Press Releases
Senate Passes Bill to Honor Clara Luper, Rename OKC Post Office
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Representative Kendra Horn (D-OK) to celebrate Senate passage of a bill to rename the downtown Oklahoma City post office in honor of civil rights hero Clara Luper. Passed by the House in September with the support of Oklahoma's full congressional delegation, the bill now heads to the White House to be signed into law. On August 19, 1958, Luper and the NAACP Youth Council led a civil rights sit-in at Oklaho… Continue Reading
12.18.20
PASSED: Lankford’s Bill to Help States Prepare for Disasters Heads to President Trump’s Desk
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) applauded passage of the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act, which the senators introduced earlier this year to establish loans that local governments could access to help mitigate the damage … Continue Reading
12.18.20
Lankford Continues to Defend Right to Freely Exercise Religion
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and their colleagues in introducing a resolution defending the First Amendment of the Constitution-the right to the free exercise of religion. This resolution was also sponsored by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Boozman (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), David Perdue (R-GA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mike Braun (R-IN), Kel… Continue Reading
12.18.20
Lankford Continues to Defend Right to Freely Exercise Religion
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and their colleagues in introducing a resolution defending the First Amendment of the Constitution-the right to the free exercise of religion. This resolution was also sponsored by Senators Tom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Boozman (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), David Perdue (R-GA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mike Braun (R-IN), Kell… Continue Reading
12.17.20
Lankford Gives Eerily Familiar Floor Speech about His Solution to Take Shutdowns Off the Table, as Congress Nears Another Funding Deadline
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks on the Senate floor. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today gave remarks the Senate chamber has now heard several times before, as he pressed for his bipartisan solution to take government shutdowns off the table when Congress fails to come to an agreement on spending bills-a precipice Congress is once again nearing as the Friday, December 18 deadline to fund the government nears. Lankford raised the issue of his bill, the Prevent Government … Continue Reading
12.16.20
PASSED: Lankford’s Extension for Scholarship Eligibility to Gold Star Families
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded the passage of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvements Act of 2020 which includes his legislation to extend eligibility for the Fry Scholarship to spouses and children of National Guard and Reserve service members who died of service-connected causes but whose deaths did not occur when the member was on active duty. The Fry Scholarship provides Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the childr… Continue Reading
12.16.20
Lankford Joins Vice President Pence at White House Event to Highlight Progress in Protecting Lives of the Unborn
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Vice President Mike Pence to acknowledge and celebrate pro-life progress in our nation during the Trump Administration at the "Life is Winning" event. Today's event included remarks by several federal agency leaders involved in President Trump's pro-life initiatives, including Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar. Earlier this year, Lankford joined President Trump on stage at the March for Life, marking the first time … Continue Reading
12.16.20
Lankford Defends Americans’ Questions Regarding Election Fraud
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in a hearing of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee entitled, "Examining Irregularities in the 2020 Election." The Committee discussed the several irregularities in the 2020 election and how states can protect against election fraud moving forward. Lankford has discussed the need for states to secure their elections for several years and being the only member to lead i… Continue Reading
12.14.20
THE LATEST: Lankford Successful in Call for Sanctions on Turkey
WASHINGTON, DC- Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded a move by President Trump at the recommendation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and through the US Department of Treasury to impose Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions against Turkey for the procurement of the Russian S-400 missile system. "This is absolutely the right first step in the right direction," said Lankford. "Turkey is a NATO ally but is not behaving like one. They continue to comp… Continue Reading
12.12.20
Lankford, Rosen Statement Applauding the Council of the EU’s Declaration on Combating Anti-Semitism
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-founders and co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, released the following statement applauding the Council of the European Union's declaration prioritizing the fight against anti-Semitism: "At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe, in the United States, and globally, we applaud the Council of the European Union for making it clear that the EU has no tolerance for anti-… Continue Reading
12.11.20
Lankford Supports Annual Defense Bill Prioritizing Service Members and National Security
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today supported the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report. Lankford worked to secure a number of provisions to continue or enhance the missions of our Oklahoma military installations and a number of important policy provisions that benefit our nation and our national defense in the long-term. This year's defense bill includes a provision on which Lankford has worked for almost a decade, the Taxpayers Right-to-K… Continue Reading
12.10.20
Lankford, Coons, and Tillis Honor Human Rights Day
WASHINGTON, DC- Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Representatives Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) today introduced resolutions in the United States Senate and House of Representatives recognizing Human Rights Day and the 72nd anniversary of the United Nations' adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Forty-seven also joined the resolution. "Seventy-two years ago, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights was adopte… Continue Reading
12.10.20
Lankford Issues Statement on Israel and Morocco’s Peace Agreement
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement today after President Trump announced that Morocco and Israel have reached an agreement to normalize relations between the two nations: "As we begin to celebrate the Jewish tradition of the festival of lights, President Trump has continued to lead the region to greater peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors. I commend both nations for taking this step and encourage other nations to open diplomatic ties with Israe… Continue Reading
12.10.20
Lankford, Colleagues Push Bill to Help Communities Better Prepare for Disasters
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) applauded passage of the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act, which the senators introduced earlier this year to establish loans that local governments could access to help mitigate the damage caus… Continue Reading
12.10.20
Lankford Discusses Work to Protect Religious Freedom Around the World at Virtual Event Hosted by US Agency to Advance International Freedom of Religion
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's opening remarks. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) provided opening remarks at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom's (USCIRF) virtual hearing entitled, "Blasphemy Laws and the Violation of International Religious Freedom," about new findings from USCIRF's new report on the enforcement of global blasphemy laws and the multiple ways they promote violence against minority religious communities. Today the world recognizes the 72nd anniv… Continue Reading
12.09.20
Lankford, Colleagues Lead Letter to Request Additional Grant Funds to Protect Nonprofits from Terrorist Attacks
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), co-chair of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism and member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee today requesting that the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) be adequately funded to meet the needs of at-risk organizations this fiscal year. The funding allocated by this program will support nonprofit organizations most at risk of terror attacks th… Continue Reading
12.08.20
Lankford Pushes for Targeted COVID-19 Relief, Gives Update on Vaccine
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's remarks. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today spoke on the Senate floor about the ongoing negotiations in the Senate to finalize an additional COVID-19 relief package before the end of the year. Lankford offered an update on the timeline for a first vaccine available to certain groups, particularly essential workers, in Oklahoma by as soon as this weekend. Lankford has worked for months in the negotiations toward further targeted COVID-19 relief an… Continue Reading
12.08.20
Lankford, Sinema Introduce Bill to Clarify Federal Retirement Pension for Federal Law Enforcement
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, today introduced the Retirement Annuity Supplement Clarity Act. The bill addresses an issue with the way the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) calculates the retirement annuity supplement for federal employees, mainly federal law enforcement officers, who have a divorce sett… Continue Reading
12.07.20
Lankford Applauds Department of Labor’s Rule to Ensure Faith-Based Organizations Can Contract with the Federal Government
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded the finalization by the US Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to clarify the equal participation of religious organizations as federal contractors. After six years of questions as to the scope of the religious exemption for entities that seek to contract with the federal government, today's rule makes clear that "the religious exemption allows religious contractors not only to prefer in emplo… Continue Reading
12.07.20
Lankford Joins Cruz and Colleagues to Submit Amicus Brief to Supreme Court in Brnovich v. DNC
WASHINGTON, DC -Senator James Lankford (R-OK), led by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), along with Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Rick Scott (R-FL), Thom Tills (R-NC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Mike Braun (R-IN) today submitted a joint amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in support of the petitioners in the case of Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee and in defense of laws that combat election fraud. … Continue Reading
