Press Releases
Senator Lankford Applauds Senate Passage of FY20 Defense Authorization Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in a vote of 86-8. The NDAA is an annual defense bill to support the nation's military and to ensure national security for the US. Yesterday, Lankford spoke on the Senate floor in support of the NDAA and several of its key provisions that help support Oklahoma's defense community and to discuss the impact of Iran on our nation's military and national sec… Continue Reading
06.27.19
Senators Lankford, Inhofe, Representative Hern Urge Army Corps of Engineers to Prioritize Tulsa Levees
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Representative Kevin Hern (R-OK) wrote a letter to urge the US Army Corps of Engineers to complete the feasibility study for the Tulsa-West Tulsa levees by the end of this year. The feasibility study is a key first step to modernizing the aging levee system. The members also request the immediate implementation of critical improvements following the conclusion of the study. The letter is available here and pasted below. … Continue Reading
06.26.19
Senator Lankford Discusses National Defense Bill and Iran on Senate Floor
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's floor speech. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today took to the Senate floor to discuss that Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and praise the bipartisan work of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI). This week, the Senate continued consideration of this complex annual legislation to fund our nation's military and to ensure national security for the US. Lankford specif… Continue Reading
06.26.19
Senator Lankford Supports Bipartisan Senate Supplemental Humanitarian Aid Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today voted to support the Senate's bipartisan supplemental humanitarian aid bill to provide additional necessary funds to the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Health and Human Services (HHS), Defense, and Justice to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border. The bill passed the Senate in a vote of 84-8. Earlier today, Lankford expressed great frustration over partisan bickering that has resulted in delaying essential border s… Continue Reading
06.26.19
Senator Lankford Shares Frustrations on Treatment of Children at Southern Border
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today shared his frustrations with the treatment of children at the Southern Border because of the lack of action by Congress to address needed changes to the legal immigration loopholes, such as the Flores Settlement, and Congress not approving supplemental funding immediately for immigration officials to care for the influx of children entering the country. During a Homeland Security and Governmental Aff… Continue Reading
06.26.19
Let’s Talk about Life
by Senator James Lankford and Cindy Lankford
All of society respects the man who cares for the homeless because as a culture we believe no life should be just thrown away. Everyone grieves, prays, and works to help those struggling with addiction because we care about human dignity. We all admire the woman who feeds a hungry child or serves as a reading mentor because we universally acknowledge that every person deserves a chance. Why not also celebrate and recognize the potential in every child's life, no matter how small? The recent na… Continue Reading
06.21.19
Senators Lankford, Inhofe, Representatives Mullin, Cole Welcome Naming of USNS Cherokee Nation
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Jim Inhofe (R-OK), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Representatives Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), citizen of Cherokee Nation, and Tom Cole (R-OK), citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, made the following statements after Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer announced the newest Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ship (T-ATS) would be named in honor of the Cherokee Nation for the service and cont… Continue Reading
06.20.19
Senator Lankford Applauds SCOTUS Decision Affirming Religious Liberty
Court will Allow Peace Cross to Stand WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued the following statement after the US Supreme Court ruled in support of religious freedom on American Legion Et Al. v. American Humanist Assn. Et. Al., known as the Bladensburg Peace Cross case. Lankford joined the case as an amicus curiae. The case dealt with whether a public war memorial in Bladensburg, Maryland, which featured a "peace cross" was unconstitutional under the Establishment Clause of… Continue Reading
06.19.19
Senator Lankford Applauds Implementation of VA MISSION Act on Senate Floor
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's floor speech. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded the ongoing rollout of the 2018 VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act, or VA MISSION Act for short. The Act includes significant reforms to improve the VA's current healthcare delivery system and help provide veterans with more choice and fewer barriers to healthcare. Lankford also commemorated on the Senate floor the anniversary of Ju… Continue Reading
06.19.19
Senators Lankford, Hassan Applaud Committee Passage of Bill to Prevent Government Shutdowns
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today applauded passage of their Prevent Government Shutdowns Act in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today. The Senators' Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency (GREAT) Act, which reforms federal grant reporting processes, and Lankford's Early Participation in Regulations Act to direct agencies to issue advanced notices for major rules, also passed the Committee today. The Prevent G… Continue Reading
06.19.19
