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Inhofe, while indicating he believed there were uncertainties related to climate science and that mandatory [[emission standard|emission]]s reductions would have an adverse impact on the [[U.S. economy]], voted on June 22, 2005 to reject an amendment to an energy bill that would have forced reductions in emissions of [[greenhouse gas]]es and created a mandatory emissions trading scheme.<ref>Associated Press. ''Senate Defeats Move to Cap Climate Gases''. June 22, 2005</ref>
Inhofe, while indicating he believed there were uncertainties related to climate science and that mandatory [[emission standard|emission]]s reductions would have an adverse impact on the [[U.S. economy]], voted on June 22, 2005 to reject an amendment to an energy bill that would have forced reductions in emissions of [[greenhouse gas]]es and created a mandatory emissions trading scheme.<ref>Associated Press. ''Senate Defeats Move to Cap Climate Gases''. June 22, 2005</ref>


In 2006, Inhofe gave a speech in the Senate in which he argued that the threat of global warming was exaggerated by "the [[mass media|media]], [[Hollywood]] [[Elitism|elites]] and our [[Popular culture|pop culture]]." Inhofe asserted that "From the late 1920s until the 1960s they [the media] warned of global warming. From the 1950s until the 1970s they warned us again of a coming [[ice age]]. This makes modern global warming the fourth estate's fourth attempt to promote opposing climate change fears during the last 100 years." He also accused the media of ignoring scientists such as [[Roger A. Pielke]] and [[William M. Gray|William Gray]] who, Inhofe asserted, disagreed with global warming.<ref>[http://epw.senate.gov/speechitem.cfm?party=rep&id=263759 Text of speech by James Inhofe in the Senate on 25 Sept 2006 on global warming]. Retrieved 28 Sept 2006.</ref> Pielke has explicitly denied the assertion that he is skeptical of the human impact on climate change.<ref>{{cite web | first=Roger A. | last=Pielke Sr. | title=Correction To A December 10, 2007 BBC News Article |url=https://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/2007/12/10/correction-to-a-december-10-2007-bbc-news-article/ | date=December 10, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Erroneous Presentation of My Views on Climate In the Media |url=https://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/2006/07/25/misquotation-of-my-views-on-climate-science/| date=July 25, 2006 | first=Roger A. | last=Pielke Sr.}}</ref>
In 2006, Inhofe gave a speech in the Senate in which he argued that the threat of global warming was exaggerated by "the [[mass media|media]], [[Hollywood]] [[Elitism|elites]] and our [[Popular culture|pop culture]]." Inhofe asserted that "From the late 1920s until the 1960s they [the media] warned of global warming. From the 1950s until the 1970s they warned us again of a coming [[ice age]]. This makes modern global warming the fourth estate's fourth attempt to promote opposing climate change fears during the last 100 years."<ref>[http://epw.senate.gov/speechitem.cfm?party=rep&id=263759 Text of speech by James Inhofe in the Senate on 25 Sept 2006 on global warming]. Retrieved 28 Sept 2006.</ref>


In 2006, Inhofe introduced Senate Amendment 4682 with [[Kit Bond]] (R-[[Missouri|MO]]), which would have modified oversight responsibility of the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]]. The [[League of Conservation Voters]], an environmentalist group, said analyses for corps projects "have been manipulated to favor large-scale projects that harm the environment."<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.lcv.org/images/client/pdfs/LCV_2006_Scorecard_final.pdf LCV Scorecard]</ref> During the [[109th Congress]], Inhofe voted to increase [[offshore drilling|offshore oil drilling]], to include provisions for drilling in the [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]] in the House Budget Amendment, and to deny funding for both low-income energy assistance and environmental stewardship, citing heavy costs and unproven programs.<ref name=autogenerated1 />
In 2006, Inhofe introduced Senate Amendment 4682 with [[Kit Bond]] (R-[[Missouri|MO]]), which would have modified oversight responsibility of the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]]. The [[League of Conservation Voters]], an environmentalist group, said analyses for corps projects "have been manipulated to favor large-scale projects that harm the environment."<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.lcv.org/images/client/pdfs/LCV_2006_Scorecard_final.pdf LCV Scorecard]</ref> During the [[109th Congress]], Inhofe voted to increase [[offshore drilling|offshore oil drilling]], to include provisions for drilling in the [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]] in the House Budget Amendment, and to deny funding for both low-income energy assistance and environmental stewardship, citing heavy costs and unproven programs.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

Revision as of 20:33, 19 January 2015

Jim Inhofe
United States Senator
from Oklahoma
Assumed office
November 16, 1994
Serving with James Lankford
Preceded byDavid Boren
Chairperson of the Senate Environment Committee
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded byBarbara Boxer
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded byJim Jeffords
Succeeded byBarbara Boxer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oklahoma's 1st district
In office
January 3, 1987 – November 15, 1994
Preceded byJames Jones
Succeeded bySteve Largent
32nd Mayor of Tulsa
In office
1978–1984
Preceded byRobert LaFortune
Succeeded byTerry Young
Personal details
Born
James Mountain Inhofe

(1934-11-17) November 17, 1934 (age 89)
Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseKay Kirkpatrick
Children4
Alma materUniversity of Tulsa
WebsiteSenate website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1956–1958
Rank Specialist 4

James Mountain "Jim" Inhofe (/ˈɪnhɒf/; born November 17, 1934) is the senior United States senator from Oklahoma and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1994, he was the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007. Inhofe served eight years as the United States representative for Oklahoma's 1st congressional district before his election to the Senate in 1994 and also previously served as both an Oklahoma state representative and senator.

