Press Releases
Lankford, Colleagues Urge Biden to Advocate on Behalf of Two-Year Old Girl’s Life
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Steve Daines (R-MT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Braun (R-IN), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) to send a letter to President Biden urging him to advocate to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on behalf of Alta Fixsler, a two-year-old girl who is currently on life support in the United Kingdom where a British High Court has ruled to allow the hos… Continue Reading
06.21.21
Lankford Works to Improves Transparency for Adoption and Foster Care
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) yesterday joined Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) to introduce the National Adoption and Foster Care Home Study Act of 2021, which would increase the uniformity and transparency of home studies for families adopting children. "Foster care and adoption advocates remain focused on ensuring the safety and stability of the children they serve as they work to connect children with fami… Continue Reading
06.17.21
Lankford Applauds Unanimous Supreme Court Ruling, as Senate Prepares to Take Up Equality Act
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today spoke on the Senate floor to applaud the Supreme Court's unanimous decision today in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia and to discuss the Equality Act and S.1, which Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced the Senate plans to take up next week. Earlier today, Lankford participated in a press conference to discuss his concerns with and opposition to S.1. In March, Lankford testified during a Senate… Continue Reading
06.16.21
Lankford Questions Panel on Securing Southern Border
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in a hearing of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management, on which Lankford serves as the lead Republican, entitled, "Improving Security, Trade, and Travel at Land Ports of Entry at the Southwest Border." Lankford's questions focused on improving federal law enforcement operations at our ports of entry… Continue Reading
06.16.21
Lankford Pushes for Health Care Access for Oklahoma Veterans
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today sent a letter to the Director of the Defense Health Agency, Lieutenant General Ronald Place, following concerns raised to his office by Oklahoman veterans that TRICARE rules do not allow veterans to submit electronic forms and documentation, particularly for Express Scripts, despite being able to submit them electronically in other areas of health care. Lankford wrote in his letter, "TRICARE rules require beneficiaries to submit relevant form… Continue Reading
06.15.21
Lankford, Inhofe, Lucas, Cole Applaud OU Selection as Host of New Severe Weather Research Institute
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Representatives Frank Lucas (R-OK-03) and Tom Cole (R-OK-04) applauded the announcement the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) made selecting the University of Oklahoma to host NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CISHIWRO). The mission of this cooperative institute is to promote collaborative research with NOAA on research to improve the understandin… Continue Reading
06.15.21
Lankford Simplifies Process for Oklahoma Gun Owners to Access Hearing Protection
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) to lead a group of 13 senators to introduce the Hearing Protection Act (HPA), which would reclassify firearm sound suppressors to regulate them like a regular firearm. The measure benefits recreational gun users and provides them better access to hearing protection equipment. Original co-sponsors of the legislation include Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jerry Moran (R-KS), … Continue Reading
06.15.21
Lankford, Cornyn Introduce Bill to Bolster Local, Federal Coordination for Missing Soldiers
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) to introduce the Servicemember Safety and Security Act, a bipartisan bill which would require military installations to review and improve policies and procedures for reporting missing servicemembers and to partner with local and federal law enforcement to improve information sharing. "Each day our men and women in uniform make sacrifices to serve our nation," said Lankford. "Department policies and procedu… Continue Reading
06.15.21
Lankford Disappointed in GAO Decision to Freeze Border Wall Funding
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement in response to the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) review of President Biden's executive action to withhold funding to complete construction of the fencing system at the US southern border: "If President Biden spent half as much time securing our border as he spends leaving it open, he would not have an illegal immigration crisis in America right now. When the President works to leave gates and fences unfini… Continue Reading
06.15.21
Lankford Questions Energy Secretary about Deficit Spending, Unrealistic Targets in President’s Budget for Department of Energy
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the President's budget request for the Department of Energy for Fiscal Year 2022 with Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. Lankford pushed on the huge increases in spending that would add to our debt and deficit and also on inefficiencies in permitting and rare earth mineral excavation in the US. Lankford also asked … Continue Reading
06.15.21
