Press Releases
Senator Lankford in The Oklahoman: TPA is good for U.S. and for Oklahoma
by Senator James Lankford
When we were 13 Colonies, instead of 50 States, in a document we now call the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson penned a long list of grievances against King George III, including, "cutting off our trade with all parts of the world." Before we were a nation, we were international traders. Trade has always been a pillar of the American economy. The world keeps tariffs high on America, because they fear our workers, our products and our quality. Made in America still means something to… Continue Reading
06.26.15
Senator Lankford Statement on Marriage Supreme Court Ruling
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court ruling on marriage: "I am disappointed with today's ruling on marriage. During oral arguments the Court stated that there is a millennia of history for traditional marriage and that the issue has historically been decided by the people, not the courts. Two years ago, the Supreme Court even ruled that marriage policy is a state issue, but today they reversed themselves and redefined marriage over t… Continue Reading
06.25.15
Senator Lankford Statement on King vs. Burwell Supreme Court Ruling
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court ruling on King v. Burwell: “I have opposed Obamacare from day one and I am profoundly disappointed with today’s Supreme Court decision. Obamacare continues to be a nightmare for millions of Americans who are facing higher premiums, higher deductibles, and fewer health care options. “This ruling sets a difficult precedent for the future of legal interpretation. The court ruled that because the… Continue Reading
06.24.15
Senator Lankford’s Bill To Reduce Fraud In Federal Retirement Benefits Passes Committee
WASHINGTON, DC- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today approved Senators James Lankford's (R-OK) and Heidi Heitkamp's (D-ND) Representative Payee Fraud Prevention Act of 2015, a bill that would crack down on federal retirement benefit fraud and misuse. Lankford and Heitkamp are chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management. "I'm pleased the Homeland Security a… Continue Reading
06.24.15
Senator Lankford Hires Northeast Oklahoma Field Representative
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today announced the hire of Jeff Underwood as Field Representative for northeast Oklahoma. The job of Field Representative is to represent the Senator throughout the region and solve federal issues in the state. Jeff will be based in the Senator’s Tulsa office and will travel through northeast Oklahoma on a daily basis. “I am pleased to have Jeff on our team,” said Lankford. “His experience and skills will serve our office well as we engage and r… Continue Reading
06.24.15
Senator Lankford and Rep. Mullin’s Bill To Remove Economic Barriers for Miami Tribe Passes Senate
WASHINGTON, DC- The Senate today passed legislation (H.R. 533), introduced by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Rep. Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), to remove an outdated charter that limits business and economic development opportunities for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. The House passed this legislation on June 1st. The Tribe has said that their corporate charter imposes restrictions on the operation of business activities that were unrealistic even when it was written. Additionally, the Tribe has f… Continue Reading
06.23.15
VIDEO: Senator Lankford Previews King vs. Burwell, Blasts Obamacare, Talks Possible Solutions
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate about the upcoming King vs. Burwell Supreme Court decision, and the ongoing burdens created by the deeply flawed Affordable Care Act. If the Court rules against the federal government, 6.3 million Americans could lose their subsidy to pay for health insurance because of the flawed text of Obamacare. Also, more than 87,000 Oklahomans are at risk of losing their healthcare subsidy and residents … Continue Reading
06.23.15
Lankford Provides Text Of Trade Promotion Authority Bill
WASHINGTON, DC -- As Congress considers a 6-year Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill, to promote transparency, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) is posting the entire bill publicly so Oklahomans can read it. Completing TPA legislation is a prerequisite to debating trade agreements, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The President has the Constitutional authority to negotiate trade deals unilaterally, but TPA allows the American people, through Congress, to have input on the final deal. CL… Continue Reading
06.18.15
Senator Lankford Awarded the Distinguished Christian Statesman Award
WASHINGTON, DC - The D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship awarded Senator James Lankford (R-OK) the Distinguished Christian Statesman Award Wednesday evening on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. "I am incredibly humbled to receive this award from the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship," said Lankford. "I am honored to share my faith through my life and words, and I am thankful for the Center's work to share ministry in our nation's capital." The Distinguished Chr… Continue Reading
06.18.15
Senator Lankford: Renewable Fuel Standard Is Unrealistic and Harmful to Economy
WASHINGTON, DC - The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, under the chairmanship of Senator James Lankford (R-OK), today held a hearing to examine the Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) management of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the rule-making process for the program. The hearing was entitled, Re-examining EPA’s Management of the Renewable Fuel Standard Program, and included the EPA Office of Air and Radiation Acting A… Continue Reading
