url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at
https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/senator-armstrong-praises-bipartisan-permitting-reform-package-advancing-key-reforms-to-get-america-building-again/,Senator Armstrong Praises Bipartisan Permitting Reform Package Advancing Key Reforms to Get America Building Again,2026-09-30,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,Alan Armstrong,A000383,www.armstrong.senate.gov,armstrong,https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/news/media-center/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 30, 2026

CONTACT:

Chrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney

Senator Armstrong Praises Bipartisan Permitting Reform Package Advancing Key Reforms to Get America Building Again

PACKAGE REFLECTS KEY ARMSTRONG PRIORITIES AND MONTHS OF WORK TO BUILD CONSENSUS FOR COMPREHENSIVE PERMITTING REFORM

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) praised Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT), along with Ranking Members Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Martin Heinrich (R-NM), for reaching a historic, bipartisan deal on theBipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, saying the proposal incorporates key reforms he has championed to make the federal permitting process faster, more predictable, and more durable.

Senator Armstrong released the following statement:

“I came to the Senate determined to help America build again, and I have been willing to work with anyone—Republican or Democrat—who is serious about fixing our broken permitting system. I applaud my colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle and the Trump administration for staying at the table and finding common ground. This agreement shows that comprehensive permitting reform is possible. Let’s finish the job when we come back in November and get this package to the President’s desk.

“The reality is that meaningful, lasting reform doesn’t happen when politicians retreat to their partisan corners or demand 100 percent of their wish list—it happens when leaders are willing to do the difficult work of sitting at the table, and finding genuine common ground. On an issue as vital as energy and infrastructure, compromise isn’t about surrendering our principles or lowering standards; it’s about crafting an energy-neutral, practical framework that delivers real results for the American people, lowers utility bills, and strengthens our national security. If we want to solve generational challenges instead of just passing the buck down the road, we have to put country over party and do the tough, collaborative work required to get durable reform across the finish line.

“Just as important, this agreement reflects a massive, cross-sector coalition that has hit the exact same regulatory wall. From conventional energy and manufacturing to mining, electric transmission, transportation, and renewables, industries across our economy are pounding the table together because they recognize that if America is going to compete globally, we have to restore our ability to build.”

BACKGROUND

Armstrong has made comprehensive permitting reform a central legislative priority since taking office in March 2026. He introduced S. 4944, the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure (AEMI) Act, to address the major federal barriers that delay energy, mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects, and was joined by 20 co-sponsors.

The Committee’s package includes key pillars of that effort, including:

Reforms to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act to promote consistent, evidence-based environmental decision-making across infrastructure projects;

Greater certainty for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) general and nationwide permits by eliminating duplicative review, extending permit terms, and incorporating judicial reforms to reduce baseless litigation;

Statutory clarification to re-enable essential mining activities on federal lands; and

Targeted National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reforms that clarify the scope of review, reaffirm NEPA’s procedural nature, and establish judicial review standards designed to prevent the law from being used to indefinitely stall critical infrastructure projects.

Since taking office, Armstrong has engaged in a sustained effort to build support across industries for comprehensive permitting reform. In June, he hosted Getting America Building Again: Permitting Reform and America’s Competitive Future on Capitol Hill, convening more than 150 business leaders and policy experts around a shared blueprint for reform. He used his inaugural Senate floor speech to lay out the core elements of the AEMI Act and continued pressing the case at major energy and infrastructure forums throughout the summer.",1,2026-10-01T11:23:28Z,2026-10-01T11:25:15Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-lankford-coons-resolution-honoring-50-years-of-prison-fellowship-passes-senate-unanimously/,"ICYMI: Lankford, Coons Resolution Honoring 50 Years of Prison Fellowship Passes Senate Unanimously",2026-09-30,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Coons (D-DE) secured unanimous Senate passage of their resolution recognizing 50 years of Prison Fellowship’s work to bring faith-based rehabilitation, restoration, and second chances to people impacted by incarceration. The bipartisan resolution recognizes Prison Fellowship’s nationwide impact and comes months after Lankford celebrated the launch of the organization’s first federal Prison Fellowship Academy at the Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma.

