In the News
Lowering drug prices with bipartisan, market-based proposals
by Senator James Lankford
Most Americans are affected in some way by rising prescription drug and healthcare prices. Whether you're personally impacted or hear about the effects of rising costs on a family member or friend, you know things aren't getting better. The Senate Finance Committee, on which I serve, started working this year on a series of hearings to better understand the complexity of drug pricing, especially in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. We've heard from pharmaceutical experts, federal r… Continue Reading
09.21.19
Lowering Drug Prices with Bipartisan, Market-based Proposals
by Senator James Lankford
Most Americans are affected in some way by rising prescription drug and healthcare prices. Whether you're personally impacted or hear about the effects of rising costs on a family member or friend, you know things aren't getting better. The Senate Finance Committee, on which I serve, started working this year on a series of hearings to better understand the complexity of drug pricing, especially in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. We've heard from pharmaceutical experts, federal r… Continue Reading
08.14.19
Senators: Abolishing ICE would worsen child smuggling and other US-Mexico border problems
by Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA)
Last month we visited the Rio Grande Valley sector of our southern border near McAllen, Texas. We toured the Hidalgo Port of Entry - a large pedestrian access and processing point for individuals, families and unaccompanied minors. We saw the Donna Holding Facility, a large temporary facility for processing families who cross the border between the legal ports of entry. The Donna facility was added because Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is limited in funding, so there is no place to … Continue Reading
07.24.19
Countdown to Ending Government Shutdowns
by By Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
It's a sad but true reality: Congress functions best on a deadline. In theory, when Congress established the annual budget and appropriations process in 1974 it gave itself a number of deadlines to set a budget and fund the government. The problem is Congress has only met those deadlines four times since 1974. You've probably seen the "Countdown to Shut Down" clocks on the major news networks as the nation waits impatiently for Congress to fund the government, usually in late September or right… Continue Reading
06.26.19
Let’s Talk about Life
by Senator James Lankford and Cindy Lankford
All of society respects the man who cares for the homeless because as a culture we believe no life should be just thrown away. Everyone grieves, prays, and works to help those struggling with addiction because we care about human dignity. We all admire the woman who feeds a hungry child or serves as a reading mentor because we universally acknowledge that every person deserves a chance. Why not also celebrate and recognize the potential in every child's life, no matter how small? The recent na… Continue Reading
05.15.19
Crossing the Aisle to Streamline Regulation
by By Susan E. Dudley, Sally Katzen
Bipartisanship isn't dead, even when it comes to streamlining regulation. Sens. James Lankford (R., Okla.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D., Ariz.) have introduced two bills with surgical fixes to the regulatory process-one to promote public engagement; the other, a review of existing regulations with an eye toward changing course if they aren't working. Presidents from both parties have pursued both objectives with uneven results, so a legislative fix would be salutary. Government agencies have long bee… Continue Reading
04.15.19
Point of View: It's almost Tax Day and the news is good
by Senator James Lankford
Tax Day is a significant day for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Since January, I've been able to hear from Oklahomans about how the tax changes affected their families and small businesses, but soon we'll see the final numbers. Some national media have done all they can to find problems, and since no one likes paying taxes, it's not hard to find negative stories. But there are some undeniable facts. Wages are up, unemployment is down and business investment is up. The economy has added over 3 milli… Continue Reading
09.27.18
It’s Gold Star Families Remembrance Week This Week
by Senator James Lankford
Each year before Christmas, a team of volunteers from Wreaths Across America brings thousands of wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., to give families and volunteers a chance to place a wreath at a fallen service member's grave. The solemn experience is one that the volunteers will never forget. In addition to honoring our fallen service members, we also honor their families' sacrifices. They experience the empty chair (sometimes even more tragically chairs) at the hol… Continue Reading
03.30.18
Senator Lankford & Dr. Coburn in National Review: 21 Trillion Reasons to Fix the Budget Process
by Senator James Lankford and Dr. Tom Coburn
In the wee hours of the morning last Friday, the Senate passed a 2,232-page, $1.3 trillion budget-busting spending bill barely 24 hours after it was introduced to the public. The bill provides funding for the 2018 fiscal year, which began six months ago. Members did not even have time to read and digest the bill, let alone debate and amend its provisions. Unfortunately, this unseemly process of dropping a take-it-or-leave-it spending bill right before the deadline is not an outlier; it has becom… Continue Reading
03.04.18
Senator Lankford in The Tulsa World: Tax reform is working For Oklahomans
by Senator James Lankford
Just before Christmas, Congress passed and the President signed into law, a tax reform bill that makes major improvements to our tax code. It's only been two months, but tax reform is already working for Oklahomans. Many companies across the nation and across Oklahoma are using their tax savings to reinvest in their employees and add new equipment. It feels like almost every day there are new stories of employee bonuses and increased wages announced for workers. American Airlines announced $1… Continue Reading
01.15.18
