Press Releases
Senator Lankford Statement on State Department’s Recognition of Genocide in Middle East
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today made the following statement on the Obama Administration's decision to officially recognize that ISIL has committed genocide, as required by Congress: "Today, State Department Secretary John Kerry finally announced that ISIL is responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing of Yezidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims. The Secretary was right to note that ISIL kills Christians because they are Christians; Yezidis because t… Continue Reading
03.17.16
Senator Lankford, Inhofe and Members of Congress Introduce Bill to Restore Regulatory Accountability Through Judicial Review
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and a coalition of Members from both Houses of Congress today introduced a bill to restore accountability to the regulatory process through proper judicial review, correcting the judicial deference created by the flawed 1984 Chevron Supreme Court decision. The bill, called the "Separation of Powers Restoration Act" would empower the courts, not agencies, to interpret all questions of law, including both statutes and regulations. … Continue Reading
03.17.16
Senator Lankford: Courts Are Giving Federal Agencies Too Much Power
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 on how the Chevron doctrine has affected the regulatory process, judicial review and federal balance of power. The hearing testimony confirmed that Chevron deference favors centralized executive power over legislative and judicial prerogatives, shifting our constitutional system's balance of powers… Continue Reading
03.16.16
Senator Lankford Supports Biotech Labeling Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released the following statement after the Senate failed to invoke cloture on the Biotechnology Labeling Solutions Act of 2016 (S. 2609): "The USDA, the EPA and the FDA already test and monitor to ensure the food Americans consume through the genetic engineering process is safe and has been thoroughly studied. This bill is an additional voluntary measure that will provide farmers, manufacturers and retailers a clear, consistent definition of … Continue Reading
03.16.16
Senator Lankford Statement on President Obama’s Supreme Court Nomination
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today made the following statement on President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court: "The death of Justice Antonin Scalia is an enormous loss for the Supreme Court, but more importantly for our nation. A lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court is extremely important and will shape monumental decisions that will impact America for decades. Justice Scalia's constitutional approach to legal interpretation should be the standar… Continue Reading
03.14.16
Senator Lankford Opposes Confirmation of Secretary of Education
CLICK HERE to view the YouTube video WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor regarding his concerns with the confirmation of John B. King, Jr. as Department of Education Secretary. On January 7, 2016, Lankford sent a letter to King to question the authority under which the Office of Civil Rights issued two particular Dear Colleague guidance documents, prescribing policies relating to harassment, bullying and sexual violence. The Department of… Continue Reading
03.14.16
Senator Lankford Addresses Supreme Court Vacancy Myths with ‘Fact v. Fiction’ Social Media Campaign
WASHINGTON, DC - Following up on a floor speech about the Supreme Court vacancy last week, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) will continue to address some of the myths surrounding the vacancy with a "Fact v. Fiction" social media campaign. Lankford will release a graphic every day this week that corrects misinformation or dispels some of the erroneous rhetoric currently being communicated about the vacancy. You can follow Lankford on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SenatorLankford; on Twitter @SenatorL… Continue Reading
03.11.16
Senators Lankford, Inhofe Meet with VA Deputy Secretary in OKC
CLICK HERE to view photos of the press conference OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) today met with Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Sloan Gibson at the conclusion of Gibson's stakeholder meetings at the Muskogee VA hospital and the Oklahoma City VA hospital, which began on Thursday. Following the meeting, Lankford, Inhofe, and Gibson held a press conference where all three reaffirmed their commitments to improving the quality of care at Oklahoma's… Continue Reading
03.10.16
Senator Lankford Applauds Senate Passage of Bill to Fight Drug Addiction
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today voted for the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which passed by a vote of 94 to 1, and made the following statement: "Oklahomans sadly know too well the continued problems we face with heroin and prescription drug abuse. Oklahoma suffers from high rates of drug addiction and because of our central location, our highway system is attractive to global drug cartels. Since 2000, the national rate of deaths from drug overdoses has … Continue Reading
03.10.16
Senator Lankford Presses Acting Education Secretary on Department’s Executive Overreach
CLICK HERE to view the YouTube video WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today pressed Department of Education Acting Secretary John King during a hearing before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee. Lankford challenged Dr. King on the Department's overreaching use of 'guidance documents' to mandate policy for colleges and universities without adhering to the transparent regulatory process as required by law. Lankford pressed Dr. King to justify the Department's improper use of gui… Continue Reading
