Senate Report Card: Jim Inhofe R-OK

Senator Jim Inhofe is the senior United States Senator from the state of Oklahoma. He assumed office in 1994. Senator Inhofe is considered among the most conservative members of the Senate, often quoting passages from the Bible.

Senator Inhofe serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee of which he is the ranking member.

Inhofe famously criticized former Vice President Al Gore in hearings on global climate change believing that there was no real consensus that climate change was real, and if it is that it is due to human causes. He believes that global warming is a hoax, he cites scientists from the National Petroleum Council as sources for his conclusions. Inhofe claimed in a speech that, "satellite data, confirmed by NOAA balloon measurements, confirms that no meaningful warming has occurred over the last century." However the satellite temperature record corroborates the well-documented warming trend noted in surface temperature measurements. He has also compared environmentalists to Nazis, that they both have indocternated citizens into false beliefs, also comparing the Environmental Protection Agency to the Gestapo, finally, he said that the Weather Channel is merely stirring up the global warming issue for ratings.

Few senators have received as much contributions as Inhofe has received from the energy and natural resource sector since taking office, the have exceeded one million dollars. He has received large sums of money from the oil and gas industry.

Inhofe has introduced an amendment that would have released the Army Corps of Engineers from oversight by independent review committees. He's voted to increase off-shore drilling and is in favor of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He's voted to deny funding for both low-income energy assistance and environmental stewardship.

Senator Inhofe is strongly opposed to abortion. During hearings on the Ab Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, Inhofe made news by claiming he was "outraged by the outrage" over the revelations of abuse. He suggested that shock at the crimes was more offensive than the crimes themselves. He voted against the McCain Detainee Amendment that banned torture on individuals in U.S. custody.

He was in favor of the Federal Marriage Amendment that would ban gay couples from receiving the same rights under marriage as heterosexual couples. He's been quoted as saying on the senate floor, "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." He then compared approval of homosexual couples as leading to approval of sexual conduct between adults and children, group marriage and incest. He said the basis for approval of homosexuality is "if it feels good, do it."

Inhofe wrote the Inhofe Amendment to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act which would make English the national language of the United States and require that new citizens take an English proficiency test.

Inhofe voted for the Iraq War and is opposed to withdraw and any calls for timelines or timetables as well as following arbitrary benchmarks for the war.