Senator James Inhofe, a prominent figure in the US Congress and a strong advocate for American military strength, passed away at the age of 89. The Tulsa World reported his death, citing sources close to his family, and noted that services are pending.
Inhofe had a long and distinguished career in politics, serving as a mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s second-largest city, before being elected to the US House of Representatives for eight years. He then served in the Senate for nearly three decades, retiring in 2023 at the age of 88 due to long-term effects of COVID-19.
Throughout his career, Inhofe earned a reputation as one of the most conservative senators in the US Congress. He was known for his sharp tongue and willingness to challenge his political and ideological opponents. As the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, he was a vocal critic of climate change, often using derogatory language to describe those who believed in its existence.
Inhofe was a strong supporter of domestic oil and gas production and a fierce opponent of environmental regulations. He famously referred to the US Environmental Protection Agency as a “Gestapo bureaucracy” and fought efforts to cap greenhouse gas emissions, calling it “hysteria.” In 2015, he famously tossed a snowball on the Senate floor to demonstrate that the planet was not warming, a move that was widely ridiculed by his opponents.
Inhofe’s views on climate change were widely criticized by scientists and environmentalists, who argued that the planet was indeed warming due to human activities. His skepticism on the issue was rooted in his strong support for the fossil fuel industry and his opposition to environmental regulations.
Despite his controversial views, Inhofe was a respected figure in Oklahoma politics, and his passing has been met with condolences from both sides of the aisle.
