery, unless the demonstration has been approved by the cemetery superintendent or director; or (2) within 500 feet of a cemetery at which a funeral or memorial service is to be held, for a period beginning 60 minutes before and ending 60 minutes after the funeral or service, if such demonstration includes any individual making noise or a diversion that disturbs the peace or good order of the funeral or service. H.R.5037 – the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives – became Public Law on May 29, 2006.
2007
Sponsored S.1585: A bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the “Ernest Childers Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic.” This legislation became Public Law via H.R.366 on December 26, 2007.
Cosponsored S.1716: A bill to amend the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007, to strike a requirement relating to forage producers and to eliminate the requirement that forage producers must participate in the insurance pilot program or the noninsured crop disaster assistance program in order to receive crop disaster and livestock assistance. This legislation was introduced on June 27, 2007, and became Public Law on August 13, 2007.
2008
Funding for a Robotic and Prosthetic Alignment System: Sen. Inhofe helped secure $750,000 in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for OrthoCare for a Robotic and Prosthetic Alignment System to assist injured servicemen, veterans and civilians and bring high-tech jobs to the state.
Traumatic Extremity Injury and Amputee Center of Excellence: Sen. Inhofe authored an amendment to the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 to establish a Traumatic Extremity Injury Center of Excellence and Amputee Center of Excellence for warriors wounded in combat to build on the Wounded Warrior Act.
Sponsored S.2681 – Code Talkers Recognition Act: A bill that honors Native American Code Talkers from WWI and WWII by issuing a gold medal for their respective tribe and a duplicate silver medal to each Code Talker. H.R.4544 – the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives – became Public Law on October 15, 2008.
Cosponsored S.2938 – Enhancement of Recruitment, Retention, and Readjustment Through Education Act of 2008: An update to the 20-year-old GI bill, which included the option to transfer these benefits to spouses and children.
Cosponsored S.2162 – The Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008: An Act to make it easier for veterans to receive better mental health care with fewer hassles. This legislation designates centers of excellence to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders and epilepsy. It also creates a pilot program to provide veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom with peer outreach and professional services dealing with mental illness and readjustment and includes marriage and family counseling within authorized VA care for veterans. This legislation became Public Law on October 10, 2008.
2009
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010: Sen. Inhofe ensured the FY2010 NDAA would maintain the current size of our military, provide a 1.4% pay increase, supply full funding for our troops stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq and fighting the war on terror, prevent an increase in health care fees for military families, create a counter-IED database and enhance the effort to develop new, light weight body armor. The FY2010 NDAA became Public Law on October 28, 2009.
Authored and Introduced S.Amdt.742 to S.Con.Res.13: This is the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2010, which provides for advance appropriations for medical care for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Medical Services, Medical Administration, Medical Facilities and Medical and Prosthetic Research accounts of the Veterans Health Administration. The provision ensures a timely and predictable funding flow from fiscal year to fiscal year resulting in better care for our veterans and wounded warriors. The legislation passed April 29, 2009. Due to Sen. Inhofe’s amendment, of the $109 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs health and benefit programs, $48.2 billion became available for Fiscal Year 2011 advanced appropriations for the continuity of medical services and support of VA programs for veterans, regardless of when appropriations are enacted for Fiscal Year 2011. The legislation became Public Law 111-117 on December 16, 2009.
2010
Sponsored S.Res.624: This is a resolution to honor the members of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard of the State of Oklahoma for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States since September 11, 2001. This resolution passed the Senate on September 15, 2010.
2015
Veteran Choice Card Program: Sen. Inhofe joined a letter with 51 other senators to VA Secretary Bob McDonald conveying serious concerns regarding the VA’s implementation of the Choice Card Program, which allows veterans to receive local care from physicians if the VA is unable to treat them within 40 miles of the individual’s residence. The letter asked the Secretary to modify the way the distance is calculated so that the Choice Program is implemented as Congress intended, specifically by removing the overly narrow definition without delay. Sen. Inhofe successfully championed the eligibility criteria to be based on driving distance and this change was included in Public Law 114-41.
Tulsa VA Clinic: Many of the nation’s VA facilities are outdated and in need of desperate repair or replacement in order to provide our veterans with the care and services they deserve. In 2015, Congress passed a VA reform bill that included funding to lease a new clinic in Tulsa. However, the enacted legislation made it difficult for the VA to implement the new lease in Tulsa. In the 2016 NDAA, Sen. Inhofe successfully removed the troublesome language, which ensured Oklahoma veterans receive a new, more capable clinic in Tulsa before 2020.
Cosponsored S.12 – Hire More Heroes Act: This allows employers to hire post 9/11 veterans who already receive TRICARE healthcare services through the Department of Defense (DOD) or VA and exempt them from the total number of full-time employees requiring health care as outlined in Obamacare’s employer mandate.
2016
Improvement of Oklahoma’s VA Facilities: Sen. Inhofe wrote the VA Office of the Inspector General to request a visit to Oklahoma facilities to ensure that Oklahoma’s VA health facilities are being held to the same standards as private sector facilities. While the VA initially denied the request, they relented after the senator refused to allow the new VA Inspector General to be confirmed by the Senate and begin his work until they agreed to his request. The inspections helped ensure VA facilities in Oklahoma are held accountable.
