Press Releases
Lankford, Inhofe, Hern Statement on Staff SGT. Marshal Roberts
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) Jim Inhofe (R-OK), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Kevin Hern (OK-01) expressed deep sadness over the loss of two American service members in Iraq on Wednesday, including Staff Sergeant Marshal Roberts from the 219th Engineering Installation Squadron, a unit of the 138th Fighter Wing of the Oklahoma National Guard. "Wednesday's news is a painful reminder that our sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and … Continue Reading
03.12.20
Lankford Joins Effort to Distance American Universities from Confucius Institutes
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) seeks to minimize Chinese efforts to exert inappropriate influence on American university campuses through Confucius Institutes, which repress free speech and discourage transparency. Congressional efforts have led to the closure of many Institutes, yet many remain. Lankford and his colleagues are taking a two-part approach to ensure the existing Confucius Institutes in the US abide by standards of transparency and academic freedom. Lankford serves … Continue Reading
03.12.20
Lankford, Blackburn Advocate for the Immediate Return of US Pastor Being Held in India
WASHINGTON, DC -Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Congressmen Scott DesJarlais (TN-4) and Jody Hice (GA-10) sent a letter to the Indian Foreign Secretary to advocate for the return of Bryan Nerren of Shelbyville, Tennessee, to the United States. The Senators wrote, "We write to bring your attention to the case of Bryan Kevin Nerren Sr. of Shelbyville, Tennessee. We are immediately concerned with the health of the Nerren family, including Mr. Nerren's daughter with sp… Continue Reading
03.12.20
Lankford, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Disaster Recovery Process
WASHINGTON, DC -Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today introduced bipartisan legislation to provide support for local communities facing rising water levels, coastal erosion, and flooding that have put homes and property at risk, and caused millions of dollars in damages. The bipartisan bill would establish loans local governments could access to help mitigate the impact of rising water levels, coastal erosion, and other damage ca… Continue Reading
03.12.20
Lankford, Inhofe Applaud Oklahoma Judicial Nominee Passing Committee
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) today applaud a 16-5 bipartisan vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee on the nomination of Oklahoma attorney, Mr. John F. Heil, III, to serve as US District Judge for the Northern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma. Heil was nominated by President Trump on November 6, 2019. Lankford introduced Heil at his nomination hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee in January. "I'm grateful for the Senate Judiciary Commi… Continue Reading
03.11.20
Lankford Highlights His Solutions to Long-term Debt, Deficits
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today spoke on the Senate floor to highlight government transparency bills moving through the final stages of the legislation process or recently passed that will ultimately help our nation address some of the long-term causes of our debt and deficit issues. Lankford highlighted four of his good-government bills that are successfully moving through the process: the Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements T… Continue Reading
03.11.20
Embrace Hope in Southwest Oklahoma
by Senator James Lankford and Brenda Spencer-Ragland
Oklahomans are generous people. We give our time, our finances, and our prayers for each other. Even in good economic times, there are so many people around us with so many needs. Serving your neighbor is not about how much money you have or the title you hold; it's about compassion, duty, and hope. While we each do a great deal individually, we can do even more when we work together. That's the vision behind this weekend's Embrace Hope event. On March 14, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. a… Continue Reading
03.10.20
Lankford Praises Southwest Oklahoma Community for Event that Promotes Neighbors Helping Neighbors on Senate Floor
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today discussed an upcoming community event in Lawton, called Embrace Hope, which will take place with Lankford's participation on March 14, 2020. This event will provide SW Oklahoma residents free services including housing (shelter, affordable housing, information, and referral); food (nutrition); warrant forgiveness assistance; medical assistance including, dental, optometry, and pregnancy resources; WI… Continue Reading
03.10.20
Lankford Votes to Maintain Protections for Student Loan Borrowers
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today voted against a resolution that, if passed, would have reversed important protections issued by the Trump Administration's Department of Education for students with federal student loans to obtain relief if they suffered financial harm because their college misled or defrauded them, a process known as "borrower defense to repayment." "Students who take out loans for higher education should be able to do so with the assurance that the school t… Continue Reading
03.10.20
Senator Lankford Presses FCC Chairman on Action for Rural Broadband Access, Stopping Use of Contraband Cellphones in Prisons
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today questioned Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials at a Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government hearing on the budget request for the fiscal year 2021 (FY2021). Federal law currently does not allow state prisons to jam cellphones. In 2018, Oklahoma state prisons confiscated 7,518 cellphones from inmates. Lankford has been pushing for a change… Continue Reading