03.09.16
Senator Lankford: American People Should Decide Future of Supreme Court
CLICK HERE to view the YouTube video CLICK HERE to view the DropBox video WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor about Justice Antonin Scalia's death and the current Supreme Court vacancy. He made the case that the American people should have a say in the process of replacing Justice Scalia, and that it is completely appropriate for the Senate to wait on the confirmation process until after the presidential election. In addition to sharin… Continue Reading
03.08.16
Senator Lankford Pays Tribute to Justice Antonin Scalia
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today submitted a statement for the Congressional Record in honor of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away on February 13, 2016. The tribute reads as follows: REMEMBERING JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA Mr. LANKFORD: Mr. President, on February 13, 2016, the Supreme Court not only lost one of its Justices, our nation lost a true legal giant. Justice Antonin Scalia was described by his colleagues as "extraordinary," "tr… Continue Reading
03.06.16
Senator Lankford Statement on the Passing of Nancy Reagan
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) released the following statement on the passing of First Lady Nancy Reagan: "Cindy and I are saddened by the loss of our former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Her commitment and love to her husband, President Reagan, America, and many great causes were inspiring to our entire nation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Reagan family during this time." ###… Continue Reading
03.04.16
Senator Lankford Continues Regulatory Oversight of Department of Education
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today continued his regulatory oversight of the Department of Education's overreaching use of 'guidance documents' to college and universities. On January 7, Lankford sent a letter to the Acting Secretary of the Department of Education, John King, to question their Office for Civil Rights' improper use of guidance documents that establishes policies without the required notice-and-comment rule-making processes. The Department of Education responded… Continue Reading
03.03.16
Senator Lankford Defends Religious Freedom in Major CPAC Speech
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today delivered a major speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) about the importance of the First Amendment right of religious freedom to the fabric of America. Lankford also made the case that protecting religious freedom for all faiths should remain a key tenet of conservatism. CPAC is the largest conference in America for conservative grassroots activism. The four-day conference has more than 10,000 attendees from all over … Continue Reading
03.01.16
Lankford, Johnson, Ayotte Bill Reining in Administrative Costs for Major Disasters Becomes Law
WASHINGTON, DC - On Monday night, the president signed into law S. 2109, the Directing Dollars to Disaster Relief Act of 2015, co-sponsored by Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). The bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to work to control and reduce its internal administrative costs for major disasters. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has raised concerns for years about FEMA's rising administrative costs… Continue Reading
02.26.16
Senator Lankford Invites Oklahomans to Java with James in Washington, DC
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released a video message inviting Oklahomans traveling to Washington, DC to a weekly constituent coffee called Java with James. The constituent coffee takes place every Wednesday that the Senate is in session from 9am-10am ET in Lankford's office, 316 Hart Senate Office Building. The video describes what visitors can expect when they visit and the amenities the office can provide constituents, such as tours of the US Capitol and the Library of… Continue Reading
02.25.16
Academics and Legal Experts Agree with Senator Lankford: Dept. of Education Actions Are Clearly Executive Overreach
WASHINGTON, DC - On January 7, Senator James Lankford challenged the Department of Education on their use of guidance documents that attempt to inappropriately establish regulatory-type policy changes for colleges and universities without going through the legal rule-making process. The Department of Education's response (nearly 2 weeks late), confirmed the suspicion for many academics, journalists and legal experts that these actions constitute executive overreach. Here is what they're saying… Continue Reading
02.24.16
Local Legislators: Federal Unfunded Mandates Harm State and Local Governments
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 on the federal government's regulatory relationship with state and local governments and challenges they face in implementing congressional and agency unfunded mandates. "Government that is closest to the people is often the most responsive and the least harmful," said Lankford. "When someone in D… Continue Reading
02.23.16
Senator Lankford: National Security Should Outweigh GITMO Campaign Promise
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today criticized President Obama's plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. "Now, more than ever before, we need a national security strategy that puts the safety of the American people before political campaign promises," said Lankford. "There is too much instability around the world to risk detainee recidivism. President Obama's announcement comes on the same day that Spanish and Moroccan police arrest a former Guantanamo deta… Continue Reading
