Former Sen. James M. Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican known for his conservative stance and bipartisan efforts on infrastructure and military policy, has passed away at the age of 89, according to the Tulsa World.

First elected to the House in 1986 and then to the Senate in 1994, Inhofe was one of the most conservative members of Congress, particularly on defense, energy, and environmental issues. Despite his hard-line approach, Inhofe was effective at selectively compromising with Democrats to pass certain bills.

In the 117th Congress, Inhofe served as the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee after having chaired it from late 2018 through 2020.

Inhofe had a deep friendship with the committee’s current chairman, Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, both of whom are Army veterans.

“He’s a gentleman, and he’s someone who is very sincere in all he does,” Reed said of Inhofe in 2019. “We have a relationship in which we might disagree, but we keep each other informed of where we are.”

As a long-serving member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Inhofe also had a close working relationship with former Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, despite frequent disagreements.

“We are total opposites,” Inhofe said of himself and Boxer, “but we have a genuine love for each other.”

A Fierce Defense Hawk

Despite occasional agreements with Democrats, Inhofe remained a staunch conservative. He consistently advocated for an increased national defense budget, citing threats from China as a primary concern.

Inhofe tirelessly highlighted advancements by China in areas such as hypersonic missiles and artificial intelligence, advocating for virtually every type of defense program.

Inhofe was critical of defense spending caps from fiscal 2012 through fiscal 2021, arguing they harmed U.S. security, though reduced military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan contributed to lower defense spending during those years.

Unlike his predecessor, Sen. John McCain, Inhofe seldom criticized military programs for overruns or technical issues.

In 2021, Inhofe was an outspoken critic of President Joe Biden’s defense policies, particularly on the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

He also opposed Biden’s proposed COVID-19 vaccination requirements for U.S. troops, Defense Department civilians, and contractors.

Inhofe was a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, especially on defense matters, backing Trump’s decisions to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and negotiate with North Korea.

While critical of Democrats for supporting “calendar-based” withdrawals from Iraq, Inhofe praised Trump in 2020 for agreeing to reduce U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan, contingent on Taliban commitments.

In July 2020, Inhofe promised Trump he would remove a provision requiring the military to eliminate Confederate homages from installations, but Congress retained the provision when overriding Trump’s veto of the final defense bill.

A devout Presbyterian, Inhofe opposed same-sex marriage and the 2010 law allowing gay men and women to serve openly in the military. He also resisted opening combat jobs to women.

Although he worked to address sexual assault in the military, Inhofe sided with the Pentagon against professionalizing prosecution decisions for several years.

A Snowball on the Senate Floor

Inhofe had a long history of denying the scientific consensus on climate change. He chaired the Environment and Public Works Committee in the 108th, 109th, and 114th congresses, and served six years as its ranking member.

In 2012, he published “The Greatest Hoax,” expressing his view that climate change science was a liberal conspiracy to increase regulations and taxes.

In a memorable moment in 2015, he brought a snowball to the Senate floor to mock Democratic colleagues’ stance on climate change.

“We keep hearing that 2014 has been the warmest year on record. I ask the chair, do you know what this is?” Inhofe said, holding a snowball. “It’s very, very cold out.”

Inhofe argued that climate activists and environmental groups used extreme weather headlines to instill fear of global warming in the public.

During the Biden administration, Inhofe opposed industry regulations, especially those affecting energy companies, which have a significant presence in Oklahoma.

He strongly supported the Trump administration’s efforts to loosen these regulations.

Inhofe could also reach across the aisle. As the Environment and Public Works Committee’s ranking member in 2012, he helped pass a two-year surface transportation bill by working closely with Boxer. He convinced colleagues it made policy sense and would benefit the GOP at the polls.

In his personal life, Inhofe faced many struggles. He underwent quadruple bypass surgery in October 2013, and a month later, his son Perry died in a plane crash.

Despite these challenges, Inhofe continued working with little time off, stating that support from Senate Democrats made him more likely to reach across the aisle.

Oklahomans found Inhofe’s stubborn nature endearing. After buying a stunt airplane before his 78th birthday, Inhofe told the Tulsa Rotary Club he would quit running for reelection only “when I can no longer fly an airplane upside down.”

Inhofe’s love of flying influenced his congressional work. With about 50 years of experience as a pilot, he had several near-death experiences.

In 2010, he landed his twin-engine Cessna 340 on a runway closed for repairs on a trip to his vacation home in Texas. After being forced to take remedial training by the FAA, Inhofe passed a bill giving pilots more authority to review evidence against them. President Barack Obama signed it in 2012.

Inhofe was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and moved to Tulsa in 1942. He worked as a door-to-door salesman at 15 and continued to live near his childhood home.

After two years as an Army private in the late 1950s, Inhofe entered insurance and real estate, later launching a 10-year career in the Oklahoma legislature.

Inhofe lost a 1974 campaign for governor but was elected mayor of Tulsa in 1978. Despite losing reelection in 1984, he won a House seat in 1986.

He never exceeded 56 percent in four House elections despite being in the state’s most Republican district.

Inhofe won a Senate seat in 1994 after David L. Boren resigned and served until January 3, 2023, when he resigned. Oklahoma Republican Markwayne Mullin won the special election to replace him.

Former Sen. James M. Inhofe, a staunchly conservative Republican from Oklahoma known for his partisan stance yet occasional bipartisan collaborations, has passed away at the age of 89. Inhofe began his political career in the House in 1986 and transitioned to the Senate in 1994, where he served until early 2023. Noted for his conservative views on defense, energy, and the environment, he was a fervent advocate for increased defense spending, particularly in light of perceived threats from China.
Inhofe was a prominent figure on the Senate Armed Services Committee, serving as its chairman from 2018 to 2020 and maintaining a close, respectful relationship with Democratic Sen. Jack Reed. He also had a long-standing, albeit often adversarial, partnership with former Sen. Barbara Boxer on the Environment and Public Works Committee. Despite his hard-line positions, Inhofe successfully collaborated with Democrats on several key issues, including a significant surface transportation bill in 2012.
A vocal critic of climate change science, Inhofe famously brought a snowball to the Senate floor in 2015 to mock the concept of global warming. He was a staunch opponent of same-sex marriage and resisted efforts to open combat roles to women in the military.
Inhofe’s personal life was marked by resilience in the face of tragedy, including a quadruple bypass surgery and the loss of his son in a plane crash in 2013. An avid pilot, he used his aviation experience to influence legislation, notably pushing for a bill that gave pilots more rights in FAA investigations.
Inhofe’s political journey saw him moving from a door-to-door salesman to a long-serving senator, driven by his disdain for what he saw as an over-regulated society. He remained a significant figure in Oklahoma politics until his retirement, when he was succeeded by Republican Markwayne Mullin.