U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern visits Claremore to discuss tornado cleanup and fiscal policy

Sept. 4: U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Tulsa, arrived in Claremore to meet with city, county and business leaders on Thursday.

Tulsa holds the majority of Oklahoma’s 1st District, but Hern also represents the Catoosa area of ​​Rogers County. Hern stopped by Claremore on Thursday to assess the tornado recovery process and discuss fiscal policy.

Hern said he reached out to county commissioners, City Manager John Feary and other leaders immediately after the tornado in late May. He said he had come to the city several times since the tornado, but his purpose Thursday was to check on the debris collection process as it wraps up.

Claremore’s final pass through the city to pick up debris begins Wednesday, and so far the city has collected about 700,000 cubic yards of vegetation, construction and utility debris. The county has collected about 91,000 cubic yards; District 2 has finished its work, District 3 stopped accepting new work orders Friday and District 1 continues to take orders to clean up debris.

District 3 residents who have not submitted a work order by Friday must transport debris themselves to the District 3 warehouse, located at 2425 Warehouse Road in Claremore. Residents should access the warehouse via Country Club Road from the north or East 520 Road from the south to avoid the closure of King Road at its intersection with State Road 66.

Hern, District 3 Commissioner Ron Burrows and Rogers County Emergency Management Director Scotty Stokes walked over to the piles of branches at the District 3 warehouse Tuesday afternoon. Hern said he was working with the county to make sure he gets reimbursed for the recovery work by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“That’s really my part in this, making sure they get the federal response they need,” Hern said. “I have districts and areas of Rogers County in my district, in the first district; I know these people very well, so I want to stay in touch.”

FEMA will reimburse the county for 75 percent of the costs of emergency work and repairs, and 100 percent of the time county officials spend managing the grant process. To ensure the county receives full reimbursement, officials have had to meticulously document the damage and comply with federal environmental regulations.

In the District 3 warehouse yard are four massive piles of debris, each about the size of a shipping container. Burrows explained that in order to get full reimbursement, his district has separated the debris into two piles that have been picked up by contractors, one collected by the county and one made up of debris brought in by residents. There are about 48,000 pounds in total; Burrows said about 2,000 pounds remain to be picked up.

Burrows said his district will crush the debris to reduce the impact on nearby homeowners. The other districts are storing their debris at an isolated former rock quarry to the north, and District 1 Commissioner Dan DeLozier, who has to deal with the most debris, will burn his.

Hern said the state Department of Environmental Quality approved Burrows to burn his debris, but he decided to shred it anyway because there are homes near King Road.

“In this case, the officials live in the communities and work with the people, their neighbors, friends and people they don’t even know, but they represent the communities and want to make sure that the communities have as little impact as possible,” Hern said. “It’s been devastating enough, just the results of all this that are being compiled. Now we better finish the job, and our commissioners are doing that — our city and county officials.”

Hern said he also came to Claremore to talk about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a Trump-era policy that is set to expire on the first day of 2026.

According to the Tax Foundation, the law cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and lowered income taxes for all Americans. When it goes out of effect, those tax rates will go back up; Hern said the average American would pay $3,000 more in taxes a year.

Hern said he has been traveling around Oklahoma to talk to leaders about how the sunset law would affect their communities. He said his meeting Thursday with Rogers County leaders was one of the most interesting and noteworthy meetings he has had.

“I’m a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has direct jurisdiction over the tax code, and so we’re working very feverishly… to revamp it so that all Americans keep their lowest tax rates,” Hern said.

According to CBS News, former President Donald Trump has said he wants to revamp the 2017 law and cut taxes on tips and Social Security income. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris said she wants to introduce a $6,000 child tax credit and raise the corporate tax rate.

Trump’s plan would boost income for all wage earners, but the highest earners would see the largest increase proportionately. Harris’ plan would reduce income for those earning more than $600,000, but would generate larger income gains than Trump’s plan for all other wage earners.

Hern is chairman of the Republican Study Committee, which sets policy for the GOP caucus, and said he also holds weekly lunches with experts on topics such as national security and the Supreme Court.

“I’m aware of all the policies that are being developed, whether it’s budget policies, tax policies, spending policies,” Hern said. “I’m a member of the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, health care, Social Security, all the social safety nets, and trade. So it covers pretty much everything that happens in the United States that doesn’t directly impact energy policy.”

He said his top priorities as a lawmaker include balancing the budget, securing the southern border and maintaining America’s energy independence.

Harris holds a 3.4-point lead in FiveThirtyEight’s most recent roundup of national polling averages. But Hern said things are still within the margin of error and said the Sept. 10 debate between Harris and Trump should clarify the race. He criticized Harris for changing her mind on issues like fracking, which she said she previously opposed but now supports.

“Obviously, I support President Trump,” Hern said. “I think we need to stop the atrocious policies that, at least, his campaign has stated on fiscal policy and some of the other foreign policies, although I’m not sure what policies he’s going to put forward… I’m not sure what Kamala Harris is going to show up.”