Lankford Honored with Guardian of Small Business Award

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) was honored to receive the National Federation of Independent Business’s (NFIB) esteemed Guardian of Small Business Award for his continued support for Oklahoma’s small businesses.  

“I am honored to be recognized as a Guardian of Small Business, and I am committed to continue fighting for Oklahoma small businesses to ensure they have the resources and support they need during and after the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lankford. “Oklahoma small businesses were hit hard by the pandemic and have worked together to reopen safely and continue to power our local economies. This year has led to unprecedented innovation, determination, and resolve from our small business owners and their workers, and I am grateful for their tenacity. I will continue to stand up for and support our small business communities to provide them critical support, like the successful PPP program, and protect them from Washington overregulation and excessive red tape. I encourage all Oklahomans to ‘shop small’ this holiday season to help our friends and neighbors on Main Street.”

“The NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award is awarded to lawmakers who small businesses can truly count on,” said Kevin Kuhlman, NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations. “These Members of the US Senate are dedicated supporters of the key issues that our members are concerned about and have proven themselves to be real champions for small business. Our policy positions are driven by our members, and we report NFIB Key Votes back to our membership. We are proud to recognize Senator Lankford for earning this distinction in the 116th Congress by taking pro-small business votes supporting financial assistance programs and opposing increased labor costs. Small business owners across the country need his support now more than ever during these unprecedented times, and we are grateful to Senator Lankford for his leadership.”

Lankford chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management and has introduced regulatory bills to improve the process of how regulations are made by facilitating greater transparency and accountability in the federal rulemaking process.

Lankford has worked extensively to bring relief to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the CARES Act and other COVID relief legislation. He has worked on bipartisan legislation to address issues with the important Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which helped thousands of small businesses in Oklahoma stay afloat during the pandemic. Lankford introduced the Pandemic Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Act, which would help Congress repeal or modify regulations that have impeded our nation’s ability to rapidly respond to the coronavirus pandemic and/or that would impede a future response. Lankford sponsored the Small Business Expense Protection Act to allow small businesses to deduct expenses paid with a PPP loan from their taxes and the SAFE to Work Act to provide liability protections for small businesses re-opening after COVID.

Lankford also helped move the Unfunded Mandates Accountability and Transparency Act (UMATA) through passage in Committee this year. The bill will reduce excessive unfunded government mandates on job creators, giving them greater freedom to invest in their companies and hire new workers. Lankford introduced the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act, which would require federal agencies to take into account the full cost of regulations before making them binding. Additionally, he introduced the HELP For Small Businesses Act to forgive federal fines harmless paperwork errors.  

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