Washington Bureau Chief Alex Cameron shares latest from nation's capital

While normally sitting and talking with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., News 9 Washington Bureau Chief Alex Cameron returned to Oklahoma to take part in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon 5K.

On Tuesday, Cameron spoke with the News 9 team about his time in Washington and what he has planned while in the Sooner State.

Q: You're always busy. You recently sat down with Oklahoma's delegation. What was that like?

A: Well, I had been trying since I got there just over five years ago to get the entire delegation together for one, just like a photo op at the very least. I realize that's not easy to do. I really had a lot of people working on this and we finally got it done just about a month ago. All seven members of the delegation in the same room at the same time sit down, each one with a microphone, and so we really had a nice chat. You can see a little bit of the video there to talk to them about what makes this delegation unique, because that's one thing they talk about. For a small state with a relatively small delegation, we punch above our weight. Rep. Tom Cole, one of the top leaders, one of the most powerful people in Washington, D.C., as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. There's leadership in different ways throughout our delegation. So that was a big thing we wanted to talk about. 

Q: What was the number one topic that they are concerned about? 

A: They hear a lot from their constituents right now, concerns about cuts to the government. They're very federal government heavy, you know, especially like District 4, Rep. Cole's district, so [there are] real concerns about DOGE and these cuts. We talked quite a bit about that; they tried to be reassuring, but there's no doubt some of them say we don't know how this is going to turn out. We're trying to give deference and grace right now to President Trump and to see how this goes, but there are certainly some concerns.

Q: What about tariffs? 

A: That's also something that came up in our conversation. Sen. Markwayne Mullin is very, very enthusiastic about tariffs. He thinks that this is a perfect reset that's been needed for a long time. So that was something else we got into on our discussion. Not sure everyone feels the same way. Our delegation, they're all Republican, all conservative, but, you know, some more so than others. Some of their districts are more conservative than others, and they recognize that. So they say, we may not always agree, we may not always vote the same way, but we respect each other. 

Q: You're part of our team coverage coming up for the Memorial Marathon. What's it like to come back on this 30th year anniversary? 

A: It just means so much, as you start to think about it, and I wasn't even here, as I've said. I didn't come to Oklahoma until July of 1995, but still, it's a part of me. When you go to Denver and you cover the trial and that sort of thing, you meet the people who were involved with it over the years. It meant a lot to be here this past Saturday, and I love the fact that News 9 is now the broadcast partner for the Memorial Marathon, so I wouldn't miss that. I'm not running the marathon, I am going to run the 5K on Saturday, but then I can be part of our team coverage on Sunday. So I'm really excited about it. 

Q: Can you talk to us about the excitement going into this weekend and why we run?

A: We see the amount of effort that people have put into being here to remember. I mean, you saw the number of people who came out this past Saturday in cloudy, gray, rainy weather. It's going to be the same this weekend for this marathon. People do come to make a statement that they come to remember, and they come from all around the country, all over the world, to run this marathon. So it is a very meaningful race. You'll hear a lot of people say that those who don't have any affiliation with Oklahoma say they are so impressed by the way the Memorial puts this on, so it's a great event and just very proud that we're a part.