“Prison Fellowship has spent 50 years helping people understand that a mistake does not have to be the end of their story,” said Lankford. “Their work points people to Christ, helps restore families, and gives people the opportunity to change. I’m grateful for the staff and volunteers who have stayed committed to this work for five decades, and I’m glad to recognize Prison Fellowship on its 50th anniversary.”

“The first time I was in a maximum-security prison, I was 12 years old, joining my father on one of his prison ministry visits,” said Coons. “I saw how prison ministry transformed the lives of both those inside the prison and for our family outside of it. For 50 years, Prison Fellowship has brought that transformation to communities across the country, answering Jesus’ call to love our neighbors no matter where or who they are.”

“Chuck Colson once described his imprisonment as ‘the great humiliation of my life’—yet God used that humiliation for a greater purpose,” said Scott Peyton, Senior Director of Advocacy. “Fifty years later, Prison Fellowship continues that legacy, encountering Jesus with those impacted by incarceration, equipping the Church, and advancing justice that restores. We are deeply grateful to Senators James Lankford and Chris Coons for their leadership, and to the United States Senate for honoring fifty years of transformed lives and the enduring truth that no life is beyond the reach of God’s grace.”

Background

Lankford has spent years working to expand opportunities for faith-based organizations to serve individuals in federal prisons. In 2018, Lankford supported the bipartisan First Step Actand successfully amended the legislation to ensure faith-based organizations could provide job training, social development, and family programming on equal footing with non-faith-based organizations. That work helped establish the framework for faith-based rehabilitation programs like Prison Fellowship to partner with the Bureau of Prisons.

In June 2026, Lankford celebrated the launch of the first federal Prison Fellowship Academy at the Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma. The Prison Fellowship Academy became the first nonprofit program designated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons as an evidence-based recidivism reduction program under the First Step Act. Lankford has continued to champion faith-based rehabilitation and successful reentry through bipartisan efforts including the MERCY Act and the Safer Supervision Act.

Founded in 1976 by the late Charles Colson following his conversion to Christianity during incarceration, Prison Fellowship is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026. The organization serves prisoners, former prisoners, and their families through programs focused on rehabilitation, restoration, and second chances.

You can download the full text of the resolution HERE.

###",1,2026-10-01T11:23:28Z,2026-10-01T11:25:15Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-leads-senate-in-honoring-50-years-of-the-hyde-amendment/,Lankford Leads Senate in Honoring 50 Years of the Hyde Amendment,2026-09-30,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"Resolution Recognizes 50 Years of Bipartisan Support for the Hyde Amendment and its Protections for Unborn Children

WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Chair of the Senate Values Action Team, introduced a resolution recognizing the Hyde Amendment’s 50th anniversary and its enduring legacy of protecting unborn children and upholding the conscience rights of American taxpayers. The resolution commemorates 50 years of the Hyde Amendment by recognizing its legacy of saving more than 2.6 million lives while affirming that federal taxpayers should not be compelled to fund abortions in violation of their deeply held religious and moral beliefs.

“For 50 years, the Hyde Amendment has been an important protection for American taxpayers,” said Lankford. “Every child is valuable. No American should ever wonder if the check they’re sending to the IRS on April 15 will be used to pay for someone’s elective abortion. Hyde was a bipartisan agreement five decades ago, and it has been included in appropriations bills every year since. We should keep that commitment in place.”