03.06.20
Lankford, Inhofe Applaud President’s Commitment to Save Blue-Collar Refinery Jobs
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Barrasso (R-WY), Pat Toomey (R-PA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today issued a statement following reports that President Trump will appeal the Tenth Circuit's decision on small refineries: "We're encouraged by the reports that the administration will appeal the Tenth Circuit's decision on small refineries," the Senators said.… Continue Reading
03.06.20
Senator Lankford Participates in Community Event in Lawton
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - The Office of Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today announced that he will attend the SW Oklahoma Embrace Hope community event in Lawton on March 14, 2020. This event will provide SW Oklahoma residents free services including: housing (shelter, affordable housing, information, and referral); food (nutrition); warrant forgiveness assistance; medical assistance including, dental, optometry, and pregnancy resources; WIC/SNAP assistance; physical therapy; haircuts; clothing; photog… Continue Reading
03.05.20
Senator Lankford Talks Ending the War in Afghanistan
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today spoke on the Senate floor about the situation in Afghanistan and our nation's work to stabilize the government there, defeat ISIS, and utilize its location to provide greater stability to the Middle East as a whole. Throughout his time in Congress, Lankford has remained engaged in the military, foreign policy, and national security implications of the US military presence in Afghanistan. In December 20… Continue Reading
03.05.20
Lankford, Johnson Call for Oversight of Independent Agencies’ Unchecked Regulations
WASHINGTON, DC -Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Ron Johnson (R-WI), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led a letter to President Trump to change the authority of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to conduct a thorough and rigorous review of independent agencies' regulations. Currently, independent agencies are not required to undergo a review by OIRA. In the letter, the Senators wrote, "We believe that OIRA should review the sig… Continue Reading
03.05.20
Senator Lankford Introduces Bill to Clarify Federal Guidance Authority
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced the Guidance Clarity Act, which clarifies that federal agency guidance documents are not legally binding. The bill requires a brief statement at the beginning of all federal agency guidance documents that clearly tells the reader the guidance does not have the force and effect of law. "Federal agencies have previously attempted to use their guidance documents to avoid the formal rulemaking process and have treated guidance document… Continue Reading
03.05.20
Lankford, Peters, Sinema Bill to Protect Retirees from Fraud Heads to President’s Desk
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Kyrsten Sinema(D-AZ) today praised final passage of their bipartisan Representative Payee Fraud Prevention Act, which cracks down on federal retirement benefit fraud and misuse. The bill, which originally passed the Senate unanimously in November 2019, passed the House by voice vote last month and passed unanimously again in the Senate this week. It now heads to President Trump's desk for signature into law. "Today is an … Continue Reading
03.05.20
Senator Lankford Questions to DeVos Focus on OK Education Issues, Religious Liberty Protections on Campus
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today questioned Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the President's budget request for the Department of Education for fiscal year 2021 (FY2021). Lankford discussed with DeVos the swift action this week by the Department to correct a recent change to the Rural Low-income Schools Program (RLISP) that Lankford, Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and other Senators raised… Continue Reading
03.04.20
Lankford Joins Bipartisan Group to Protect Funding for Rural, Low-Income Schools
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in a letter that was signed by 19 of their colleagues, expressing their strong opposition to an abrupt decision by the Department of Education that jeopardizes funding eligibility for more than 800 rural, low-income schools. In their letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos, the Senators objected to the Department's abrupt change to the methodology that determines which rural schools are eligible … Continue Reading
03.04.20
Lankford Joins Inhofe to Urge EPA to Continue to Support Small Refineries
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) led a letter to EPA Administrator Wheeler urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to continue granting relief to small refiners as required by the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Inhofe was joined in sending the letter by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Jim Risch (R-ID). The full text of the letter to EPA Administr… Continue Reading
03.03.20
Senator Lankford Questions TSA Administrator, Thanks OK TSA Agents
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today questioned Mr. David Pekoske, Administrator for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), at an Appropriations Committee Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing to review the President's fiscal year 2021 budget request for the TSA. Lankford's questions focused on the status of TSA's efforts to secure our nation's airports, specifically the 30 largest airports, from the safety and security threat… Continue Reading
