"Earmarks" and why they're important to Oklahoma.

This week, lawmakers are faced waves of confirmations as budget appropriations are met with their own set of challenges down the line with delays and uncertainty.

Political Analysts Scott Mitchell and Alex Cameron break down the latest from our nation's Capitol in DC Debrief.

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Rep. Tom Cole on NATO and Putin [Exclusive]

Watch the full segment above, or follow along for the biggest takeaways:

Washington Diplomacy and Ukraine

1. Discussion of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, which was brief and yielded few details. Most information about the discussions emerged over the following weekend.
2. President Zelensky of Ukraine met with President Trump and European leaders at the White House to seek broad support and security guarantees for Ukraine. The leaders aimed to avoid a repeat of previous diplomatic disappointments.
3. Positive signals emerged from the meetings, but concrete accomplishments were unclear. Zelensky spoke optimistically, differing from earlier meetings in the year.
4. The U.S. is expected to be part of a security guarantee for Ukraine, and details for a peace agreement may be worked out in a trilateral meeting proposed by Trump.
5. A major disagreement remains: Trump and Putin are open to peace talks without a ceasefire, while European leaders and Zelensky insist fighting must stop first. A direct Zelensky-Putin meeting is possible but not yet arranged.
6. Skepticism abounds that Putin is dragging out negotiations while Russia remains on the offensive in Ukraine. Sanctions remain a potential U.S. response, but Trump has hesitated and the Senate is prepared to impose them if needed.

Changes and Frustration in the U.S. Senate

1. The Senate has been bogged down by slow confirmation of over 1,000 Trump appointees due to Democratic procedural tactics, notably, the refusal of voice votes for nominees.
2. Senator Lankford has led efforts among Republicans to change Senate rules to accelerate confirmations, following prior controversial rule changes by Harry Reid (2013) and Mitch McConnell (2017).
3. Rule changes that diminish the minority party's rights are being considered, specifically to speed up confirmation votes. This reflects historical cycles where each party later regrets such changes when they become the minority.

Federal Budget and Earmarks

1. "Earmarks," now referred to as "congressionally directed spending" in the Senate and "community projects" in the House, are a key issue. They allow members to direct federal funds to local projects.
2. In Oklahoma, four congressional delegates (Senator Mullin, Congressman Cole, Congressman Lucas, and Congresswoman Bass) publicly support earmarks, which currently total over $300 million for the state, primarily for infrastructure and community development projects.
3. Earmarks only take effect if Congress passes formal appropriations bills, not just continuing resolutions. Oklahoma risks losing these funds if appropriations do not pass.

Appropriations Process and Bipartisanship

1. Congressman Tom Cole discussed the progress and challenges of passing the 12 annual appropriations bills. Nine are out of committee; delays were caused by a prolonged August break and controversies.
2. Passage requires bipartisan agreement in the Senate (60 votes). The process differs from reconciliation, which only needs a partisan majority.
3. Republicans must negotiate with Democrats to clear the Senate; when compromise is reached, some GOP support in the House is often lost, given their narrow majority.
4. Cole is working closely with Democratic colleagues, especially Senator Susan Collins, to find bipartisan solutions despite right-wing pressure not to make too many concessions.
5. Democrats are wary after being left out of previous major financial decisions and rescissions by Trump, possibly making compromise more difficult.
6. There is a likely need for a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown before the September 30 deadline.