Senators Lankford, Gillibrand and Representatives Huffman, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Adoption Standards Nationwide
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Don Bacon (R-NE) today introduced the National Adoption and Foster Care Home Study Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation that creates a national standard and database to achieve greater uniformity and transparency to ensure that the needs of children are put first no matter where they live. "Safety and stability are two primary goals for every foster care and adoption advocate w… Continue Reading
06.18.19
Senator Lankford Questions USTR Lighthizer on Improvements of USMCA over NAFTA
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's Q&A. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today questioned US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer in a Senate Finance Committee hearing about the updates and improvements planned for North American trade as we move from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to the US Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Lankford asked USTR Lighthizer about how the USMCA will specifically affect automobile exports from North America, the benefits of … Continue Reading
06.18.19
Senator Lankford Statement on US Support to Ukraine
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued the following statement after the US Department of Defense (DOD) announced plans to provide $250 million in security assistance to Ukraine in order to help Ukraine's armed forces: "On a recent visit to Ukraine, I saw firsthand how Russia's aggressiveness in the region has attempted to break down Ukraine's Navy and military support," said Lankford. "It is all too easy to forget that Russia currently occupies a large area of Ukraine and … Continue Reading
06.14.19
Senator Lankford Releases Podcast on Resources for Oklahoma Spring 2019 Storms
CLICK HERE to listen to the podcast. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - The Office of Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released the ninth episode of Lankford's podcast, The Breakdown with James Lankford. Lankford discusses the Oklahoma tornadoes and flooding that took place this spring and the efforts taking place to help Oklahomans impacted by the storms. During the episode, Lankford explains how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) works after a natural disaster, the difference between major an… Continue Reading
06.13.19
Senators Lankford, Enzi, Peters, Hassan Reintroduce GREAT Act to Standardize Federal Grant Reporting
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Enzi, (R-WY), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today reintroduced the Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency (GREAT) Act. The GREAT Act would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the leading administrator of grant programs to create a comprehensive and standardized data structure to cover all data elements reported by recipients of federal awards, including grants and cooperative agreements. "One … Continue Reading
06.13.19
Senators Lankford, Kaine, Tester, Scott Introduce Bill to Protect Federal Student Aid for Gold Star Families
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Tim Scott (R-SC) today reintroduced the Protecting our Gold Star Families' Education Act, legislation that would expand the Pell Grant program to include the children and dependents of those killed in action in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, to offset their educational expenses. "I am grateful to partner with Senator Kaine on this important bill to help better serve the education financial a… Continue Reading
06.13.19
Senator Lankford’s Bill to Provide Short Summaries of Wordy Federal Regulations Unanimously Passes Senate
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, today announced the unanimous Senate passage of S. 395, the Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act, which simply requires federal agencies to provide a 100-word, plain-language summary for each new federal regulation. "Oklahomans do not read hundreds of pages of inside-the-Beltway jargon in the Federal Register… Continue Reading
06.12.19
Senators Lankford and Coons Lead Letter to USTR Robert Lighthizer
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Coons (D-DE) along with Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Jackie Walorski (R-IN) today sent a letter to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer to urge him to continue to grant tariff exemptions to products that previously received an exclusion until the tariffs are completely lifted. The letter also requests that USTR inform Congress of any resources needed to fully implement the List 3 exclusion process. Lankford a… Continue Reading
06.12.19
Senator Lankford Gives Update on Election Security on Senate Floor
CLICK HERE to watch Lankford's floor speech. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today spoke on the Senate floor to discuss election security concerns in both the 2016 and 2018 US elections, work by states and the federal government to identify and address vulnerabilities, and Lankford's ongoing concerns and work to protect our future elections while preserving states' primacy in running them. Last month, Lankford joined a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce the Voting Syste… Continue Reading
06.12.19
Senators Lankford, Inhofe, Congressman Cole on Temporary Plan to House Unaccompanied Minors at Fort Sill
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following statements after the US Department of Defense (DOD) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced their temporary plan to house unaccompanied minors at military installations, including Fort Sill. "In 2014, our nation saw a large increase of people crossing the southern border. As a result, President Obama declared a 'humanitarian crisis' that required Ft… Continue Reading