Lankford, Johnson, Paul, Hawley, and Rick Scott Request Documents Regarding NIH’s Handling of COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) announces that he, along with Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Josh Hawley (R-MO), sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra and the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Francis Collins, requesting documents regarding the NIH's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Between June 1 and June 4, 2021, the news media and public interest groups relea… Continue Reading
06.11.21
Finance Committee Republicans Demand Investigation into Massive, Illegal IRS Data Leak
WASHINGTON, DC - Senate Finance Committee Republicans are demanding an investigation into the apparent massive leak of more than 15 years of legally protected, personal taxpayer information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to the media outlet ProPublica. In a letter to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the senators note the nature of the information suggests it came directly from the IRS, constituting a serious breach of privacy and criminal violation of tax l… Continue Reading
06.11.21
Lankford, Inhofe, Lucas Announce Extension for Access to Oklahoma Rural Hospital
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK) announced, after months of work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Harmon Memorial Hospital in Hollis, Oklahoma has received an extension of their designation to continue to serve the community as a Critical Access Hospital (CAH). In March, Lankford, Inhofe, and Lucas sent a letter to then-Acting CMS AdministratorLiz Richter to push for Harmon Hospital to remain a critic… Continue Reading
06.10.21
Lankford Speaks on Biden Administration’s Lack of Law Enforcement at the Border, IRS leaks, Keystone Pipeline, And More
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today spoke on the Senate floor to give an update on what's happening at the southern border and to provide his perspective on the recently reported apparent leak from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of sensitive taxpayer information. Lankford also discussed President Biden's affinity for Russian pipelines over Canadian-American ones and Ukrainian President Zelensky's outspoken requests to meet … Continue Reading
06.10.21
Lankford Wants Answers on Why “Mother” Was Replaced with “Birthing People” in President’s Budget Request
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A on YouTube. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today questioned Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the President's Fiscal Year 2022 Budget. Lankford asked Becerra for an update on several requests he sent regarding data on the number of Unaccompanied Minors (UAC) crossing the border. He also questioned Becerra on why the department is working to eliminate the Conscience and R… Continue Reading
06.10.21
Lankford, Cotton, Colleagues Want to Sanction Chinese Officials Who Want to Suppress Information on COVID-19
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Rick Scott (R-FL), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Li Wenliang Global Public Health Accountability Act, which would authorize the president to sanction foreign officials who suppress or distort information about international public health crises, particularly in light of Chinese information suppression efforts in the early stages of COVID-19 spread. "The Chinese government's … Continue Reading
06.10.21
Lankford, Gillibrand, Rounds Push To Fully Fund US-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) led a bipartisan group of 38 senators in calling for $500 million to fully fund US-Israel cooperative missile defense programs in the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2022. Israel's missile defense system is made up of four operational layers: Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow 2 and now Arrow 3. In addition to contributing to ballistic missile defense, the funding will … Continue Reading
06.09.21
Lankford, Inhofe Support OK Election Head’s Warning about Dangers of Federal Election Takeover
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) today praised a letter from Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax regarding the dangers he sees posed by S. 1 and H.R. 1, the For the People Act, to Oklahoma's free and fair election process. Lankford has worked for years to ensure elections are secure, reliable, and remain state run. In 2018, Lankford delivered a speech on the Senate floor on how, under Secretary Ziriax's leadership, Oklahoma efficiently and eff… Continue Reading
06.08.21
Lankford Opposes Bloated Schumer China Bill That Lacks Focus, Adds Debt, and Subtracts Stability
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement after he voted today to oppose the United States Innovation and Competition Act, a bill that seeks to address US competitiveness with China: "The US Innovation and Competition Act is not focused, strategic, or affordable. The bill was supposed to limit China's rising influence around the world, but this bill will require borrowing money from China before we can implement the plan to limit China. "The communist Chine… Continue Reading
06.08.21
Lankford, Rubio, Grassley Lead Colleagues in Urging Biden to Uphold US Law, Stand with Israel
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) along with Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) led a group of 14 Republican senators in pressing the Biden Administration to adhere to US law and refrain from reopening the Mission of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) on US soil and the US Consulate General in Jerusalem for the Palestinians. In the letter the Senators wrote, "While we are committed to working with you on constructive ways to engage with the Palestinian… Continue Reading
