(NationalUSNews.com) – Former Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) has died at the age of 89, following an almost two-decade-long career in the United States Senate. Inhofe was once mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and first entered Congress as a member of the House of Representatives in 1987. After spending almost eight years in the House of Representatives, Inhofe ran for an open Senate seat for Oklahoma, winning the position in the election of 1994. Inhofe then served as senator from 1994 until 2023, making him the oldest and longest-serving senator from Oklahoma in United States history.
Inhofe regularly made headlines throughout his lengthy career as a United States congressman, primarily due to his opposition to climate change policies and frequent jabs at liberal ideology. In 2015, Inhofe famously refuted the existence of global warming when he brought a snowball to the Senate floor and threw it on the ground, infuriating mainstream media outlets and liberal lawmakers alike. Inhofe also made numerous controversial comments about federal agencies like the EPA, comparing them to the Gestapo and calling for their eradication.
Although Inhofe spent most of his career in the Senate opposing climate change policies, he also spent much time defending the United States military and criticizing those who opposed American involvement in foreign wars. Inhofe served as the chairman of the Armed Services Committee and regularly supported increased military funding. Inhofe also famously defended the United States Armed Forces during a scandal in 2004, when journalists released pictures of American troops abusing prisoners of war through violence or humiliating methods. When responding to the controversy, Inhofe claimed he felt more outrage at the reporters covering the story and the people upset than the actual abuse and humiliation suffered by the prisoners of war.
While many have criticized Inhofe due to his influence within the Senate and his steadfast refusal to admit the existence of climate change, others have celebrated the deceased senator and highlighted his decades-long career in politics. Before joining the federal legislator, Inhofe served as an Oklahoma state representative starting in 1966. Inhofe then joined the Oklahoma state Senate in 1969 and attempted to run for governor and the House of Representatives in multiple failed campaigns. Inhofe eventually became mayor of Tulsa in 1978 and served as mayor for several years until joining the federal legislature.
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