Early life, education, and business career

Inhofe was born in Des Moines, Iowa, the son of Blanche (née Mountain) and Perry Dyson Inhofe.[1] He moved with his family to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was a child. He was a member of the Class of 1953 at Tulsa Central High School,[2] and served in the United States Army from 1957 to 1958.[3] Inhofe received a B.A. degree when he was nearly 40 years old from the University of Tulsa in 1973.

Inhofe worked as a businessman for three decades before becoming a full-time politician.[4] He worked in the field of aviation, as a real estate developer, and in insurance, eventually becoming the president of the Quaker Life Insurance Company. During the time he worked for Quaker Life, the company went into receivership; it was liquidated in 1986.[5]

Early political career

State legislature

Inhofe became active in Oklahoma Republican politics in the mid-1960s. He was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1967 to 1969, and a member of the Oklahoma Senate from 1969 until 1977, the last four of those years as minority leader.

1974 gubernatorial election

Main article: Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 1974

In 1974, he ran for Governor of Oklahoma. In October 1974, then-President Gerald Ford visited Oklahoma to campaign for him.[6][7] A late October poll by the Daily Oklahoman showed Boren leading 74%-25%.[8] He lost to Democratic State Representative David Boren 64%-36%. Inhofe won only four counties in the election.[9] He lost 57 pounds during the campaign and was down to 148 pounds.[10]

1976 congressional election

See also: United States House of Representatives elections, 1976

In 1976, he ran for Oklahoma's 1st congressional district. In the Republican primary, he defeated State Senator Frank Keating and Mary Warner 67%-25%-8%.[11] In the general election, he lost to incumbent Democrat James R. Jones 54%-45%.[12]

Mayor of Tulsa

In 1978, he ran for mayor of Tulsa, defeating Democrat Rodger Randle 51%–46%.[13] In 1980, he won re-election unopposed.[14] In 1982, he won re-election with 59%.[15]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

In 1986, when Congressman Jones decided to retire to run for the U.S. Senate. Inhofe ran for the 1st District and won the Republican primary with 54%.[16] In the general election, he defeated Democrat Gary Allison 55%-43%.[17] In 1988, he won re-election against Democrat Kurt Glassco, Governor George Nigh's legal counsel, 53%-47%.[18] In 1990, he defeated Glassco in a rematch 56%-44%.[19] After redistricting, the 1st District contained only two counties, all of Tulsa and some parts of Wagoner. In 1992, he won re-election with 53% of the vote.[20]

Tenure

In 1987, he voted against President Ronald Reagan's budget, which included tax increases and no increase in defense spending.[21]

He first came to national attention in 1993, when he led the effort to reform the House's discharge petition rule, which the House leadership had long used to bottle up bills in committee.

U.S. Senate

Elections

In 1994, incumbent Senator David Boren, who had been serving in the Senate since 1979, agreed to become president of the University of Oklahoma and announced he would resign as soon as a successor was elected. Inhofe was elected Senator Boren's successor in this nationally historic election cycle that saw the Republican Party take both houses of Congress and the Oklahoma governorship (the latter for only the second time in state history). Inhofe took the office on November 16 and took the next day, his 60th birthday, giving him a bit more senatorial seniority than the incoming class of senators. After serving the last two years of Boren's term, he won his first full term in 1996. He was reelected in 2002 and 2008.

Tenure

Fundraising

In the 2008 election cycle, Inhofe's largest campaign donors represented the oil and gas ($446,900 in donations), leadership PACs ($316,720) and electric utilities ($221,654) industries/categories.[22][23] In 2010, his largest donors represented the oil and gas ($429,950) and electric utilities ($206,654).[24]

The primary PACs donating to his campaigns were: Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association $55,869, United Parcel Service $51,850, National Association of Realtors $51,700, National Rifle Association $51,050, American Medical Association $51,000. Additionally, if company-sponsored PACs were combined with employee contributions, Koch Industries would be Inhofe's largest contributor, with $90,950 (less than 0.6% of total contributions), according to the Center for Responsive Politics.[23][25][undue weight? – discuss]

Earmarks

Inhofe sponsored or co-sponsored 95 earmarks totaling $151.5 million in fiscal 2009, ranking him 45th out of 100 senators.[26][undue weight? – discuss]

Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse revelations

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, he was among the panelists questioning witnesses about the 2004 Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse, stating he was "outraged by the outrage" over the revelations of abuse. Although he believed that the individuals responsible for mistreating prisoners should be punished, he stated that the prisoners "are not there for traffic violations . . . they're murderers, they're terrorists, they're insurgents".[27][28] In 2006, Inhofe was one of only nine senators to vote against the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 which prohibits "cruel, inhuman or degrading" treatment of individuals in U.S. Government custody.[29][30]

