Press Releases
Senators Lankford, Peters, and Paul Bill to Save Taxpayer Dollars on Equipment Acquisition Advances
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Rand Paul's (R-KY) bipartisan legislation to help save taxpayer money on equipment used by federal agencies for activities including mining, agricultural production, construction, and highway maintenance advanced in the Senate today. The Federal Acquisition Savings Act of 2018 would require federal agencies to consider leases or short-term rentals for heavy equipment when those options are more cost-effective than purchasin… Continue Reading
09.26.18
Senators Lankford, Enzi Bill to Improve Federal Grant Reporting Moves to Senate Floor
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) today applaud the passage of their bill, the Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency (GREAT) Act, S. 3484, out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The GREAT Act was introduced on Monday and would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to create a comprehensive and standardized data structure to cover all data elements reported by recipients of federal awards, including g… Continue Reading
09.20.18
Senator Lankford Applauds Announcement to Strengthen US Cybersecurity
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued the following statement following the Administration's announcement of the National Cyber Strategy: "It is good for the US to finally have a National Cyber Strategy in place to work to secure critical networks, effectively deter and respond to bad actors, and protect our economy while promoting a free and open internet," said Lankford. "I thank the Administration for its work to put this strategy in place to protect the American peop… Continue Reading
09.18.18
Senators Lankford, Portman, Blumenthal, Carper Introduce Bill to Improve Care & Safety for Unaccompanied Minors, Accelerate Immigration Court Proceedings
WASHINGTON, DC - Based on new oversight findings from Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) showing that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could not determine with certainty the whereabouts of 1,488 out of 11,254 children HHS had placed with sponsors based on follow-up calls between April 1 and June 30 of this year, US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Rob Portman (R-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Tom Carper (D-DE) today introduced bipartisan legislation - the Respons… Continue Reading
09.18.18
Senator Lankford Questions Witnesses on Placement of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Entering the US
WASHINGTON, DC -During a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) hearing, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today questioned Acting US CBP Deputy Commissioner Robert Perez and ICE Executive Associate Director Matthew Albence about ways to solve some of the immigration placement issues for children created by the Flores Settlement and agency policy. In August, Lankford also questioned administration officials on the protection of unaccompanied immigrant children during a HSGAC h… Continue Reading
09.18.18
Senator Lankford Supports Defense, Labor-HHS-Education Conference Committee Report
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued the following statement on Senate passage of the second appropriations conference committee report. The conference report passed by a vote of 93-7 and included Fiscal Year 2019 (FY2019) funding for the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Congress has now sent five funding bills to the President to sign into law. The conference report also included an extension to fund the remainde… Continue Reading
09.17.18
Senator Lankford Supports Bill to Respond to Opioid Crisis
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued the following statement on the passage of HR 6, The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018: "Congress continues to respond to the opioid epidemic that has hit every part of the nation," said Lankford. "This is a crisis that is all too real to the families in Oklahoma. Today's opioid crisis bill addresses prevention, trafficking, access to drug disposals, support for NIH alternative pain treatments funding, and also reauthorizes funding for… Continue Reading
09.17.18
Lankford, Hatch Introduce Legislation to Improve Guidance Issued by the BCFP
WASHINGTON, DC -Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) today introduced the Give Useful Information to Define Effective Compliance Act (GUIDE Compliance Act). The GUIDE Compliance Act (S. 3443) would enhance transparency and predictability to the rulemaking process of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP), formally known as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). "The federal rulemaking process should be transparent and accountable to every American, and th… Continue Reading
09.12.18
Senator Lankford Applauds Final Passage of Three Appropriations Bills
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued the following statement on Senate passage of the first appropriations conference committee report. The conference report passed by a vote of 92-5 and included the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, the first three of the12 appropriations bills to pass the Senate in June 2018. "I'm glad Congress is making progress to fulfill its duty to pass all appropriations bill … Continue Reading
09.12.18
Senator Lankford Responds to President Trump’s Executive Order to Address Meddling in US Elections
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded President Trump's Executive Order in response to foreign interference in US elections. The Executive Order would further define election infrastructure and foreign interference, direct the Executive Branch to develop additional processes for assessing and determining interference in a US election, and mandate interagency reporting of potential foreign interference following a federal election. "This is another step to strengthen U… Continue Reading