You can download the text of the resolution HERE or below:

Whereas September 30, 2026, marks the 50th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, a longstanding pro-life provision which protects Federal taxpayer dollars from being used to take human life through elective abortion;

Whereas, in 1976, Congressman Henry J. Hyde introduced an amendment, which bears his name, to House of Representatives Bill No. 14232, 94th Congress (referred to in this preamble as the “Hyde Amendment”);

Whereas, in introducing his amendment, Congressman Hyde explained, “We who seek to protect that most defenseless and innocent of human lives, the unborn—seek to inhibit the use of Federal funds to pay for and thus encourage abortion as an answer to the human and compelling problem of an unwanted child.”;

Whereas the Hyde Amendment was adopted by Congress, shortly after Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) was decided, by a bipartisan vote and has been renewed in both Republican and Democratic majorities through the annual appropriations process for 50 years;

Whereas, since 1976, more than 2,600,000 lives have been saved by the Hyde Amendment;

Whereas the Hyde Amendment reflects the bipartisan principle that American Federal taxpayer dollars should not be used to finance abortions, safeguarding taxpayers’ conscience rights;

Whereas public funding of abortion makes the American taxpayer complicit in the physical, emotional, and societal harm caused to women by abortion and increases the pressure a woman may already feel to have an abortion;

Whereas the 50th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment provides an opportunity to remember the more than 64,000,000 abortions that have taken place in the United States since the Roe v. Wade decision; and

Whereas every human life in the womb has inherent dignity and worth, is not inconvenient, and has the right to life: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) recognizes the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the amendment by Congressman Henry Hyde (referred to in this resolution as the “Hyde Amendment”);

(2) commemorates the adoption of the Hyde Amendment in 1976, and its continued inclusion in Federal appropriations bills for 5 decades;

(3) honors the legacy of Congressman Hyde and recognizes his leadership in establishing the policy that bears his name;

(4) recognizes the 2,600,000 lives saved by the Hyde Amendment;

(5) affirms the principle that Federal taxpayers should not be compelled to fund abortions in violation of their deeply held religious, moral, medical, or ethical convictions;

(6) recognizes the Members of Congress, advocates, citizens, and organizations that have worked for more than 5 decades to preserve protections for unborn children and to maintain limitations on the use of Federal funds for abortion; and

(7) encourages the people of the United States to reflect upon the history and significance of the Hyde Amendment and the loss of more than 64,000,000 babies through abortions that have taken place since Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973).

Background

Congressman Henry Hyde first introduced the Hyde Amendment in 1976, and it has been included in federal appropriations bills for five decades. Lankford’s resolution recognizes the amendment’s bipartisan history and its role in protecting taxpayers from being compelled to fund abortions in violation of their deeply held religious, moral, medical, or ethical convictions. The resolution also recognizes more than 2.6 million unborn children whom it attributes to having been saved by the Hyde Amendment.

Joining Lankford in introducing the resolution are Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Jim Justice (R-WV), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jim Risch (R-ID), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jim Banks (R-IN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), John Hoeven (R-ND), Darline Graham (R-SC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Dave McCormick (R-PA).

Rep. Smith (R-NJ-04) introduced companion legislation in the House along with 27 other House members, including Reps. John Moolenaar (R-MI-02), Riley Moore (R-WV-02), Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04), Brian Babin (R-TX-36), Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), Ben Cline (R-VA-06), Michael Cloud (R-TX-27), Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09), Warren Davidson (R-OH-08), Ron Estes (R-KS-04), Harriet Hageman (R-WY-AL), Andy Harris (R-MD-01), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), Addison McDowell (R-NC-06), John McGuire (R-VA-05), Mary Miller (R-IL-15), Blake Moore (R-UT-01), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01), Ralph Norman (R-SC-05), Bob Onder (R-MO-03), John Rutherford (R-FL-05), Keith Self (R-TX-03), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Pete Stauber (R-MN-08), Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15), Daniel Webster (R-FL-11), and Rudy Yakym (R-IN-02).

Supporting organizations include CatholicVote, Americans United for Life, National Right to Life Committee, Live Action, March for Life Action, Concerned Women for America, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Students for Life Action, Heritage Action, Alliance Defending Freedom, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Heartbeat International, United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Family Research Council.

You can learn more about the resolution in the Daily Wire HERE.

