Economy & Jobs

Hern votes in favor of COVID relief and federal funding package

| Posted in Press Releases

Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting for the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. “It’s been a long weekend in DC,” said Rep. Hern. “I’ve spent the weekend working to ensure key priorities were included in this funding deal, like funding for the new Tulsa VA hospital, construction of the border wall, raises for the military, and funds for…

Capitalism pulled me out of poverty, why can’t AOC admit it saved her, too?

| Posted in Articles

It is well-documented that my colleague, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, worked in the service industry before running for Congress. It’s part of the reason why she gained so much traction with young people in her party. To be honest, I admire her ambition and think it should be applauded that she has found such success. It’s only possible in America. What’s less well-known is that she is far…

Hern introduces HERCULES Act to limit federal waste

| Posted in Press Releases

Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) introduced the Help End Redundant Claims Unnecessarily Leaving Employers Suffering Act (HERCULES Act) this morning. This is Rep. Hern’s 13th original piece of legislation this Congress. “Government waste is one of the biggest hurdles we face,” said Rep. Hern. “It’s also one with a seemingly easy solution: audit, streamline, and eliminate redundancies.…

ICYMI: Hern headlines Biz2Credit Webinar on Small Business & COVID-19

| Posted in Press Releases

Representative Kevin Hern (R-OK-01) and Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13) headlined an online forum hosted by Biz2Credit. The webinar was broadcast to over a thousand participants around the country, including small business owners in Oklahoma’s First District. Reps. Hern and Espaillat discussed the ongoing work of the House Small Business Committee, on which they both serve,…

Hern and Balderson lead bipartisan letter asking SBA for clarity on PPP

| Posted in Press Releases

Representatives Kevin Hern (OK-01) and Troy Balderson (OH-12) led a bipartisan letter to SBA Administrator Carranza urging the SBA to release clarifying information for business owners trying to sell their businesses while still paying back, or in the forgiveness process, of Paycheck Protection Program loans. “At such a volatile time for American business owners, we need clear language…

Hern introduces energy bill protecting low-income and minority communities

| Posted in Press Releases

This morning, Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) introduced the Energy Poverty Prevention and Accountability Act (EPPA), intended to help all Americans have equal access to affordable and reliable energy. EPPA protects vulnerable and at-risk communities by requiring transparency and accountability with new energy bills and regulations.  “Clean energy initiatives have a lot of…

ICYMI: Hern urges Democrats to publicly vote for legislation they've privately supported

| Posted in Press Releases

Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) spoke on the House floor this morning urging Republicans and Democrats alike to vote against the Previous Question, allowing for consideration of HR 8265, a bill that would extend the Paycheck Protection Program through the end of the year and provide further relief to American small businesses and workers. …

Hern says COVID-19 changing both businesses and their customers

| Posted in In the News

Businesses have had to adapt to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, but so have their customers, 1st District Congressman Kevin Hern said Monday. As the lead presenter for a live-streamed The Hill program on e-commerce and small business, Hern said small-business owners have had to squeeze years of transition into a few months. “I really feel for those small businesses that are having…

Hern joins Republican Conference to introduce "Commitment to America" platform

| Posted in Press Releases

This morning, Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) joined Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), Republican Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01), and the rest of the House Republican Conference to formally announce the Commitment to America agenda, which will focus on restoring the American way of life, rebuilding the greatest economy in American history, and renewing the American Dream. “The…

What we learned from COVID: Telehealth is here to stay

| Posted in Articles

When the dust settles and COVID-19 is finally behind us, there are many aspects of this “new normal” that I will not miss, but there’s a lot that I hope sticks around, like valuable time at home with my family and creative ways to stay connected virtually. As a society, though, our most important lasting benefit will be the telehealth services that have rapidly expanded over the last…