09.11.18
Senator Lankford Announces Communications Staff Promotions and Hire
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today announced three changes to his communications staff. Kelly Ferguson has been promoted to Deputy Communications Director; Emily Bishop has been promoted to Press Assistant; and Lance Spence has joined the team as the Digital Media Assistant. Ferguson and Spence will be based out of Lankford's Oklahoma City office, and Bishop will work in Washington, DC. "I am grateful to Kelly, Lance, and Emily for their willingness to serve in these new ro… Continue Reading
09.11.18
National Retail Federation Honors Senator Lankford as “Hero of Main Street”
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -Senator James Lankford (R-OK) was recognized by the National Retail Federation as a "Hero of Main Street." "Retailers and consumers are feeling good about the state of the US economy, and a big part of that is the result of lawmakers who have made economic growth and job creation a top priority," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. "As a Hero of Main Street, Senator Lankford truly understands that the decisions made in Washington have a real impact on local businesses an… Continue Reading
09.11.18
Senator Lankford Remembers 9/11
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today provided the following statement on the 17th anniversary of 9/11: "Today, seniors in high school sit in class with no memories of the day in their lives when the term '9/11' was just an emergency number; they know it also as a date that changed our country and the world. Our nation remembers the thousands of lives lost when terrorists murdered innocent Americans, simply because they were Americans. We should pray, remember, and show our re… Continue Reading
09.10.18
National Taxpayers Union Honors Senator Lankford as Top-ranked “Taxpayers’ Friend”
OKLAHOMA, CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) was recognized as the top-ranked Senator with the "Taxpayers' Friend Award" from the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) for his strong record in support of lower taxes, limited government, and economic freedom. Lankford was ranked first of only 15 Senators to earn the "Taxpayers' Friend Award." "I'm grateful to NTU and its continued commitment to ensure American taxpayers know that some in Congress are still focused on legislation that will lower t… Continue Reading
09.10.18
Senator Lankford Announces Communications Director
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today announced the promotion of Aly Beley to Communications Director. Since March 2015, Beley has worked for Lankford as Press Secretary. "Aly has been a tremendous asset to my team and to all Oklahomans for the past three and a half years," said Lankford. "As a clear and concise communicator with a heart of service Aly prioritizes the needs of Oklahomans to ensure they have the ability to access the work of my office when I'm in DC or traveli… Continue Reading
09.06.18
Senator Lankford Meets with Nominee for Director of ICE
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released the following statement after meeting with the nominee for Director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Ronald Vitiello, who currently serves as the Acting Director. "My meeting with Acting Director Vitiello was productive," said Lankford. "I was able to express my support and respect for the women and men who serve our nation every day through Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Today we discussed Acting Director Viti… Continue Reading
09.06.18
Senator Lankford Introduces Bill to Reform US Assistance to Palestinians
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK), today introduced the Palestinian Assistance Reform Act (PARA), a bill which seeks to change the way the international community provides assistance to Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Specifically, the bill would require that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN entity responsible for providing assistance to the Palestinians, adopt a more internationally-recognized definition of "refug… Continue Reading
09.06.18
Lankford, Inhofe, and Cole Address Oklahoma’s 1115 Waiver
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) made the following statements regarding Oklahoma's 1115 waiver from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). "We appreciate CMS and Administrator Verma for their continued efforts to provide a responsible transition plan for two of our state's most critical healthcare providers and medical schools-the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University," said Lankford. "We … Continue Reading
09.05.18
Senator Lankford Questions Social Media Executives During Senate Intel Hearing
CLICK HERE for the video of Lankford's Q&A. WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today questioned Twitter and Facebook's top executives on practices for identifying suspended accounts and coordinating with law enforcement to ensure they are tracking unauthorized users, especially accounts connected with foreign or hostile users. Lankford also pushed the witnesses on how they are working to prevent and track foreign bad actors from purchasing user's data and asked Facebook about W… Continue Reading
09.05.18
Senator Lankford Statement on Senator Inhofe Appointment to Chair Defense Committee
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued a statement following the announcement that Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) will serve as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee: "Our national defense is a constitutional responsibility that we cannot take lightly," said Lankford. "Senator Inhofe is the best person to step into this role to head this vital Senate committee. Senator Inhofe's experience and passion for the men and women in our Armed Forces have prepared him well to … Continue Reading
