Press Releases
Lankford, Inhofe Applaud VA Grant to Build Veteran Cemetery in Ardmore
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) today applauded the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration's (NCA) announcement of a $7,355,463 grant for the establishment of a State Veterans Cemetery in Ardmore, Oklahoma. "The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs has worked for years to bring this final resting place to Oklahoma veterans and their eligible family members," said Lankford. I am grateful for ODVA's dedication to this task … Continue Reading
09.17.20
Lankford, Colleagues Send Letter to FCC Chairman on Combatting Contraband Cellphones in Prisons
WASHINGTON, DC- Senator James Lankford (R-OK), along with Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), today led a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to continue to push the federal telecommunications agency to address the rampant use of contraband devices within federal, state, and local prisons that are being used to commit crimes outside of prisons. The Senators proposed several solutions to the FCC to address the issue of contraband cellphones. Joi ning Lankford and Cotton… Continue Reading
09.17.20
Lankford Receives “A” Rating on Pro-Life Voting Record
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) was honored to receive an "A" rating on the Susan B. Anthony (SBA) List National Pro-Life Scorecard, which ranks senators and representatives on a series of SBA-selected key pro-life votes. "I am grateful to the Susan B. Anthony List for recognizing our ongoing fight in Congress to protect the lives of the unborn, who cannot speak for themselves," said Lankford. "I am honored to have the opportunity to fight for life at all stages and to move our c… Continue Reading
09.16.20
Lankford Presses for Ethical Coronavirus Vaccine Options in Hearing
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in an Appropriations Committee, Labor, Health & Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing to review coronavirus response efforts. Lankford indicated he hoped today's hearing would focus less on political theater and more on the actual facts and details of the coronavirus response. The panelists for the hearing were Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C… Continue Reading
09.16.20
Lankford, Rosen Call on Poland to Enact Comprehensive Holocaust Restitution Law Amid Rising Polish Anti-Semitism
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, sent a letter to Polish President Andrzej Duda expressing concern over the rise of anti-Semitic discourse in Poland and urging Poland to enact a comprehensive Holocaust restitution law. "Poland's partnership with the United States as a stalwart NATO ally has contributed significantly to security and prosperity in Central and Eastern Europe. We apprec… Continue Reading
09.15.20
Lankford Issues Statement after Attending White House Signing Ceremony for Peace Agreements
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released the following statement after attending the Abraham Accords signing ceremony at the White House: "While many across the globe are focused exclusively on COVID, I am grateful the Administration has continued its work on peace in the Middle East. This is truly a historic moment, and for the first time in a quarter-century the US has led a major peace agreement between Israel and their Arab neighbors. Over the decades, too many wars h… Continue Reading
09.11.20
Lankford Sends Letter to Disney CEO Following Cooperation with Elements in Xinjiang During Filming of Mulan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) along with Marco Rubio (R-FL)today sent a bipartisan letter to The Walt Disney Company's Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek, inquiring about Disney's cooperation with elements of the Chinese Communist Party's security and propaganda authorities in the production of the movie Mulan. For years, reports have surfaced highlighting China's campaign against Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region's (XUAR), includ… Continue Reading
09.11.20
Lankford Announces DHS has Certified Oklahoma’s REAL ID Compliance
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK- Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today responded to news that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has approved Oklahoma's certification requirements for REAL ID Act of 2005 to issue state driver's licenses and ID cards are compliant. DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf has extended the overall REAL ID enforcement deadline to October 1, 2021, which is the date Oklahomans have to obtain a REAL ID or acceptable alternative form of identification to fly or to access to federal bu… Continue Reading
09.11.20
Lankford Praises DOT Funding to Fix Historic Bridge Crossing Canadian River
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) praised the announcement made by the Department of Transportation (DOT) that they have awarded Oklahoma a grant for $22,000,000 to reconstruct a bridge on US Highway 281 (historic Route 66) which crosses over the Canadian River between Canadian and Caddo Counties. In May, Lankford sent a letter to DOT Secretary Elaine Chao in support of the application from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "The historic bridge crossing the Canadian Rive… Continue Reading
09.09.20
Lankford Pushes for Targeted COVID-19 Relief Bill to Support Testing, Charities, Kids, and Small Businesses
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's floor speech. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today outlined the latest offer of targeted relief from Senate Republicans, which was introduced yesterday. The bill focuses on assisting Americans who have been impacted most, including small businesses, assisting schools to help students get back to school safely, and prioritizing vaccine development, health, and resorting the National Stockpile. The bill also includes Lankford's proposal to expand th… Continue Reading
