Press Releases
Lankford, Ernst Demand Answers on Biden Stalling Investigation of Iranians Linked to Terrorism
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and their colleagues to send a letter to the Department of Justice after Iranians with direct links to the country's most prominent designated terrorist organization were detained in Argentina early last month. The Biden Administration has refused to provide key Argentinian law enforcement officials information confirming links to terrorist activities. The Senators' letter demands an explanation for the delay and whe… Continue Reading
07.25.22
Lankford Prioritizes School Safety in Unspent COVID Funds
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) to introduce the Protect Our Children's Schools Act to enhance school safety and prevent school-based violence. The legislation would allow schools to use unspent previously appropriated federal COVID-19 education-related funding to improve school security. Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives. "Schools should have the flexibility to access unspent COVID funds to strength… Continue Reading
07.25.22
Lankford, Inhofe, Fischer Want to Ensure Tulsa VA Hospital Is Finished Despite Raging Inflation of Biden Economy
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) was joined by Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) to introduce legislation to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use existing funds to offset the cost of inflation to build a 275,000-square-foot, 58-bed medical-surgical hospital in Tulsa, which is set to be complete in late 2023 and open for patients in late 2024. "Once completed, the new and renovated facilities of the Tulsa VA will bring advanced health care options to… Continue Reading
07.22.22
Lankford Wants to Simplify Application Process for Federal Disaster Recovery Assistance
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) to introduce a bill that would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a universal application across federal agencies for disaster survivors who are seeking federal assistance to recover from hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and more. Currently, indiv… Continue Reading
07.22.22
Lankford, Ernst Target Cartel Spotters, Increase Penalties for Anyone Abetting Illegal Activity on Southern Border
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - After touring the Rio Grande Valley sector of the southern border a week ago, Senator James Lankford (R-OK), lead Republican of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management with jurisdiction over the southern border, joined Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) to target cartel "spotters" by introducing the Transnational Criminal Organization Illicit Spotter Prevention and El… Continue Reading
07.21.22
Lankford Works to Improve How Federal Government Communicates with Americans
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced legislation to ensure that guidance, instructions, and other public information published by the federal government is written in plain language. The bill updates existing laws to expand the types of information agencies must publish publicly in plain writing. "Government is confusing enough. The least an agency can do is to speak plainly. Agencies do not have to communicate with jargon, technical terms no one un… Continue Reading
07.21.22
PASSED: Senate Reauthorizes the US Commission on International Religious Freedom
WASHINGTON, DC - The Senate passed the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2022. The bill, introduced by Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jim Risch (R-ID), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Chris Coons (D-DE), would reauthorize USCIRF through fiscal year 2024. The bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), created by the International Re… Continue Reading
07.21.22
Lankford Moves to Stop the Flawed Social Cost of Carbon from Driving Energy Regulations
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK), member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, was joined by 12 Republican Senators to introduce the Transparency and Honesty in Energy Regulations Act, a bill to prohibit the federal government from using the flawed social cost of carbon, social cost of methane, social cost of nitrous oxide, or the social cost of any other greenhouse gas metrics in the rulemaking process. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) introduced companion legislation to… Continue Reading
07.21.22
Lankford Wants Answers on Due Process for Border Patrol Agents
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK), lead Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management, today sent a letter to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Chris Magnus demanding further details regarding due process for Border Patrol agents following an incident involving their Horse Patrol Unit in Del Rio, TX, on September 19, 2021. Lankford explains in his letter that although there were initial all… Continue Reading
07.21.22
Lankford, Burr, Colleagues Oppose Biden Admin’s Flawed Title IX Proposal, Urge Extension of Public Comment Period
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and their colleagues to send a letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona criticizing the Administration's proposed changes to Title IX and urging an extension of the public comment period by 30 days. Joining the letter were Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni E… Continue Reading
07.20.22
Lankford Supports Balanced Budget Resolution