###",1,2026-10-01T11:23:28Z,2026-10-01T11:25:15Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-cruz-introduce-bill-to-protect-students-pursuing-ministry-from-losing-federal-student-aid/,"Lankford, Cruz Introduce Bill to Protect Students Pursuing Ministry From Losing Federal Student Aid",2026-09-29,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), chairman of the Senate Values Action Team, and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the Religious Education Fairness Act, legislation that would protect students studying for ministry and other religious vocations from losing access to federal student aid under a new earnings test. The bill protects programs classified as Theology and Religious Vocations or Philosophy and Religious Studies at eligible educational institutions from the Working Families Tax Cut Act’s “Do No Harm” provision, which puts federal student aid at risk based on graduates’ earnings.

“A student who feels called to pastor a church or serve as a missionary should not lose access to student aid because Washington measures the value of that calling by a paycheck,” said Lankford. “The Religious Education Fairness Act protects those students pursuing ministry from a test that was never designed for them.

Groups supporting the bill are Alliance Defending Freedom, the Association for Biblical Higher Education, the Orthodox Union, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges & Schools, the International Alliance for Christian Education, and the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities.

Background

The Working Families Tax Cut Act enacted an earnings-based accountability measure, known as the “Do No Harm” (DNH) provision. Under the statute, post-graduation earnings data will be used to determine whether certain programs remain eligible for federal Direct Loans. On July 1, 2026, the Department of Education finalized its rule implementing the earnings-based accountability measure. The rule also established a new administrative capability requirement that threatens programmatic and institutional eligibility for other Higher Education Act Title IV programs, such as Pell Grants and Federal Work-Study. Given that many religious vocations are service-oriented rather than high-paying careers, the DNH provision and the final rule could disproportionately impact students pursuing ministry and other religious vocations. Applying the earnings test to these programs would substantially burden religious exercise and violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The Religious Education Fairness Act uses the existing Title IX religious exemption framework to identify eligible institutions and protects covered programs from losing Direct Loan eligibility under the “Do No Harm” earnings test and other Title IV eligibility under the rule’s administrative capability requirement.

###",1,2026-09-30T10:57:52Z,2026-09-30T10:59:04Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-rosen-urge-meta-to-take-action-to-address-spread-of-antisemitic-content-online-2/,"Lankford, Rosen Urge Meta to Take Action to Address Spread of Antisemitic Content Online",2026-09-29,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"Senators Demanded Answers on Meta’s Current Safeguards Against Fake Accounts, or Bots, Spreading Antisemitism

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-founders and co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, sent a bipartisan letter to Meta requesting details on the company’s current protections to prevent bots and other inauthentic accounts from spreading antisemitic content on Instagram and Facebook. The Senators also asked that Meta expand their existing protections to safeguard users and limit the spread of antisemitic content on their platforms. This comes after both Senators introduced a comprehensive bill to strengthen federal efforts to fight antisemitism, including online.

“As members of the US Senate committed to combating antisemitism in all of its forms, we write to express grave concerns regarding the persistent problem of inauthentic accounts and ‘bot farm’ operations abusing social media platforms to develop and spread antisemitic content on your platforms,” wrote the Senators. “We also request information about Meta’s current safeguards and enforcement mechanisms to prevent platform abuse by inauthentic accounts on Instagram and Facebook, and to urge Meta to implement reforms to protect users, limit the proliferation of antisemitic content, and strengthen its transparency measures against inauthentic behavior, including by labeling accounts’ country of origin for the American public.”

“Research has shown how inauthentic social media accounts, sometimes as part of a network of accounts created by foreign actors, can be used to promote antisemitism online and accelerate calls for violence against Jewish Americans…We cannot continue to play catch up as foreign agents and extremists abuse American social media platforms to spread hate and sow discord on American soil and across the globe,” the Senators concluded. “We need collaboration with our most influential social media companies to bring our digital space to a higher level of transparency and integrity. Labeling Facebook and Instagram accounts with their country of origin would be an impactful step toward combatting foreign-based influence networks.”

