Congressman Tom Cole on Oklahoma’s Recovery

When it comes to bad weather, Oklahoma is all too familiar with disaster.   Last week’s tornado in Moore, Oklahoma was the 74th presidential disaster declared in the state in the past 60 years. The state is No. 1 in tornado disasters and No. 3 for flooding. Still, when it comes to disaster relief funding, Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation has a record of taking tough positions. The state is represented in Congress by seven Republican men, five who voted against a bill to provide $50 billion in Sandy relief funding this past January.State legislators have already approved $45 million to fund tornado relief, but it remains to be seen what kind of federal funding will be considered for the state.Last week, MSNBC asked Oklahoma Republican Congressman James Inhofe if he regretted his vote against Sandy relief. “That was totally different,” he said.Congressman Tom Cole, Republican serving the 4th District of Oklahoma, did vote for Sandy relief, however. He discusses the state’s tornado recovery effort–and where relief funding should come from.