Committee assignments

CODEL James Inhofe visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, October 27-28, 2014

Inhofe, as of the 113th Congress, is a member of the following committees:

Caucus memberships

  • International Conservation Caucus
  • Senate Army Caucus
  • Senate Diabetes Caucus
  • Senate General Aviation Caucus
  • Senate Rural Health Caucus
  • Senate Tourism Caucus
  • Sportsmen's Caucus

Ideology and opinions

Inhofe is one of the most conservative members of either house of Congress (the eighth-most conservative senator, according to the March 2007 National Journal rankings of Liberal/Conservative members of Congress.[31])

Environmental issues

Since 2003, when he was first elected Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Inhofe has been the foremost Republican promoting arguments for climate change denial in the global warming controversy. He famously said in the Senate that global warming is a hoax, has invited contrarians to testify in Committee hearings, and spread his views both via the Committee website run by Marc Morano, and through his access to conservative media such as Fox News.[32][33] In 2012, Inhofe's The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future was published by WorldNetDaily Books, presenting his global warming conspiracy theory.[34] He said that, because "God's still up there", the "arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous."[35][36][37] However, he says he appreciates that this doesn't win arguments, and he has "never pointed to Scriptures in a debate, because I know this would discredit me." His opposition to climate action is as much based on concerns about over-regulation of businesses, and he has shown ability to work with his Senate opponents on other issues: in 2003 he co-sponsored legislation to protect the Kemp's ridley sea turtle.[38]

Before the Republicans regained control of the Senate in the November 2002 elections, Inhofe had compared the United States Environmental Protection Agency to a Gestapo bureaucracy,[39][40] and EPA Administrator Carol Browner to Tokyo Rose.[41] In January 2003 he became chairman of the Environment and Public Works committee, and continued challenging mainstream science in favor of what he called "sound science", in accordance with the Luntz memo.[40]

As Environment and Public Works chairman, Inhofe made a two hour long Senate Floor speech on 28 July 2003 in the context of discussions on the McCain-Lieberman Bill.[42] He said he was "going to expose the most powerful, most highly financed lobby in Washington, the far left environmental extremists", and laid out in detail his opposition to attribution of recent climate change to humans, using the word "hoax" four times including the statement that he had "offered compelling evidence that catastrophic global warming is a hoax", and his conclusion expressing his belief that "manmade global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people".[43][44] He supported what he called "sound science" with citations from scientists; contrarians including Patrick Michaels, Fred Singer, Richard Lindzen and Sallie Baliunas as week as some mainstream scientists. Two of these, Tom Wigley and Stephen Schneider, later issued statements that Inhofe had misrepresented their work.[44][45]

On 29 July, the day after his Senate speech, Inhofe chaired an Environment and Public Works hearing with contrarian views represented by Baliunas and David Legates, and praised their "1,000-year climate study", then involved in the Soon and Baliunas controversy, as "a powerful new work of science". Against them, Michael E. Mann defended mainstream science and specifically his work which they and the Bush administration disputed in the hockey stick controversy.[46][42] During the hearing Senator Jim Jeffords read out an email from Hans von Storch saying he had resigned as editor in chief of the journal which had published the Soon and Baliunas paper, as the peer-review had "failed to detect significant methodological flaws in the paper" and the critique published by Mann and colleagues was valid.[46][47]

In a continuation of these themes, Inhofe had a 20-page brochure published under the Seal of the United States Senate reiterating his "hoax" statement, comparing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to a "Soviet style trial", and in a section headed "The IPCC Plays Hockey" he attacked what he called "Mann's flawed, limited research."[48][49] The brochure restated themes from Inhofe's Senate speech, and in December 2003 he distributed copies of it in Milan at a meeting discussing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, where he met protesters with posters featuring his "hoax" phrase. Showing good humor, he signed a poster for them.[40] In October 2004 he referred to his "greatest hoax" speech the previous year, and said "Perhaps what has made this hoax so effective is that we hear over and over that the science is settled and there is a consensus that, unless we fundamentally change our way of life by limiting greenhouse gas emissions, we will cause catastrophic global warming. This is simply a false statement."[48][50] In January 2005 Inhofe told Bloomberg News that global warming was "the second-largest hoax ever played on the American people, after the separation of church and state", and carbon dioxide would not be restricted by the Clear Skies Act of 2003.[51][52] In a Senate Floor "update", he extended his argument against Mann's work by extensively citing Michael Crichton's fictional thriller, State of Fear, mistakenly describing Crichton as a "scientist".[53] On 28 August 2005, at Inhofe's invitation, Chrichton appeared as an expert witness at a hearing on climate change, disputing Mann's work.[48]

In The Republican War on Science, Chris Mooney stated in 2006 that Inhofe "politicizes and misuses the science of climate change".[54] In a 2006 interview with the Tulsa World newspaper, Inhofe compared the environmentalist movement to "the Third Reich, the Big Lie" and said their views on global warming had "been refuted scientifically."[55]