You can read the full text of the letter HERE and can learn more about it HERE in Jewish Insider.

###",1,2026-09-30T10:57:52Z,2026-09-30T10:59:04Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-kaine-introduce-jimmy-lai-internet-freedom-act-to-counter-chinas-internet-censorship-in-hong-kong/,"Lankford, Kaine Introduce Jimmy Lai Internet Freedom Act to Counter China’s Internet Censorship in Hong Kong",2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today introduced the bipartisan Jimmy Lai Internet Freedom Act to assist the people of Hong Kong in circumventing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) censorship and maintain access to a free and open internet.

The bill is named in honor of Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and publisher who was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Hong Kong court after being convicted under Beijing’s National Security Law. The legislation responds to the CCP’s continued erosion of Hong Kong’s freedoms and expanding efforts to restrict access to information online. The bill notes that Beijing has used its National Security Law to suppress freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and the press, while granting authorities expanded power to censor online content and obtain user information.

“The Chinese Communist Party has spent years tightening its grip on Hong Kong, and now it is working to control what people can see, say, and share online,” said Lankford. This bill is about standing up for a free and open internet, pushing back against Beijing’s model of censorship, and protecting American leadership in technology and freedom. We should not allow the CCP to export its model of censorship beyond its borders.”

Background

The legislation would establish a Hong Kong Internet Freedom Program within the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and a corresponding program at the Open Technology Fund. The programs would coordinate with an interagency working group to develop a strategy for strengthening internet resiliency and online access in Hong Kong.

Lankford has long worked on a bipartisan basis to confront the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to undermine freedom and spread authoritarian influence.

The Jimmy Lai Internet Freedom Act would:

Establish a Hong Kong Internet Freedom Program at the Department of State and Open Technology Fund.

Support technologies that allow Hongkongers to circumvent internet blocking, filtering, and censorship.

Support virtual private networks and other firewall circumvention tools.

Provide digital security and resiliency support to pro-democracy activists and civil society organizations.

Require a strategic planning report outlining the federal government’s efforts to expand internet freedom and circumvention technology in Hong Kong.

Lankford and Kaine first introduced the Safeguarding Internet Freedom in Hong Kong Act after Beijing imposed its National Security Law on Hong Kong. That legislation sought to develop and deploy firewall circumvention technology to help Hongkongers access information and communicate freely. Lankford has continued to work with Kaine on the legislation, including reintroducing it in 2023.

Lankford has repeatedly called attention to Beijing’s repression of Hong Kong, including joining bipartisan efforts condemning the destruction of Hong Kong’s democracy and rule of law and the political persecution of Jimmy Lai and other pro-democracy advocates. He has also supported the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act to protect Hongkongers who face persecution for peacefully opposing Beijing.

Lankford has also worked more broadly to counter the CCP’s influence and human rights abuses, including through his service on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and legislation addressing China’s economic coercion, human rights abuses, and influence operations.

You can download the full bill textHERE.

###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-coons-bipartisan-resolution-on-religious-freedom-and-transparency-in-artificial-intelligence-passes-senate/,"Lankford, Coons Bipartisan Resolution on Religious Freedom and Transparency in Artificial Intelligence Passes Senate",2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Coons (D-DE) today announced that their bipartisan Senate resolution affirming the importance of religious freedom and calling on developers of artificial intelligence (AI) systems to adopt clear standards for transparency and fair treatment of religious viewpoints passed the Senate unanimously last night.

“Religious freedom is the first freedom in our Constitution. It protects the right of every person to have a faith, live their faith, change their faith, or have no faith at all,” said Lankford. “AI is a system that researches ideas, opinions, and facts, but it is not the final word on faith. On issues of faith, AI systems should send users to the sacred texts and to the faith leaders who have walked with people through joy and grief for generations.”