06.17.15
Ahead of Tropical Storm Bill, Senators Lankford and Inhofe and Congressman Mullin Provide Disaster Assistance Information
WASHINGTON, DC - To help Oklahomans prepare for possible weather-related emergencies from Tropical Storm Bill, Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) are providing Oklahomans with contact information for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Assistance Improvement Program. Less than a month after severe flooding in Oklahoma, Tropical Storm Bill is expected to bring significant rainfall to an area still recovering from water damage and high water. The most seriou… Continue Reading
06.16.15
Senator Lankford, Peters’ Remanufacturing Bill Passes Senate
WASHINGTON, DC- Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Gary Peters (D-MI) today applauded Senate passage of the Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act (S. 565). The bill, which was introduced in February, requires federal agencies to encourage the use of remanufactured parts for vehicle repair when doing so lowers costs, maintains quality and performance, and does not compromise safety. The legislation passed the Senate Monday evening and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.… Continue Reading
06.15.15
Senators Lankford and Heitkamp Introduce Bill To Punish Fraudulent Use of Federal Retirement Benefits
WASHINGTON, DC- Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, today introduced the Representative Payee Fraud Prevention Act of 2015 (S. 1576), a bill that would crack down on federal retirement benefit fraud and misuse. Specifically, the legislation would give U.S. Attorneys the statutory authority to prosecute retiree representativ… Continue Reading
06.10.15
Senator Lankford Welcomes Oklahoma Honor Flight Veterans To Washington D.C.
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today welcomed 88 veterans from the Tulsa area during a one-day trip to visit Washington, D.C. war memorials with the Honor Flight charity. The Oklahomans visited the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, the Lincoln Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, and the Arlington National Cemetery. "It was my honor to thank so many veterans personally during their visit to Washington, DC," said Lankford. "We owe our nation's freedoms… Continue Reading
06.10.15
Senator Lankford Demands Answers on OPM Cybersecurity Breach
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today urged the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to reveal more information regarding its recent cybersecurity incident, which was the largest breach of federal employee data in recent years. In a letter to OPM Director Katherine Archuleta, Lankford expressed great concern with the latest breach and requested that OPM provide details regarding its detection of and response to the breach. Lankford is the chairman of the Homeland Security and Gov… Continue Reading
06.09.15
Oklahomans May Experience Skyrocketing Healthcare Premiums Next Year
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released information regarding the potential skyrocket of premiums for Oklahomans due to Obamacare. The information comes from a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the heels of an active Supreme Court case, King v. Burwell. "As we await the Supreme Court ruling on King v. Burwell, we must focus on ways to protect Oklahoma families and businesses from the harmful effects of this failed law," sa… Continue Reading
06.08.15
Senator Lankford: Change Citizenship Language to Reflect Freedom of Religion
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today urged the Department of Homeland Security to change all United States Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization and citizenship materials to reflect our First Amendment right of the free exercise of religion, instead of simply the "freedom of worship." Currently, the naturalization test civics questions only reflect "freedom of worship." In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, Lankford highlighted the constitutional … Continue Reading
06.05.15
Senator Lankford Announces Hire of Northwest Oklahoma Field Representative
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today announced the hire of Brookes Wright as Field Representative for northwest Oklahoma and Agriculture Policy Advisor. The job of Field Representative is to represent the Senator throughout the region at meetings and events. Brookes will be based in the Senator's Oklahoma City office and will travel through northwest Oklahoma on a daily basis. "I am pleased to have Brookes on our team," said Lankford. "His experience and roots in northwest Okla… Continue Reading
06.04.15
Senator Lankford: Regulation of hydraulic fracturing should remain with states
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) report on hydraulic fracturing’s impact on drinking water: “Today, the EPA released a multi-year report on hydraulic fracturing that confirms again that it poses no widespread threat to our drinking water, as has been claimed by some environmental extremists. As time passes, more studies confirm that hydraulic fracturing is safe when done correctly. This study b… Continue Reading
06.04.15
Lankford Subcommittee Discusses Solutions for Improving Federal Regulatory Process
WASHINGTON, DC - The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, under the chairmanship of Senator James Lankford (R-OK), today held a roundtable discussion on bipartisan ideas to provide immediate improvement to the federal regulatory process. The subcommittee's roundtable was entitled, "Examining Practical Solutions to Improve the Federal Regulatory Process." "The more anyone examines our massive federal regulatory state, the more the… Continue Reading