Inhofe, while indicating he believed there were uncertainties related to climate science and that mandatory emissions reductions would have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy, voted on June 22, 2005 to reject an amendment to an energy bill that would have forced reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases and created a mandatory emissions trading scheme.[56]

In 2006, Inhofe gave a speech in the Senate in which he argued that the threat of global warming was exaggerated by "the media, Hollywood elites and our pop culture." Inhofe asserted that "From the late 1920s until the 1960s they [the media] warned of global warming. From the 1950s until the 1970s they warned us again of a coming ice age. This makes modern global warming the fourth estate's fourth attempt to promote opposing climate change fears during the last 100 years."[57]

In 2006, Inhofe introduced Senate Amendment 4682 with Kit Bond (R-MO), which would have modified oversight responsibility of the Army Corps of Engineers. The League of Conservation Voters, an environmentalist group, said analyses for corps projects "have been manipulated to favor large-scale projects that harm the environment."[58] During the 109th Congress, Inhofe voted to increase offshore oil drilling, to include provisions for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the House Budget Amendment, and to deny funding for both low-income energy assistance and environmental stewardship, citing heavy costs and unproven programs.[58]

In May 2009 he gave support to the idea that black carbon is a significant contributor to global warming, but [59]

In December 2009, Inhofe appeared on the CNN program The Situation Room and said that the Climatic Research Unit e-mails showed that the science behind climate change "has been pretty well debunked." The fact checking organization Politifact concluded that Inhofe's statement was false.[60] That same month, Inhofe said he would lead a three man "truth squad" consisting of himself and fellow senators Roger Wicker and John Barrasso to the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. However, Inhofe was unable to secure meetings with any negotiators or delegations to the conference and only met with a small group of reporters.[61][62][63][64]

In July 2010 Inhofe stated, "I don't think that anyone disagrees with the fact that we actually are in a cold period that started about nine years ago. Now, that's not me talking, those are the scientists that say that."[citation needed] The Union of Concerned Scientists said that what Inhofe stated was wrong, pointing to an NOAA report indicating that, through July, 2010 had been the hottest summer on record since 1880.[citation needed] Inhofe added that "People on the other side of this argument back in January, they said, 'Inhofe, it has nothing to do with today's or this month or next month. We're looking at a long period of time. We go into twenty year periods.'"[65][66][67]

During a House committee hearing in 2011, Inhofe testified, "I have to admit—and, you know, confession is good for the soul... I, too, once thought that catastrophic global warming was caused by anthropogenic gases—because everyone said it was."[68] Under questioning from committee member Jay Inslee, Inhofe dismissed the notion that he was less knowledgeable than climate scientists, saying that he'd already given "five speeches on the science."[68]

Israel

In a Senate speech on March 4, 2002, Inhofe presented his position on the "seven reasons that Israel has the right to their land."[69]

These are summarized as follows:

  1. Archeological evidence. Excerpt: "Every time there is a dig in Israel, it does nothing but support the fact that Israelis have had a presence there for 3,000 years."
  2. Historic right. Inhofe's case includes the historic presence of Israel prior to the Roman Empire, and the promise given to the Jews by Britain in 1917 to provide a Jewish homeland.
  3. Agricultural development. Inhofe argues that Israel has been "able to bring more food out of a desert environment than any other country in the world."
  4. Humanitarian concerns. Inhofe argues that due to the extent of their persecution - he cites Russia - and their slaughter - during World War II by the Nazis - the Jews are entitled to a homeland, and that this is not an unreasonable demand.
  5. Strategic ally of the United States. "They vote with us in the United Nations more than England, more than Canada, more than France, more than Germany — more than any other country in the world."
  6. Israel acts as an effective roadblock to terrorism. In this part of his speech, Inhofe refers to four wars which Israel has fought and won (as of the date of his speech, dated 2002): "The 1948 War of Independence, the 1956 Sinai campaign, the 1967 Six Day War, and the 1973 Yom Kippur War." And he states that "In all four cases, Israel was attacked. They were not the aggressor ... In regard to their effectiveness, they are great warriors. They consider a level playing field being outnumbered 2-to-1." He also states at this point that, "One of the reasons I believe the spiritual door was opened for an attack against the United States is that the policy of our government has been to ask the Israelis, and demand it with pressure, not to retaliate in a significant way against the terrorist strikes that have been launched against them."[69]
  7. Biblical references. Inhofe states, "I believe very strongly that we ought to support Israel, and that it has a right to the land, because God said so."

In a Senate speech, Inhofe said that America should base its Israel policy on the text of the Bible:[70]

I believe very strongly that we ought to support Israel; that it has a right to the land. This is the most important reason: Because God said so. As I said a minute ago, look it up in the Book of Genesis. It is right up there on the desk.

In Genesis 13:14–17, the Bible says:

The Lord said to Abraham, "Lift up now your eyes, and look from the place where you are northward, and southward, and eastward and westward: for all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed forever. . . . Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it to thee." That is God talking.