Sponsored S. 2771 – Advancing Veterans’ Access to Mental Health Services: Many veterans come home with mental health issues stemming from the sacrifices made in service to our nation. Yet, while they are seeking help, they are faced with long wait times and struggle to get treatment because of shortages. This bill would allow the VA to hire individuals who hold doctoral degrees in mental health as Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors.
Improving Prosthetic Care Outcomes for Veterans: The VA deployed advanced, lower limb prosthetic digital health technology to provide real-world data documenting activity in the community for veterans with lower limb prostheses. Sen. Inhofe authored an amendment that encourages the DOD to utilize technology that captures real-world activity data for amputees to improve prosthetic outcomes for service members and veterans.
Gold Star Families Voice Act: Sen. Inhofe voted for the final passage of the Gold Star Families Voices Act, which authorizes the Library of Congress Veterans History Project to collect audio and video recordings of biographical histories by immediate family members of service members who died as a result of their service or became missing in action. This allows the legacies of our service members who made the ultimate sacrifice to be remembered and ensures that their lives are memorialized for generations to come. H.R.4511 – the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives – became Public Law on November 28, 2016.
Cosponsored S.1004 – Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act: This Act directs the president to issue an annual proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe two minutes of silence on Veterans Day to honor the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout the history of the nation. This legislation became Public Law on October 7, 2016.
Cosponsored S.1982 – Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act: This authorized a Wall of Remembrance at the Washington D.C. site of the Korean War Veterans Memorial. This wall includes a list of names of members of the U.S. Armed Forces who died in the Korean War, as determined by the Department of Defense. H.R.1475 – the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives – became Public Law on October 7, 2016.
Cosponsored S.114 – VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017: This bill is to revamp hiring and employee management processes at the agency’s health and service centers. The bill provided $2.1B to extend the Veterans Choice program, included reforms to help the VA attract and retain top talent, hold poor performance accountable and deliver exceptional services and care to America’s veteran population. This legislation became Public Law on August 12, 2017.
2017
Sponsored S.1266 – Enhancing Veteran Care Act: This authorized VA’s Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) directors and medical center directors to contract with outside entities to conduct investigations of their VA facilities. Since learning of the shortfalls at VA centers in Oklahoma in 2015, Sen. Inhofe worked tirelessly to ensure that our veterans have access to high-quality, effective healthcare. This legislation became Public Law on December 20, 2017.
Cosponsored S.1094 – Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act: Legislation which ensures our veterans have access to the quality health care they deserve. This legislation made much needed reforms to ensure that bad actors are removed from the VA by allowing the Secretary of the VA to expedite the removal, demotion or suspension of VA employees based on misconduct or performance. Further, it increased protections for employees that are willing to speak up when they see something wrong. This legislation became Public Law on June 23, 2017.
2018
Passage of Appropriations Bill to Benefit Oklahoma: Sen. Inhofe praised the passage of three appropriations bill that provided necessary funding for the Army Corps of Engineers, military construction, Veterans Affairs and the Legislative branch. Within one of the appropriation bills, Sen. Inhofe cosponsored an amendment that would require the VA to develop a plan to avoid clinical mistakes that result in adverse events. This amendment would create greater accountability when preventing and addressing clinical errors. Sen. Inhofe also secured key funding for Oklahoma priorities that included:
- $12 million for the KC-46 training simulator at Altus Air Force Base
- $166 million for the KC-46 maintenance and fuel maintenance hangars at Tinker Air Force Base
- $7 million for the bulk diesel system replacement at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant
- Increased funding for waterways and operations and maintenance that will support Oklahoma projects like the MKARNS
- Prioritization of projects in drought-stricken areas to include treatment of brackish water, like the authorized Red River Chloride Control project in Southwest Oklahoma
- Funding for produced water research for which OU and OSU are well-positioned to compete
Improvement of Veteran Health Care: Sen. Inhofe, along with the rest of the Oklahoma congressional delegation, announced new initiatives to help each of Oklahoma’s VA facilities achieve a five-star rating, indicating they are two of the highest performing VA facilities in the country.
Sponsored S.3661 – 75th Anniversary of World War II Commemoration Act: A program that honors veterans, educates the public about the history of World War II, highlights the service of men and women who served our nation during the war recognizes the contributions of our allies and remembers the tragedies of the Holocaust. This legislation became Public Law on January 10, 2019.
2019
Cosponsored S.3128: A bill that would give the VA greater ability to provide chaplaincy services, giving the VA the ability to improve consistency and the opportunity to have additional access to pastoral counseling.
Cosponsored S.1906 – Improve Well-Being for Veterans Act: The IMPROVE (Incorporating Measurements and Providing Resources for Outreach to Veterans Everywhere) Well-being for Veterans Act, provides nonprofits and community organizations the authority to deliver or coordinate the delivery of services for veterans at risk of suicide, giving them more options and access to additional services.
2020
Cosponsored S.3493 – Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act: A bill that allows transactions to be made by active duty service members and their spouses.
2021
Inhofe cosigned Sen. Grassley’s amicus brief in Atchley v. AstraZeneca, which supports a challenge to a D.C. District Court ruling which was adversely impacting Gold Star families, including 31 from Oklahoma, who allege certain pharmaceutical companies acted as secondary actors in providing material support to terrorists in Iraq who killed American soldiers.