Oklahoma Delegation Returns To Washington With Full Agenda

Congress returns to Washington this week after a two-week hiatus with a full agenda that includes next steps on President Biden’s massive infrastructure bill.

"I'm prepared to negotiate," said President Biden Monday in the Oval Office as he hosted a bipartisan group of lawmakers for a discussion on, he said, "the extent of infrastructure projects, as well as how we pay for it."

One reporter asked the president about criticism that he's using meetings like Monday’s to create the impression he's trying to reach across the aisle, when in truth they are mere window dressing.

"I'm not big on window dressing, if you've observed," the president replied.

No Oklahoma members were part of the meeting, but they'll be active in the next few days.

Legislation co-authored by Congressman Markwayne Mullin to help protect Native Americans from scammers called the Protecting Indian Tribes from Scams Act, will be on the floor this week under suspension, meaning it should pass with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Congressman Frank Lucas is sending a letter to the FCC urging it to prioritize rural communities in the next round of funding for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program.

Senator James Lankford's bill to help Congress repeal or modify regulations that are slowing down the nation's recovery from the pandemic, the Pandemic Preparedness Response and Recovery Act, will be debated in the Committee on Homeland Security.

Congresswoman Stephanie Bice will be discussing U.S. Force posture with American commanders during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

And members of the delegation continue to hammer President Biden for the situation at the southern border, where illegal immigrant crossings have skyrocketed in the last couple of months. Rep. Kevin Hern is the latest Oklahoma Congressman to visit the border - he was there last week.

"I, too, call on my colleagues across the aisle to get out of their comfort zones some 2,000 miles away," Rep. Hern said at news conference during the visit, "and get out here and see firsthand what's going on."