The Bible says that Abraham removed his tent and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar before the Lord. Hebron is in the West Bank. It is at this place where God appeared to Abram and said, "I am giving you this land — the West Bank". This is not a political battle at all. It is a contest over whether or not the word of God is true.

In March 2002, Inhofe also made a speech before the U.S. Senate that included the explicit suggestion that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were a form of divine retribution against the U.S. for failing to defend Israel. In his words: "One of the reasons I believe the spiritual door was opened for an attack against the United States of America is that the policy of our Government has been to ask the Israelis, and demand it with pressure, not to retaliate in a significant way against the terrorist strikes that have been launched against them."[71][dead link]

Syria

Inhofe, while offering no specific alternatives himself, has condemned President Barack Obama's "inaction" on Syria.[72]

Immigration

Inhofe wrote the Inhofe Amendment to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which was debated in Congress in May 2006. The amendment would make English the national language of the United States and require that new citizens take an English proficiency test. The amendment was passed on May 18, 2006 with 32 Democrats, one independent, and one Republican dissenting. The measure had 11 cosponsors, including one Democrat.

In the debate, Inhofe cited a 2005 Zogby Poll[73] showing 84% of Americans support making English the official language of governmental operations, including 71% of Hispanics. He also noted that 27 states and 51 nations have made English their official language and that the Office of Management and Budget estimated that it costs taxpayers between $1–2 billion to provide language assistance under President Bill Clinton's Executive Order 13166 that created the entitlement to services provided in any language other than English.

LGBT rights

Inhofe points at large photograph of his family, proclaiming none have been divorced or LGBT

Inhofe has generally been seen as overtly hostile by LGBT advocacy groups, earning a 0% in every one of his terms on Human Rights Campaign's position scorecard.[74] Inhofe is in favor of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, against adding sexual orientation to the definition of hate crimes, and voted against prohibiting job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.[75] Inhofe's office has said he "does not hire openly gay staffers due to the possibility of a conflict of agenda."[76]

Inhofe campaigned for his Senate seat in 1994 using the phrase "God, guns, and gays," reflecting his ability to master political support in opposition to gay rights in general (and gays in the military in particular).[77][78] This phrase came to be a popular term for GOP campaign strategy, with Howard Dean and other politicians using it in the 2004 election cycle.[79] In 2008, his campaign was noted by the Associated Press for running an ad with "anti-gay overtones" featuring a wedding cake with two male figures on top, fading into his opponent's face.[80]

On June 6, 2006, in a speech on the Senate floor about the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, Inhofe said, pointing at a large photograph of his family:

...As you see here, and I think this is maybe the most important prop we'll have during the entire debate, my wife and I have been married 47 years. We have 20 kids and grandkids. I'm really proud to say that in the recorded history of our family, we've never had a divorce or any kind of homosexual relationship.

GI Bill reform

Inhofe, an initial sponsor of Senator Jim Webb's Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, subsequently withdrew support for this bill to support S 2938, a competing bill that would have provided benefits beyond those offered in Webb's bill.[81] However, Inhofe nevertheless did vote to enact Webb's legislation in June 2008.[82]

Inhofe agreed to support legislation allowing military mental health specialists to talk with veterans about private firearms in an effort to reduce suicides.[83]

Misconduct while piloting an aircraft in 2010

Trained by the US Navy, Inhofe is one of the few members of Congress who is licensed as a commercial pilot. In 1994, when he first ran for the U.S. Senate, he used his plane as a daily campaign vehicle to crisscross Oklahoma and visit almost every town in the state.[84] He has been influential in Senate and Congressional debates involving aircraft regulation.[85]

On October 21, 2010, at the age of 75, Inhofe landed his Cessna on a closed runway at a south Texas airport, scattering construction workers who ran for their lives. In a recorded telephone call, the men's supervisor told the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that Inhofe "scared the crap out of" the workers, adding that the Cessna "damn near hit" a truck. And the airport manager, also speaking to the FAA in a recorded telephone call, opined: "I've got over 50 years flying, three tours of Vietnam, and I can assure you I have never seen such a reckless disregard for human life in my life. Something needs to be done. This guy is famous for these violations."[86]

In response to the incident, Inhofe stated that he "did nothing wrong", and accused the FAA of "agency overreach" and causing a "feeling of desperation" in him. He agreed to take a remedial training program, and the FAA agreed not to pursue legal action against him if he took the program. In July 2011, Inhofe introduced a bill to create a "Pilot's Bill of Rights" which he said would increase fairness in FAA enforcement actions.[87] The bill was passed in 2012.[88]

Taxpayer-funded travel

Inhofe has made multiple foreign trips, especially to Africa, on missions that he described as "a Jesus thing" and that were paid for by the U.S. government. He has used these trips for activities on behalf of The Fellowship, a Christian organization.[89] Inhofe has said that his trips included some governmental work but also involved "the political philosophy of Jesus, something that had been put together by Doug Coe, the leader of The Fellowship...It's all scripturally based." Inhofe used his access as a Senator to pursue religious goals.[90]

Federal disaster relief

Inhofe has consistently voted against federal disaster relief, most notably in the case of relief for the 24 states affected by Hurricane Sandy.[91] However, he argues for federal aid when natural disasters hit Oklahoma.[92] In defense of his decision to vote against a relief fund for Hurricane Sandy, but not in Oklahoma after tornadoes ravaged the state in May 2013, he claimed the situations were "totally different" the difference being the Sandy funding involved "Everybody getting in and exploiting the tragedy that took place. That won't happen in Oklahoma."[93] Inhofe pointedly did not thank President Obama for his attention to the tragedy in his state, so as to not be compared to Chris Christie.[94]

Personal life

In 1959, Inhofe married Kay Kirkpatrick, with whom he has four children.

