Press Releases
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
08.19.20
Following Beirut Blast, Lankford Calls on Administration to Help Stabilize Lebanon, Calls for Reforms
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK-Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), along with Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), David Perdue (R-GA), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) on Wednesday called on the Trump administration to lead an international effort to help the Lebanese people recover in the aftermath of the Beirut blast that killed more than 220 people and injured thousands of others. In a letter to State Department Secretary Mike Pompeo and Acting USAID Administrator John Barsa, the senators said long-te… Continue Reading
08.13.20
Lankford Welcomes State Department’s Designation of Confucius Institutes in US as Advancing Communist Chinese Goals
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded the State Department's action to require the Confucius Institutes to register as a "foreign mission" with the State Department since the Institutes are controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The State Department said in part today that the action to designate was to recognize the Confucius Institutes for what they are, "an entity advancing Beijing's global propaganda and malign influence campaign on US campuses and K-12 … Continue Reading
08.13.20
Lankford Issues Statement on UAE’s Normalization of Relations with Israel
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement today after the State Department announced that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have reached an agreement to normalize relations between the two nations: "Any day we can talk about inching closer to peace in the Middle East is a good day. The UAE is the first Arab state to normalize relations with Israel since Israel's treaty with Jordan in 1994, and today's agreement is arguably the most significant peace deve… Continue Reading
08.13.20
Lankford Leads Letter to Urge USAID to Prevent US from Funding Abortions, Abortion Advocacy Abroad
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today led a bicameral letter to the Acting Administrator for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) John Barsa to urge him to protect American taxpayer dollars during the coronavirus pandemic from funding pro-abortion lobbying or advocacy efforts in other countries via the United Nations (UN) in violation of the Siljander Amendment, which prevents State Department funds from being use… Continue Reading
08.12.20
Lankford Joins Letter to Treasury to End Tax Breaks for Abortion
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) in a bicameral letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to call for new regulations to end tax breaks for abortion under the guise of health care. Lankford and Braun are joined by 101 additional bicameral signers. "Abortion is not healthcare. Any procedure where a successful outcome is the death of a living human being - born or unborn - is not healthcare. That's why we're calling for new regulations to … Continue Reading
08.10.20
Lankford Announces Bipartisan Bill to Maximize Telework Flexibility for Federal Agencies
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) today announced the bipartisan Pandemic Federal Telework Act, which would maximize telework for federal employees for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Senators previously introduced similar legislation, the Emergency Telework Act at the onset of this crisis to ensure that agencies and federal employees across the country have the tools they need to provide effective, effic… Continue Reading
08.07.20
Lankford, Loeffler Lead Senate Colleagues in Call to Investigate Planned Parenthood
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) led more than two dozen senators in calling on the U.S. Department of Treasury to investigate Planned Parenthood's abuse of the taxpayer-funded Paycheck Protection Program, and separately calling on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to expand its ongoing investigation of Planned Parenthood in the wake of new evidence of criminal activity. In a letter to Treasury, Lankford and Loeffler led 27 of their Senate col… Continue Reading
08.07.20
Lankford, Colleagues Introduce Comprehensive Veterans Benefits Package
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, to introduce the Veteran Benefits Enhancement and Expansion Act of 2020 to improve benefits for veterans in the areas of education, pensions, and survivor benefits, among others. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Steve Daines (R-MT), Susan Collins (R-ME), and John Boozman (R-AR). Companion legislation was … Continue Reading
08.06.20
Lankford Spotlights False Reports about Federal Agents in Portland
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing with Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf entitled, "Oversight of DHS Personnel Deployments to Recent Protests." Lankford asked Acting Secretary Wolf to thank members of his law enforcement teams on the ground in Portland, Oregon, and around the country for enduring very dangerous situations amid a persi… Continue Reading
08.05.20
Lankford Moves Bill to End Government Shutdowns
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today took an important step to move his bipartisan Prevent Government Shutdowns Act forward in the legislative process. The bill would set up an automatic continuing resolution (CR) at the current spending level if an agreement on funding has not been enacted at the end of any fiscal year. It will also mandate that if the appropriations work is not done on time, all members of Congress must stay in Washington DC and work seven days a week, until th… Continue Reading
08.05.20
Lankford Statement on Lebanon Explosion
Lankford Statement on Lebanon Explosion WASHINGTON DC- Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued a statement on the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon: "My family grieves with the thousands of affected families in Lebanon. Prior to yesterday's tragedy, Lebanon was at a critical point due to the economic and security challenges facing the Lebanese people, worsened by regional terrorism, the Syrian civil war, financial mismanagement and a global pandemic. In the aftermath of yesterday's explosio… Continue Reading
08.05.20
Lankford Highlights His Priorities, Frustrations in COVD-19 Relief Proposals
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's floor speech. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today shared his priorities for the ongoing coronavirus relief legislation conversations and shared some of his frustrations with the proposals so far. Lankford highlighted proposals to update the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), individual assistance payments, and other positive areas of the CARES Act. However, Lankford also addressed partisan politics in the on… Continue Reading
08.05.20
Lankford, Inhofe Join Bill to Provide Certainty For Permit Program for Oklahoma Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) joined Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) to introduce a bill to allow critical infrastructure project proponents to continue relying on the nationwide permit (NWP) program in light of recent court decisions. Along with Inhofe and Lankford, cosponsors on the bill include Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Barrasso (R-WY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Hoeven (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Li… Continue Reading
