JUST IN: Lankford on Fox News Sunday Discusses President Trump’s Pursuit of Peace — “President Trump Is Actively Moving To End This War”
Click HERE to Watch the Interview on YouTube.
Click HERE to Download the Interview on Box.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Fox News Sunday to discuss President Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Democrats’ obstruction in the Senate, his push to end government shutdowns, and the seasonal clock change.
Excerpts:
On President Trump’s Efforts To End The War In Ukraine:
“Well, right now we want to put as many tools in the President’s hands as he possibly wants or needs in the toolbox to be able to put an end to this war.
“I mean, we go back just in the last 15 years, we’ve got the Russian invasion of Crimea under President Obama. Then Russia doesn’t move forward under President Trump in the first administration and then literally President Joe Biden says it depends on how far Russia invades Ukraine, whether we’ll engage more. Russia then takes that as a signal, moves into Ukraine…. Trump is trying to be able to end this war. Let’s give as many tools in his hands as he possibly could use to be able to bring an end to the bloodshed there.”
On Democrats Criticizing Trump’s Push For Peace:
“Every time President Trump tries to move to do something to try to end the war, Democrats will say, ‘It’s not enough’ or ‘It’s the wrong thing.’ Joe Biden was not moving to be able to end this war. President Trump is actively moving to be able to end this war and use every piece of leverage he can.
“He’s dealing with a war criminal, thug, former KGB agent. That is Putin. Putin does not want to end this war. He is the aggressor in this war and will continue to be able to push until he’s pushed back. We’re providing the weapons systems. We’re providing the ability for Ukraine to be able to fight back.
“President Trump has brought together a remarkable group of European leaders, all in one massive meeting in the White House, to be able to talk about how can all of Europe be more involved in trying to be able to end this war, not just supply weapons, to be able to help Ukraine perpetuate it, but how do we actually bring an end to it and have Ukraine as a standing sovereign nation at the end of it that continue[s] to function?”
On Preventing Government Shutdowns:
“It is just this crazy silly season in the Senate right now trying to be able to get to legislation. Democrats have blocked all of our nominees. And for President Trump in the confirmation there, all of them. This has literally never happened before that every single one of them has been filibustered, which when we’re working through the nomination process, that means you can’t actually get to legislation to actually do that part of our work as well, because they’ve slowed down all the nomination process.
“Now we’ve got to be able to finish all of the appropriations bills, 12 of them, by the 30th of September. We’re not going to be able to get to all of those. We’re out of time to be able to do it. So we have to have some kind of continuing resolution to keep the government open. I’ve worked across the aisle for years on this, and I have a bill that prevents government shutdowns. It is very simple. It is, quite frankly, something my mom would have taught me years ago. That is, if you don’t finish your work in class, you got to stay after to be able to continue your work.
“This just basically says if we get to the end of the fiscal year, we don’t have all the appropriation bills done, you got to stay in session continuously seven days a week, and you can only work on appropriation bills until we actually get those things done. It locks us in the classroom and says, stay at work until you actually finish this part of it, and you can’t work on other things on it. It puts pressure on Congress where it needs to be.
“We need to end government shutdowns and the drama of this, but we absolutely need to have the fight on debt and deficit. With $37 trillion of total debt as a nation, let’s have the fight about budget, but let’s not have it during a government shutdown.”
On Locking The Clock:
“I am all in… and this is something I’ve fought for. People made fun of me years ago for sponsoring a bill to get rid of the time change.
“I have to tell you my favorite story. I’m in a Veterans Day parade years ago, a veteran deep in his 80s stands up watching the parade, comes to me in the parade route, shakes my hand in the middle of the parade route, and says, ‘Before I die, will you get rid of the time change? I hate it.’
“I have to tell you, moms don’t like it. Farmers, Ag folks don’t like it. It is an anomaly left over from World War I and World War II. We need to just go back to locking the clock on that.”
###