Current Position: US Representative for OK 1st District since 2018 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): Businessman from 1999 – 2018
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Featured Video: Hern praises welfare reform, work requirements as the only path to self-sufficiency
Midway through his second term, 1st District Congressman Kevin Hern has positioned himself about where he wants. He has a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee and what seems to be growing influence on GOP tax and health care policy.
Besides the plum committee assignment, Hern is chairman of the Budget and Spending Task Force of the Republican Study Committee, the policy arm of the House Republican conference, and is on a House GOP health care task force.
These developments are very much in line with Hern’s ambitions when he became a congressional candidate in 2018. Then the owner of several businesses, including a string of McDonald’s restaurants, he went to Washington with definite ideas about about he wanted to do.
Federal spending and health care system reform were near the top of his list.
Current Position: US Representative for OK 1st District since 2018 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): Businessman from 1999 – 2018
Featured Quote: Pelosi told Capitol police to arrest any of my staff that refused to wear a mask… yet Biden & Pelosi are letting almost 200k illegal immigrants per month pour across our southern border w/o regard to the spread of COVID across our country. Still they say they care about America?
Featured Video: Hern praises welfare reform, work requirements as the only path to self-sufficiency
Midway through his second term, 1st District Congressman Kevin Hern has positioned himself about where he wants. He has a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee and what seems to be growing influence on GOP tax and health care policy.
Besides the plum committee assignment, Hern is chairman of the Budget and Spending Task Force of the Republican Study Committee, the policy arm of the House Republican conference, and is on a House GOP health care task force.
These developments are very much in line with Hern’s ambitions when he became a congressional candidate in 2018. Then the owner of several businesses, including a string of McDonald’s restaurants, he went to Washington with definite ideas about about he wanted to do.
Federal spending and health care system reform were near the top of his list.
Born on an Air Force Base, Kevin Hern gained an early appreciation for the sacrifices that military families make. In high school, Kevin earned an Architectural Drafting Certificate at a Career Technology school, which he used to work and pay for his Engineering degree. Later in life, he earned his MBA.
He went on to work as an Aerospace Engineer for Rockwell. Then began saving to purchase his first McDonald’s Restaurant by starting and operating small business ventures: writing computer programs to automate tasks for businesses, real estate, and even hog farming.
In 1997, Kevin literally sold the hog farm to buy his first McDonald’s restaurant in North Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1999, he purchased two McDonald’s restaurants in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He grew that organization over the next decade; eventually owning 24 McDonald’s restaurants that employed hundreds of people in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.
Kevin has worked across every aisle by serving in various leadership positions within the McDonald’s system – what he dubs the most grassroots business in the world. He served 13 years on the National Leadership Team that represented all of the 3,500+ U.S. Franchisees, serving for 8 years as the Ombudsman and 5 years as the chairman of the Systems Economic Team.
In addition to McDonald’s, Kevin has been a very successful entrepreneur in the areas of banking, manufacturing, real estate development, multiple technology companies, and sports publishing.
He uses this business acumen to help aspiring entrepreneurs create new businesses, so they can pursue their American Dream.
Kevin Hern was sworn into Congress on November 13th, 2018 serving the remainder of Congressman Jim Bridenstine’s term. Kevin and his wife Tammy live in Tulsa and have three children. They are members at the Church at Battle Creek.
Republican Study Committee, Budget and Spending Task Force Chairman Small Business Caucus, Co-Chair Pro-Life Caucus Southern Caucus Taiwan Caucus Border Security Caucus Municipal Finance Caucus Values Action Team Republican Israel Caucus Congressional Tourette Syndrome Caucus Diabetes Caucus Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Western Caucus Native American Caucus Air Force Caucus House Energy Action Team Freshman Working Group on Addiction Spina Bifida Caucus Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Congressional Chicken Caucus Congressional Fires Services Caucus Congressional Rare Disease Caucus Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus ALS Caucus Library of Congress Caucus
After Jim Bridenstine resigned from the United States House of Representatives in 2018 to become administrator of NASA, Hern ran to succeed him in Oklahoma’s 1st congressional district in the 2018 elections. Hern advanced to the runoff,[3][4] where he defeated Tim Harris.[5] He then advanced to the general election, where he defeated Democratic nominee Tim Gilpin.[6] Outgoing Governor Mary Fallin then appointed Hern to serve the balance of Bridenstine’s third term. She was able to do so because under Oklahoma law, if a House seat falls vacant in an even-numbered year and the incumbent’s term is due to end the following year, the governor can appoint someone to serve the remainder of the term. Accordingly, Hern was sworn into the House on November 13.[7][8]
Hern defeated Democratic nominee Kojo Asamoa-Caesar and Independent Evelyn L. Rogers in the November 2020 general election.
Tenure
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hern’s KTAK Corporation received between $1 million and $2 million in federally backed small business loans from American Bank and Trust as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. KTAK stated it would retain 220 jobs. The loan was seen as notable since Hern is a vocal opponent of deficit spending; in 2018, discussing a balanced budget, he said, “While there is no easy fix to this, the first step is clear: stop adding to it.” In 2020, he said, “This isn’t a bailout. It’s a repayment of what the government has taken away from American workers and businesses.”[9][10][11] KTAK operates franchises. During the Paycheck Protection Program negotiations, Hern pushed to increase the amount of aid going to franchises.[11]
In July 2021, Hern voted against the bipartisan ALLIES Act, which would increase by 8,000 the number of special immigrant visas for Afghan allies of the U.S. military during its invasion of Afghanistan, while also reducing some application requirements that caused long application backlogs; the bill passed in the House 407–16.[16]
Immigration
Hern voted against the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, which authorizes DHS to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020.[17][18]
Hern voted against the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1158), which effectively prohibits ICE from cooperating with Health and Human Services to detain or remove illegal alien sponsors of unaccompanied alien children (UACs).[19]
Current Position: US Representative for OK 1st District since 2018 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): Businessman from 1999 – 2018
Featured Quote: Pelosi told Capitol police to arrest any of my staff that refused to wear a mask… yet Biden & Pelosi are letting almost 200k illegal immigrants per month pour across our southern border w/o regard to the spread of COVID across our country. Still they say they care about America?
Featured Video: Hern praises welfare reform, work requirements as the only path to self-sufficiency
Current Position: US Representative for OK 2nd District since 2013 Affiliation: Republican Former Position(s): Businessman from 1997 – 2013
Featured Quote: Socialist policies don’t work, but that’s exactly what President Biden and Speaker Pelosi are forcing on the American people. And now our country is in crisis because of it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here in Washington fighting back. #WeeklyWrapUp
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Current Position: US Representative for OK 3rd District since 1994 Affiliation: Republican
Featured Quote: Today, instead of working with Republicans, House Democrats passed an appropriations bill jam-packed with partisan policy provisions and irresponsible levels of government spending. Congress must return to regular order.
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Current Position: US Representative for OK 4th District since 2003 Affiliation: Republican Former Position(s): Secretary of State of Oklahoma from 1996 – 1999
Other Positions: Vice Ranking Member – Committee on Appropriations Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Ranking Ranking Member, Agencies Committee on Rules
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Current Position: US Representative for OK 5th District since 2021 Affiliation: Republican Former Position(s): State Senator from 2014 – 2020
Featured Quote: July is almost over! This is your LAST CHANCE to share which issues should be my top priorities next month. Your answer directly impacts my direction in Congress. Please click below to complete my survey! Thank you!
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