09.09.20
Lankford, Colleagues Pen Letter to Secretary Pompeo on USCIRF Recommendations
WASHINGTON, DC- Senator James Lankford (R-OK) led a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback to ask the State Department to consider recommendations made by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) when determining designations of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and placement on the Special Watch List (SWL). CPC and SWL designations by the Secretary of State often differ fro… Continue Reading
09.08.20
Lankford Applauds FEMA Funding to Prevent Future Flooding of North Canadian River
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) applauded the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after it announced a federal grant of $3,566,250 for the state of Oklahoma to restore and stabilize the bank along the North Canadian River and to prevent future flooding of Triple X Road. The federal dollars will be transferred to the state to start and complete the project. "If you live near the North Canadian River you know all too well what the flooding and erosion have done to the comm… Continue Reading
09.08.20
Lankford Successful in Including Charitable Giving Deduction Included in Targeted COVID-19 Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) has long advocated for expanding the current above-the-line deduction for charitable giving and today Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced such an expansion in the bill providing targeted funding for coronavirus relief. Thousands of nonprofits have expressed support for Lankford's bill to further incentivize charitable giving. "This year has been full of uncertainty for many families. Americans have stepped up to support their n… Continue Reading
09.02.20
Lankford, Colleagues Send Letter to FDA Urging Abortion Pill Classification as Public Health Hazard
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined a group of 20 Republican senators to urge Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn to exercise the FDA's authority to classify the abortion pill, Mifeprex (or mifepristone), as an "imminent hazard to the public health" that poses a "significant threat of danger," a classification that would result in the removal of this pill from the US Market. The senators wrote: "It is by now nakedly obvious that the abortion industr… Continue Reading
09.01.20
Lankford Applauds USDA School Meal Waiver Extension
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) decision to allow summer meal programs to continue to operate into the fall, which will help ensure that all Oklahoma students receive two meals a day during the week regardless if they attend schools in person or virtually. "Like the rest of the country, Oklahomans are still navigating the unique challenges brought on by COVID-19," said Lankford. "While we've made progress slowing the spre… Continue Reading
08.28.20
Lankford Applauds Federal Awards to Oklahoma Health Centers, Nursing Facilities Fighting COVID-19
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded an announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on $1.4 million in federal health-related funding to 21 health centers across Oklahoma. Additionally, HHS announced its awards to 291 Oklahoma nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities, totaling $43,166,350, through the Provider Relief Fund from the CARES Act as a part of its $2.5 billion allocation nationally. These federal grants help states, especially r… Continue Reading
08.26.20
Senator Lankford, Representative Hern Present Tulsa’s John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park with Membership to National African American Civil Rights Network
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -Tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. CT, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) will present the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park's official membership into the US Department of the Interior's African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN), formally recognizing the historic and national significance of the tragic Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 and Dr. John Hope Franklin's work to advance the African American civil rights movement. Lankford and Hern wi… Continue Reading
08.24.20
Lankford Introduces Bipartisan PPP Forgiveness Bill
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today announced he joined Senator Kevin Cramer's (R-ND) bipartisan Paycheck Protection Small Business Forgiveness Act. The Paycheck Protection Small Business Forgiveness Act streamlines forgiveness for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $150,000 or less if the borrower submits a simple, one-page attestation form to the lender. The approximately 4.2 million PPP loans of $150,000 or less account for 85 percent of all PPP approved loans but … Continue Reading
08.21.20
Lankford Addresses Postal Service Rumors during Hearing with Postmaster General
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A. CLICK HERE to download Lankford's Q&A from Box. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing entitled, "Examining the Finances and Operations of the United States Postal Service During COVID-19 and Upcoming Elections." During the hearing Lankford questioned newly appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about his work to continue reforming the US Postal Servic… Continue Reading
08.19.20
Senator Lankford Named 2020 Fiscal Hero
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) was named a 2020 Fiscal Hero by the Committee for a Responsible Budget. Fiscal Heroes is an award that recognizes Senators and House Members who have distinguished themselves by demonstrating leadership on issues of fiscal responsibility, pushing party leaders to confront the growing national debt, voting responsibly and raising awareness about debt's dangers to improving the nation's fiscal condition. "Our nation faces so many challenges thes… Continue Reading