On November 10, 2013, Inhofe's son, Dr. Perry Inhofe, died in a plane crash in Owasso, Oklahoma. Inhofe was flying alone for the first time since training in a newly acquired plane.[95]

Inhofe was the first recipient of the U.S. Air Force Academy's Character and Leadership Award for his character and leadership in public service.

Electoral history

See also: United States Senate election in Oklahoma, 2008
Oklahoma's 1st congressional district: Results 1986–1992[96]
Year Democratic Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
1986 Gary D. Allison 61,663 43% James Inhofe 78,919 55%
1988 Kurt G. Glassco 93,101 47% James Inhofe 103,458 53%
1990 Kurt G. Glassco 59,521 44% James Inhofe 75,618 56%
1992 John Selph 106,619 47% James Inhofe 119,211 53%

In the 1986 first district election, a minor party candidate gained 2% of the vote.

Oklahoma Senator (Class II): Results 1990–2008[96]
Year Democratic Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
1994 Dave McCurdy 392,488 40% James Inhofe 542,390 55%
1996 James Boren 474,162 40% James Inhofe 670,610 57%
2002 David Walters 369,789 36% James Inhofe 583,579 57%
2008 Andrew Rice 527,736 39% James Inhofe 763,375 57%

Minor party candidates not shown.

See also

References

  1. ^ http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/OK/presbyterian.html
  2. ^ Andrea Eger, "Central grads to be honored", Tulsa World, November 12, 2000.
  3. ^ "James Mountain Inhofe, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress"
  4. ^ Everett, Dianna. "Jim Inhofe". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  5. ^ Hyde Mulvihill APC Lawyers — "Insurers in Liquidation, Rehabilitation and under Conservation/Supervision"
  6. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kPJGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j_MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1150,3320540&dq=jim+inhofe&hl=en
  7. ^ Abramson, Rudy (October 23, 1974). "Democratic Election Gains Could Jeopardize Peace, Ford Asserts".
  8. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bvhDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NLAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5894,1464552&dq=jim+inhofe&hl=en
  9. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=225343
  10. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lqNHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cv8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3363,3786080&dq=jim+inhofe&hl=en
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  19. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=34428
  20. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=28352
  21. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YUBDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XK0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=2822,26744&dq=james+inhofe&hl=en
  22. ^ Top Industries Senator James M Inhofe 2003-2008 at OpenSecrets.org, Center for Responsive Politics . Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  23. ^ a b Krehbiel, Randy (October 26, 2008). "Stances mark differences in Senate race: Energy, national defense, the economy - the contrasts are stark in this race for the U.S. Senate". McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Washington.
  24. ^ Top Industries Senator James M Inhofe at OpenSecrets.org, Center for Responsive Politics . Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  25. ^ Top Contributors Senator James M Inhofe at OpenSecrets.org, Center for Responsive Politics . Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  26. ^ James M. Inhofe: Earmarks (Fiscal Year 2009) at OpenSecrets.org, Center for Responsive Politics . Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  27. ^ "GOP senator labels abused prisoners 'terrorists'". CNN. 2004-05-04. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  28. ^ "http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/11/politics/main616896.shtml". CBS News. 2004-05-11. {{cite news}}: External link in |title= (help)
  29. ^ Text of the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 (Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006/Division A/Title X), SEC. 1003. PROHIBITION ON CRUEL, INHUMAN, OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT OF PERSONS UNDER CUSTODY OR CONTROL OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT: In this section, the term "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment" means the cruel, unusual, and inhumane treatment or punishment prohibited by the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, as defined in the United States Reservations, Declarations and Understandings to the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
  30. ^ Babington, Charles; Murray, Shailagh (October 6, 2005). "Senate Supports Interrogation Limits". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  31. ^ http://politicalarithmetik.blogspot.com/2007/03/national-journal-2006.html
  32. ^ Gerald Kutney 2014, p. 107.
  33. ^ John S. Dryzek; Richard B. Norgaard; David Schlosberg (18 August 2011). The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society. Oxford University Press. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-19-956660-0. The single most prominent Republican when it comes to climate change denial is Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, famous for claiming in a Senate speech that global warming is 'the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.'  {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  34. ^ Inhofe, James. The greatest hoax : how the global warming conspiracy threatens your future (1st ed. ed.). Washington, D.C.: WND Books. ISBN 1936488493. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  35. ^ Gerald Kutney 2014, p. 112.
