Senator Lankford Highlights Oklahoma Charity in Senate Opportunity Coalition’s Second Report

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined the Senate Opportunity Coalition (SOC) last week to release its second report reviewing their continued progress in identifying common obstacles faced by millions of Americans still living in poverty.

“Federal, state and local governments should begin to think more about the prevention of poverty, rather than just the management of poverty,” said Lankford. “To help achieve better outcomes for foster youth, and at-risk youth, the federal government should allow nonprofits like Peppers Ranch Foster Community to thrive and flourish. Onerous regulations can be the difference between a thriving charity or a struggling charity, which leads to reduced services for those who need it most. Civil society is the backbone for America’s fight against poverty—the federal government should do everything it can to allow them to serve the poor without the barrier of burdensome regulations.” 

The premise of the SOC is to help align the efforts of several Senators who have made fighting poverty a priority on their agenda. The original report was released on Sept. 21, 2016, and featured experiences and remarks from Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), James Lankford (R-OK), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK). Since the launch, the coalition has expanded and now includes Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Dean Heller (R-NV). 

The coalition’s second publication is entitled “Paving the Path to a Brighter Future II.” The document includes additional stories and experiences of the Members’ meetings with people from their home states that shows the depth and complexity of addressing the issue of poverty. The full document can be read here.  

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