Press Releases
Lankford Questions Nominee to Head Department of Homeland Security
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's opening remarks. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today questioned Acting Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf during his nomination hearing to serve as the Senate confirmed head of the agency. Lankford's questions focused on unrest in US cities and protecting our US-Mexico border, including the trends he has seen between 2019 and 2020 with the flow of people and how that has altered during the COVID-19 pandemic. ###… Continue Reading
09.23.20
Lankford, Loeffler Lead Charge to Defend Women and Girls in Sports
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to make it a violation of Title IX for a school that receives federal education funds to permit a biological male to participate in a program designated for women and girls. Under the bill, schools that allow biological males to compete against women and girls in sports-disrupting the goals establis… Continue Reading
09.21.20
Lankford Statement on Filling Supreme Court Vacancy
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement regarding the timing on the Senate voting to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court: "I look forward to considering and voting on President Trump's nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy before the end of the year. If the President puts forward a nomination, the Senate has the authority to provide advice and consent, and I take this role very seriously. Confirming a Supreme Court nominee during a presidential e… Continue Reading
09.21.20
Lankford Applauds Executive Order to Restore US Sanctions on Iran
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded President Trump and his Administration for its announcement of an Executive Order to restore pre-Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA or the "Iran Nuclear Deal") sanctions on Iran after the US withdrew from the agreement in 2018, a move Lankford supported. These "snapback" sanctions, which the State Department began discussing Saturday, are in response to the decision by the UN Security Council to allow the international embargo… Continue Reading
09.18.20
Lankford Statement on Passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued a statement on the passing of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away this evening: "Cindy and I are praying for Justice Ginsburg's children and grandchildren as they mourn the loss of their mother and grandmother, and that God may grant peace and comfort on them in the days ahead. While we have disagreed on some issues and interpretations of the law, she was a remarkable legal mind that served honorably on the bench fo… Continue Reading
09.17.20
Lankford, Inhofe Introduce Senate Resolution Honoring General Tom Stafford
WASHINGTON, DC- US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) this week introduced a Senate Resolution honoring the accomplishments and recognizing the 90th birthday of fellow Oklahoman, General Thomas P. Stafford. The resolution passed unanimously on the Senate floor today. "Ninety years ago, Oklahoma welcomed an American pioneer in space exploration and policy," said Lankford. "General Tom Stafford has lived a life dedicated to serving our nation, leading the United States in the … Continue Reading
09.17.20
Lankford Applauds Ongoing US Success toward Peace in the Middle East, Eastern Europe
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's floor speech. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today spoke on the Senate floor about the US's ongoing pursuit of helping lead negotiations toward peace and understanding in the Middle East and around the world. Earlier this week, Lankford attended the historic signing at the White House of the Abraham Accords amid the recent normalization of relations between Israel and Bahrain and Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Lankford also mentioned Presiden… Continue Reading
09.17.20
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
