Congressman Tom Cole: Global Down Syndrome Foundation 2018 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award Recipient

Tom Cole is the Congressman from Oklahoma’s Fourth Congressional District. He was identified as “one of the sharpest minds in the House,” by Time Magazine and “the hardest working Member of Congress,” by Newsmax. In 2017, Representative Cole was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

In Congress, Representative Cole is recognized as an advocate for taxpayers and small business, a proponent for a strong national defense and a leader in promoting biomedical research. As an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation and one of only two tribal members currently serving in Congress, he is considered the foremost expert in the House on issues dealing with Native Americans and tribal governments. The National Congress of the American Indian has cited Cole for distinguished service on three different occasions, more than any other Member of Congress in the history of the organization.

Since 2009, Representative Cole has served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where he chairs the subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. He also serves on the subcommittee for Defense and Interior appropriations. Representative Cole represents the Appropriations Committee on the House Budget Committee, serving as the Senior Appropriator on the panel. In 2012, Representative Cole was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve on the House Committee on Rules. In 2017, he was named Vice Chairman of the committee. Representative Cole also serves as a Deputy Whip for the Republican Conference.

Representative Cole has a significant background of service to his home state of Oklahoma. He has served as the State Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, District Director to former Congressman Mickey Edwards, a member of the Oklahoma State Senate and as Oklahoma’s Secretary of State.

Representative Cole is widely regarded as one of the GOP’s top political strategists. He serves on the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents and the national board of the Fulbright Association. He is also a member of the Congressional Advisory Board to the Aspen Institute.

We are proud to announce Congressman Tom Cole as the 2018 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award recipient.