Senators James Lankford & Tim Scott in The Atlantic: Honor MLK’s Legacy By Engaging People Who Are Different
by Senators James Lankford & Tim Scott
This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day carries additional significance, as it marks the 50th anniversary of his tragic death. In April of 1968, King was killed in Memphis, Tennessee, at the hands of a ruthless murderer who was filled with hate and racism. One of the reasons we, as Americans and citizens around the world, remember King's legacy is his call to freedom and racial unity through love and engagement for all people-a message he still shares with the world a half-century later. Love is… Continue Reading
12.06.17
Senator Lankford in The Oklahoman: Tax reform will help Oklahoma's economy
by Senator James Lankford
It has been more than 30 years since there was a major change in federal tax policy. Thankfully, the Senate passed a tax reform bill last week that will simplify our tax code, cut taxes in all brackets and help grow the economy. During the past 70 years, the American economy has grown at around 3 percent or more a year, on average. But in the past 10 years, economic growth has collectively averaged only 2 percent, and last year, our GDP was just 1.5 percent for the year. We must get our economy… Continue Reading
10.02.17
Senators Lankford, Tillis in The Washington Times: A conservative approach to DACA
by Senators James Lankford & Thom Tillis
No one in America, from all sides of the political spectrum, thinks the current immigration system works well. It hasn't been updated in 30-plus years and the lack of action has led to a system that has incentivized illegal immigration and encouraged parents to take their children on the dangerous and often deadly trek across our southern border. Essentially, Congress ignoring the problem has actually encouraged more illegal immigration and facilitated a form of amnesty. It is past time for Con… Continue Reading
09.05.17
Senator Lankford on FoxNews.com: What To Do With The Debt Ceiling? Reform It
by Senator James Lankford
It happens like clockwork in Washington. Every year or two when we approach the federal debt limit, countdown clocks start, doomsday scenarios are assumed, and backroom negotiations begin in earnest to prevent our country from defaulting on our obligations. The prevailing theme of debt ceiling negotiations is usually avoiding default. Lost in the conversation is how we got here in the first place, and how we can get out of the cycle of deficit spending. Debt limit debate should push Congress to … Continue Reading
08.15.17
The Truth About The Trade Deficit
by Senator James Lankford
Last month, the Trump administration issued its objectives for a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. There is much about the trade agreement that should be modernized, such as updated rules for e-commerce and stronger intellectual property protections. I support the president's objective to maintain existing duty-free market access for agricultural goods, as it is important for industries in many states, including my home state of Oklahoma. However, the administration has a… Continue Reading
08.02.17
Senator Lankford in The Wall Street Journal: How to Make the Senate Work Again
by Senator James Lankford
James Madison explained that the Constitution's authors considered the Senate to be the great "anchor" of the government. The upper chamber has become an anchor, but I don't think today's dilatory Senate is what the Founders had in mind. Many Americans see the main issue in the Senate as the filibuster rule, the 60 vote requirement to move on legislation. The Senate should not go to a 51 vote majority for every vote. Because the Senate is the one entity in the federal government where the mino… Continue Reading
07.03.17
Senator Lankford in The Atlantic: Finding Unity in a Divided Washington
by Senator James Lankford
Several weeks ago, a routine early morning baseball practice for a charity game became the site of an unthinkable attack. Republican members of Congress were shot by a gunman who had made clear his antipathy for their party and the president who leads it. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise suffered wounds that resulted in an "imminent risk of death," according to hospital staff. Zach Barth, a congressional staffer, was wounded and Matt Mika, a former congressional staffer, spent days in the hos… Continue Reading
06.06.17
Senator Lankford Joins Senators to Introduce Bill to Extend Key Intelligence Program
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined 14 Senators today to introduce legislation making Section 702, and the entirety of Title VII, of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) permanent. Surveillance under Section 702 applies only to the communications of non-US persons located outside of the United States, is authorized only for valid purposes such as counterterrorism, and is one of the most effective tools available to the intelligence community to combat threats again… Continue Reading
04.28.17
Sen. Lankford & Mr. Graham in The Hill: Congress’ next 100 days: Small businesses need regulatory relief
by Senator James Lankford and John Graham
As the nation evaluates the new President's First 100 Days and Washington looks ahead to the next 100, we must ask a simple question, do we want vibrant small businesses in America or not? The complexity and cost of the regulatory burden placed on each small business shows the evidence of our answer. When the regulatory burden drowns out productivity and innovation, the flowery rhetoric we often hear from politicians about small businesses is seen for what it is: lip service. When each new id… Continue Reading
04.07.17
Repeal of FCC rule is no loss for privacy
by The Oklahoman Editorial Board
THERE are times when the art of politics involves pretending trivial events are actually earth-shaking. That certainly seems to be the case with the reaction to a congressional vote repealing a Federal Communications Commission rule on customer privacy. As many have noted, the FCC rule had not yet taken effect, so no one lost any existing privacy protections. And the proposed rule actually exempted many online entities, so even had it taken effect the alleged benefits were far less than suggest… Continue Reading
