In the District:
It was great to be back in the district to visit with community leaders and business owners in Stillwater, Perry and Pawnee during the month of July. We discussed several important federal and local issues and their impact on communities around Oklahoma’s Third District.
On July 8, I had the pleasure to tour the Science Research Institute at Langston University with President Dr. Kent Smith, Dr. Alonzo Peterson, and Dr. Byron Quinn. The University is partnered with the NASA Johnson Space Center to research and develop natural countermeasures to restore astronauts’ immune systems in spaceflight conditions.
I am proud that Langston University is a key research institute that is located in Oklahoma’s Third District working to advance STEM research and education to produce the next generation of scientists and to achieve sustainable space exploration.
It was wonderful to visit with Northern Oklahoma College’s new President, Dr. Clark Harris, recently retired President, Dr. Cheryl Evans, along with several members of the NOC Executive Council.
We discussed the digital divide that was seen last year during the pandemic as the college transitioned to virtual learning and how expanding broadband is crucial to Oklahoma and our students.
NOC is our state’s first public community college and continues to hold true to the land-grant mission. I appreciate the important role that NOC plays in our state’s higher education system.
I enjoyed being in Cushing at the pipeline crossroads of the world to tour Enbridge and to learn about this terminal, which is one of the largest storage facilities in the Cushing hub.
On July 9, the Oklahoma Relators Association held a meeting where I gave an update on what’s happening in Washington D.C., and we discussed how the realtor’s industry is recovering after the pandemic.
On July 10, I visited the Route 66 Meat Processing Company located in Sayre alongside Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Blayne Arthur. They received funds from the CARES Act that was distributed by the State of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. This processing facility will provide additional opportunities for local producers and consumers.