Press Releases
Lankford, Rubio, Colleagues Want State Department to Support Tibetan Autonomy
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) to lead a group of bipartisan colleagues in a letter to Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights at the US Department of State, ahead of her expected appointment as Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, advocating for a US policy toward Tibet that protects the rights, autonomy, and dignity of the Tibetan people. The letter also calls for a policy that further vali… Continue Reading
12.14.21
Lankford, R. Scott, Colleagues Push to Block Biden’s Tax-dollar Giveaway to Illegal Immigrants
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK), the lead Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management, today joined Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Mike Braun (R-IN) to introduce the Congressional Review of Agency Legal Settlements Act following reports that the Biden Administration is considering using taxpayer dollars to pay settle… Continue Reading
12.14.21
Lankford, Hawley, Colleagues Demand Answers on Nigeria's Removal from Religious Freedom Violators List
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Braun (R-IN), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) to pen a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding answers on why Nigeria was removed from the State Department's list of Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and requesting Nigeria be placed back on the list. Lankford remains a leader … Continue Reading
12.10.21
Lankford Leads Senate Republicans in Opposition to Removing Rule for Faith-Based Contractors
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) sent a letter to the Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh regarding his strong opposition to the Biden Administration's proposal to rescind a rule issued by the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) during the Trump Administration that provided clarification on the ability of people of faith to partner with the federal government. The initial rule to clarify the civil rights protections for religious organizations that co… Continue Reading
12.09.21
Lankford Strongly Opposes Gimmick to Raise Debt Ceiling
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement after the Senate voted to create a new process to increase the debt ceiling, which Lankford has been critical of for months saying Democrats should be responsible for their reckless spending: "I am strongly opposed to this new process and to raising the debt ceiling without any conversation about how to stop this out-of-control spending. The reason our country has a vote on our debt ceiling is to provide an opportu… Continue Reading
12.08.21
Lankford Successful in Blocking Biden's Vaccine Mandate on Private Businesses
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) took to the Senate floor to share his opposition to Biden's vaccine mandate and to support the resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) before the Senate to stop the vaccine mandate on private employers. The CRA passed by a vote of 52 to 48. Earlier today, Lankford participated in a press conference to discuss the Senate's planned vote today on a resolution of disapproval… Continue Reading
12.08.21
Lankford Recognized for Ongoing Work to Promote Religious Liberty Worldwide
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today received the Hero on the Hill award from Jeff King, President of the International Christian Concern (ICC), for his work to bring to light the persecution of people of faith around the world and his work to advance religious freedom. "In our nation, we have the right to have a faith, live that faith, and change our faith without persecution from our government," said Lankford. "We should stand up for the rights of any person in any nation to … Continue Reading
12.08.21
Finance Committee Republicans Urge Reopening of SSA Field Offices
WASHINGTON - Senator Lankford (R-OK) joined Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and other Republican members of the aging and finance committees in sending a letter urging Acting Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi to immediately reopen SSA's field offices to the public. "Social Security is a bedrock of our nation's social safety net, especially fo… Continue Reading
12.08.21
Lankford Stands for Oklahoma Workers to Stop Biden's Vaccine Mandate
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in a press conference with Senate Republicans to discuss the Senate's planned vote today on a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act against Biden's vaccine mandate for private employers. As Senate Republicans, now joined by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), plan to take action today to stop the mandate and send the resolution of disapproval to the House of Repre… Continue Reading
12.07.21
Lankford Stands Against Communist Chinese Economic Coercion Worldwide
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), on which he serves as a commissioner, entitled, "How China Uses Economic Coercion to Silence Critics and Achieve its Political Aims Globally." Lankford's questions focused on China's international economic coercion attempts and how the US can continue to counter the communist Chinese government's expanding ec… Continue Reading
12.03.21
Lankford Prioritizes American Energy, Jobs over Biden Begging Foreign Countries for Oil