  36. ^ Inhofe on Voice of Christian Youth America's radio program 8 March 2012 James Inhofe Says the Bible Refutes Climate Change
  37. ^ Leber, Rebecca (November 5, 2014). "Congratulations, Voters; You Just Made This Climate Denier the Most Powerful Senator on the Environment". NewRepublic.com. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  38. ^ Ben Terris (7 January 2015). "Jim Inhofe is a small-plane-flying, global-warming-denying senator. And now he's got a gavel". Washington Post. Retrieved 11 January 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  39. ^ Myers, Jim (30 November 2002). "Critics point to Inhofe's record". Tulsa World. Tulsa, OK. Archived from the original on 5 May 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  40. ^ a b c Chris Mooney (16 April 2004). "Earth Last: James Inhofe proves "flat Earth" doesn't refer to Oklahoma". The American Prospect. Retrieved 17 January 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  41. ^ "I think we have got a Tokyo Rose running the EPA." - Inhofe's remarks to the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, as reported in the Tulsa World, November 18, 1997.
  42. ^ a b Revkin, Andrew C. (August 5, 2003). "Politics Reasserts Itself in the Debate Over Climate Change and Its Hazards". New York Times. Retrieved 2014-01-13. In a two-hour speech on July 28 on the Senate floor, Senator James M. Inhofe
  43. ^ Gerald Kutney 2014, pp. 107–108.
  44. ^ a b "Congressional Record, Volume 149 Issue 113 (Monday, July 28, 2003)". U.S. Government Publishing Office Home Page. 28 July 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  45. ^ Chris Mooney (2007), The Republican War on Science, Basic Books, pp. 84–86, ISBN 978-0-465-00386-0
  46. ^ a b Chris Mooney (2007), The Republican War on Science, Basic Books, pp. 86–91, ISBN 978-0-465-00386-0
  47. ^ Monastersky, Richard (September 2003). "Storm Brews Over Global Warming". The Chronicle of Higher Education. 50 (2): A16.
  48. ^ a b c Gerald Kutney 2014, p. 108.
  49. ^ "The Facts and Science of Climate Change" (PDF). US Senate, Environment and Public Works. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2015. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 27 April 2005 suggested (help)
  50. ^ Congress; U S Congress (November 2009), Congressional Record, V. 150, PT. 17, October 9, 2004 to November 17, 2004, Government Printing Office, pp. 23365–23371, GGKEY:03HFGXC06SY
  51. ^ Jay Newton-Small (January 21, 2005). "Bush Plans Pollution Rules by March, Disappointing Utilities". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2014-11-11.
  52. ^ Charles P. Pierce. "In Praise of Oklahoma". The American Prospect. February 23, 2005.
  53. ^ Mooney, Chris (11 January 2005), Warmed Over, CBS News, retrieved 2015-01-19. Reprinted from The American Prospect, 10 January 2005.
    Inhofe, James M. (4 January 2005), Climate Change Update Senate Floor Statement, U.S. Senator James M. Inhofe, archived from the original on 12 January 2005, retrieved 2015-01-19
  54. ^ Chris Mooney, The Republican War on Science, Basic Books, 2006, page 227.
  55. ^ Myers, Jim (2006-07-22). "Heat wave has senator sticking to beliefs". Tulsa World. Tulsa, OK. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  56. ^ Associated Press. Senate Defeats Move to Cap Climate Gases. June 22, 2005
  57. ^ Text of speech by James Inhofe in the Senate on 25 Sept 2006 on global warming. Retrieved 28 Sept 2006.
  58. ^ a b LCV Scorecard
  59. ^ Goldenberg, Suzanne (2009-05-05). "US climate change denier James Inhofe joins Al Gore in fight against soot". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media Limited. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  60. ^ Richert, Catharine (2009-12-11). "James Inhofe claims that emails 'debunk' science behind climate change". Politifact. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  61. ^ O'Brien, Michael (2009-12-07). "Wicker joins Inhofe's 'truth squad'". The Hill. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  62. ^ Roug, Louise (2009-12-19). "Jim Inhofe gets cool reception in Denmark". Politico. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  63. ^ Montopoli, Brian (December 18, 2009). "Sen. James Inhofe Called "Ridiculous"". CBS News.
  64. ^ Domenico Montanaro writes. "First Read - Inhofe a world hit -no". Firstread.msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  65. ^ "Senator Inhofe Erroneously Claims We Are In A Nine-Year Cooling Trend". Union of Concerned Scientists. July 23, 2010.
  66. ^ Inhofe: 'Global Warming Is Not Occurring'. ABC News. July 23, 2010.
  67. ^ "Amid Heat Wave, Senator Talks 'Global Cooling'". ABC News. July 23, 2010.
  68. ^ a b Plumer, Bradford (February 10, 2011). "Is This What The Climate-Change Debate Has Come To?". The New Republic. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  69. ^ a b PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, Senate Floor Statement by U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla)
  70. ^ Inhofe, Sen. James M. (March 4, 2002). "Peace in Middle East. Senate Floor Statement by U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla)". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  71. ^ Crackpot Theology Makes Bad Foreign Policy, The Cato Institute
  72. ^ "Congress speaks with a loud, muddled voice on Syria."
  73. ^ Zogby Poll http://www.zogby.com/soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=12892 Zogby Poll
  74. ^ HRC profile of James Inhofe