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued a statement after he supported a budget resolution that aims to balance government spending and revenues over 10 years without having to raise taxes on Americans. The motion failed by a vote of 34 to 63. "While Americans are struggling to pay for food at the grocery store and gas for their cars, more than half the Senate wants to keep spending. We must pass a budget that reins in our federal spending to stop wasting taxpayer money. I… Continue Reading
07.20.22
Lankford: The Biden Admin Is Facilitating the Chaos at the Border
CLICK HERE to download Lankford's remarks on Box. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on Rumble. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK), lead Republican on the Border Management Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with jurisdiction over the southern border, called out the Biden Administration on the Senate floor about Biden's wide open southern border that is threatening the security o… Continue Reading
07.20.22
Lankford: Biden Admin Is Actively Working To Increase Illegal Border Crossers
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on Rumble. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK), lead Republican on the Border Management Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with jurisdiction over the southern border, today laid out what he heard directly from law enforcement at the border and what he's hearing from their national leadership in Washington, DC, which is that the Biden Administration … Continue Reading
07.20.22
Lankford Joins Colleagues In Calling For Increased Access To Osteopathic Medical Research That Benefits Rural, Underserved Communities
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined a group of 26 lawmakers in a letter urging Acting National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak to expand funding opportunities for research in osteopathic medicine. Osteopathic physicians have expertise in the musculoskeletal system and receive additional training in osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), a hands-on technique and non-pharmacological solution to pain management. This type of treatment can serve as a n… Continue Reading
07.19.22
Lankford Pushes to Fix Permitting Process for All US Energy Production
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on Rumble. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Federal Hydrogen Pipeline Regulatory Authorities. Lankford began his remarks saying that the permitting process as a whole needs to be addressed. Lankford focused his questions on how to address the current permitting process and how to fix it moving forward. The… Continue Reading
07.15.22
Lankford Travels to Southern Border to Meet with Law Enforcement, Assess the Damage of Biden’s Wide Open Border Policies
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Facebook Live from his night border tour on YouTube. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Facebook Live from his night border tour on Rumble. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Facebook Live from near the Rio Grande river on YouTube. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Facebook Live from near the Rio Grande river on Rumble. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks the southern border wall on YouTube. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks the southern border wall on Rumb… Continue Reading
07.15.22
Lankford, Grassley Push DHS to Rescind Anti-Immigration Enforcement Guidance that Relies on Vacated ‘Mayorkas Memo’
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) are asking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) when it plans to rescind a guidance memorandum from the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) within US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which experts say could be used to dismiss hundreds of thousands of immigration court proceedings involving illegal immigrants in the United States. The memorandum relies on previous DHS guidance that has been vacated i… Continue Reading
07.15.22
Lankford, Ernst Applaud Unanimous Senate Action to Put a Stop to Human Trafficking
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) celebrated Senate passage of his bill with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), the End Human Trafficking in Government Contracts Act of 2022, which will ensure the US government is not paying for or participating in human trafficking of vulnerable third-country workers through our contracts overseas, including those in defense and national security. The bill terminates contracts found to be involved in human trafficking and importantly contractors known t… Continue Reading
07.15.22
Lankford Goes After COVID Unemployment Fraud
WASHINGTON, DC - With unemployment fraud leaving taxpayers on the hook for roughly $163 billion, and only slightly more than $4 billion recovered, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rob Portman (R-OH) to introduce the Chase COVID Unemployment Fraud Act of 2022 to recover funds from unchecked unemployment fraud and provide incentives for states to recover fraudulent … Continue Reading
07.14.22
Lankford Gets Answers on Counter-drone Efforts on the Southern Border
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on Rumble. WASHINGTON, DC -Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today raised concerns in a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on protecting the US from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and instituting counter-drone processes, particularly at our southern border. Lankford emphasized the need for agencies to collaborate to enhance counter-drone efforts and to ensure we have the techno… Continue Reading