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), along with Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Hoeven (R-ND), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) to introduce the Strategic Production Response (SPR) Act to prioritize American energy production. The bill prohibits the Sec… Continue Reading
12.03.21
Lankford, Senate Finance Committee Republicans Demand Answers from the IRS on ProPublica Data Leak
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senate Finance Committee Republicans in demanding answers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on the ProPublica data leak. Nearly six months after ProPublica began disclosing confidential, private, and legally protected taxpayer information, the IRS and the Biden Administration continue to show little regard about the haphazard handling of private taxpayer data. ProPublica unabatedly continues to publish articles naming individual … Continue Reading
12.02.21
Lankford Votes ‘No’ on Continuing Resolution, Again
WASHINGTON, DC -Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement after the Democrats' continuing resolution (CR) passed the Senate: "Our nation is faced with chaos at the border, with the vaccine mandate, inflation, and supply chain issues. Meanwhile, Congress continues to spend taxpayer dollars at record speed that continues to inflate the chaos. It's time to focus on actual solutions that Americans want: stop reckless spending, stop the vaccine mandate, and secure our border. I s… Continue Reading
12.02.21
Day 2: Lankford Continues to Stand with National Guard, Opposes Pay Cuts Over Vaccine Mandates
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today stood firmly again with the Oklahoma National Guard and Guard members around the nation and again offered his bill on the Senate floor. Late last night, Lankford offered the legislation as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to prohibit the Department of Defense from discharging or withholding pay or benefits from members of the National Guard becaus… Continue Reading
12.02.21
Lankford Demands Answers on Money Spent for Afghan Refugees As Democrats Want Billions More with No Oversight
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK), who serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor in response to the Continuing Resolution (CR) being debated today, which includes $7 billion for Afghanistan refugee resettlement. Earlier this evening, Lankford called out the Democrats for demanding more money while providing no accountability for how it's spent or who the refugees even are. … Continue Reading
12.02.21
Lankford Calls Out Billions in New Spending on Biden’s Afghanistan Debacle with Zero Oversight
WASHINGTON, DC -Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today responded to the Continuing Resolution (CR) that includes $7 billion for Afghanistan refugee resettlement. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has already spent$6 billion on Afghanistan resettlement efforts in only three months but DHS has yet to report how they have spent the money. DHS missed the mandatory reporting deadline, but Democrats are asking for Congress to vote on $7 billion more for Afghanistan resettlement efforts. Senate D… Continue Reading
12.02.21
Lankford, Colleagues Push to Prevent Settlement Payments for Illegal Immigrants
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Senator James Lankford, along with Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced legislation to prevent payments for legal settlements for illegal immigration. Under the Protect American Taxpayer Dollars from Illegal Immigration Act, no federal funds, including money from the Judgment Fund, could be spent to enrich illegal immigrants at the expense of hardworking American taxpayers. Despite the crisis co… Continue Reading
12.01.21
Lankford Stands with National Guard, Opposes Pay Cuts Over Vaccine Mandates
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today stood firmly with the Oklahoma National Guard and Guard members around the nation and called for a vote on the Senate floor to offer his amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would prohibit the Department of Defense from discharging or withholding pay or benefits from members of the National Guard because of their COVID-19 vaccination status. Member… Continue Reading
12.01.21
Lankford, Rubio, Colleagues Call on DoD to Stop Cancel Culture in the Military
WASHINGTON, DC -Senator James Lankford (R-OK) along with Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Braun (R-IN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Boozman (R-AR), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Mike Lee (R-UT) sent a letter to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressing their concern that the US Department of Defense (DoD)'s recently established Countering Extremism Working Group (CEWG) could be used to "target s… Continue Reading
12.01.21
Lankford Recognized as Students For Life Pro-Life Generation Leader of the Month
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) was recognized as the Students For Life Pro-Life Generation Leader of the Month of November for his consistent, dedicated work on Capitol Hill to defend life inside and outside the womb. "Those of us in the pro-life movement understand, and the science agrees, that every life, born or unborn, has value," said Lankford. "The right to life is the most basic human right of all. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court failed to honor that right 48 years ago… Continue Reading