  75. ^ Inhofe On the Issues
  76. ^ Reprinted in Seattle Times, "Senate takes up fight on banning gay marriages" Chicago Tribune - Chicago, Ill. Jill Zuckman and Anastasia Ustinova, Washington Bureau. Jul 11, 2004
  77. ^ Freshmen: What Happened to the Republican Revolution?, Linda Killian, 1999. Basic Books. "From there it was on to Hominy, where Inhofe walked up and down Main Street and stopped by the local coffee shop to shake some hands. He told the morning customers the Senate race could be summed up by the "three Gs - God, gays, and guns." Inhofe asserted Dave McCurdy was a liberal Washington insider out of touch with what Oklahomans care about, who was against prayer in schools, for gays in the military and gun control, and who voted with Bill Clinton more than 80 percent of the time."
  78. ^ Jacob Weisberg. "It's Even Worse For Clinton Than You Think," New York Magazine, November 21, 1994, page 41. Inhofe describes how the phrase came to be in The Associated Press via USA Today, Ron Jenkins, September 18, 2008. "Inhofe, in a telephone interview from Washington, recalled that 14 years ago he was told by a small group in Hugo that he would carry McCurtain County, a Democratic stronghold in southeastern Oklahoma. He said he asked the Hugo residents why he would win, "and they said because of the three G's. They're the ones who came up with that and it became almost a chant out there."
  79. ^ Taranto, James.Opinion Section of The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, November 11, 2003. Originally appeared on Tallahassee.com, in a now inaccessible article by Bill Cotterell, who wrote: "Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean said Tuesday that Southerners must stop basing their votes on "race, guns, God and gays" and forge a multiracial coalition that focuses next year's presidential election on jobs, health care and a foreign policy reflecting American values."
  80. ^ The Associated Press via Tulsa World, September 17, 2008
  81. ^ Senate prepares for GI Bill showdown- Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Army Times
  82. ^ States Senate Roll Call Votes, 110th Congress, 2nd Session. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
  83. ^ Dao, James (7 October 2012). "As Military Suicides Rise, Focus Is on Private Weapons". New York Times. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  84. ^ The Freshmen: What Happened to the Republican Revolution?, Linda Killian, 1999. Basic Books. "Inhofe, one of Congress's few certified commercial pilots, has been crisscrossing the state in his 1969 Piper Aztec and managed to visit almost every town in Oklahoma before the end of the campaign."
  85. ^ The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says this about Inhofe: "An active pilot for more than 50 years, aircraft owner and AOPA member, Sen. Jim Inhofe has been at the forefront of every aviation debate since arriving in Congress in 1986, offering his real-world perspective. He was a major force behind passage of the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 that is credited with reviving aviation manufacturing in America. During the current battle over user fees, Inhofe spent countless hours working behind the scenes to educate his colleagues in the Senate about the negative impacts of a user fee-funded system. He even took the unusual step of testifying before the Senate's aviation subcommittee to explain his opposition to user fees and the detrimental impact it would have on general aviation. Oklahoma pilots can be proud of Senator Inhofe's accomplishments and dedication to work on issues affecting pilots."
  86. ^ The Smoking Gun Inhofe "Scared The Crap Out Of" Airport Workers - retrieved April 14, 2011.
  87. ^ Jim Meyers (July 6, 2011). "Inhofe to introduce 'Pilot's Bill of Rights'". Tulsa World.
  88. ^ S. 1335 (112th): Pilot's Bill of Rights. Govtrack.us.
  89. ^ Casteel, Chris (December 21, 2008). "U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe's trips to Africa called a 'Jesus thing'". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
  90. ^ Sharlet, Jeff (September 27, 2010), "Junkets for Jesus", Mother Jones, retrieved 2010-12-31
  91. ^ "Oklahoma tornado: Tom Coburn, James Inhofe voted against 2011 FEMA funds, Sandy aid". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  92. ^ "Inhofe: Tornado aid 'totally different' from Hurricane Sandy aid". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  93. ^ June, Daniel, "Senator Jim Inhofe Voted Against Hurricane Relief Fund, but Says the Oklahoma Tornado Tragedy of His Home State is 'Totally Different'"
  94. ^ "Jim Inhofe: No pulling 'a Chris Christie'".
  95. ^ Lynch, Kerry. "NTSB On Scene Of Perry Inhofe Crash". Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  96. ^ a b "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2007-08-08.

External links

Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Oklahoma
1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Oklahoma
(Class 2)
1994, 1996, 2002, 2008, 2014 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Tulsa
1978–1984 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oklahoma's 1st congressional district
1987–1994 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Oklahoma
1994–present
Served alongside: Don Nickles, Tom Coburn, James Lankford 		Incumbent
Preceded by Chairperson of the Senate Environment Committee
2003–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairperson of the Senate Environment Committee
2015–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Senators by seniority
13th 		Succeeded by

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