“One’s choice of faith – or whether or not to believe at all – is one of the most intensely personal decisions anyone can make, and Americans are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence when looking for answers to life’s big questions,” said Coons. “AI users should be given the full breadth and depth of answers humanity has to offer without preference to creed or spirituality. That’s what’s right and what’s consistent with our nation’s values.”

Background

The resolution affirms religious freedom as a bedrock constitutional liberty, recognizes that bias or discrimination against any religious group harms a free and just society, and calls on organizations that design, develop, or operate AI systems to adopt clear and consistently applied standards that uphold religious freedom and transparency.

The resolution:

Affirms the importance of religious freedom as a bedrock and central constitutional liberty for every person.

Recognizes that bias or discrimination against any religious group, person of faith, person who changes their faith, or person who has no faith at all is harmful to a free and just society.

Encourages all organizations that design, develop, or operate AI systems to adopt clear and consistently applied standards that uphold universal principles of religious freedom and transparency.

Supports the development and deployment of AI systems that provide responses to religious questions that are thorough and fairly representative of relevant beliefs, texts, traditions, and perspectives.

Commends the American people to consult primary sources and religious leaders when seeking to understand religious beliefs and traditions, including sacred texts and other authoritative writings of those traditions.

You can download the full resolution text HERE.

###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-coons-britt-and-schatz-introduce-bipartisan-ai-safety-and-transparency-legislation/,"Lankford, Coons, Britt, and Schatz Introduce Bipartisan AI Safety and Transparency Legislation",2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Chris Coons (D-DE), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the AI Systems Transparency Act (ASTA), which would require AI companies to be more transparent with the public about what data their models are collecting from users, the safeguards they’ve put in place for children and adults, and the guardrails they’ve created to stop systems from going rogue or being used dangerously by bad actors.

Under ASTA, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would have the power to enforce these transparency requirements, while ensuring that companies can continue to grow and innovate.

“Trust has to be earned, and right now families are being asked to trust AI companies with very little information,” said Lankford. “The AI Systems Transparency Act gives parents and consumers the straightforward answers on how these AI models are built and how they interact with America’s children. Transparency on innovation earns the public’s trust.”

“AI is rapidly evolving in ways that are radically reshaping our society and transforming our world and how we interact with each other, and Americans are rightfully concerned about what AI companies and their government are doing to protect against worst case scenarios,” said Coons. “Companies must not be allowed to hand wave away these doubts without meaningful disclosures, safeguards, and oversight in place. Americans deserve to know what they are actually doing to place safety guardrails on large AI models, and that’s what this bipartisan bill will ensure.”

“Americans are understandably concerned with the rapid development of AI, and they deserve straight answers. We know that this technology is not slowing down, which is why it’s critical that AI companies provide transparency to both researchers and parents on how their systems work and address potential risks—especially risks related to America’s youth. I’m proud to join my colleagues in this effort to provide the American people visibility into how these systems are built, tested, and secured,” said Britt.

“Recent reports of security incidents with AI models make transparency and oversight all the more urgent. Our bill requires disclosures that help both consumers and evaluators understand both the capabilities of and risks posed by these models and what companies are doing to keep people safe,” said Schatz.

Background

ASTA would apply to closed and open-source models. It would:

Establish criteria for the size and scope of companies over which the FTC would gain jurisdiction.

Require disclosure of information about structure and policies typically included on “model cards.”

Require disclosure of preventative safeguards used for child safety, mental health, privacy, cybersecurity, disaster risk, and autonomous loss-of-control.

Require disclosure of information relating to common violations of policies.

Require companies to update all disclosures with each new model or substantial updates to an existing model.

Require both a consumer-facing disclosure and a disclosure that can be of use to independent researchers and evaluators.

The introduction of this bill builds upon letters that Sens. Lankford, Schatz, Britt, and Coons sent in December 2025 to OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Anthropic, Meta, Luka, Character.AI, and xAI, calling on these companies to improve transparency around the capabilities of their models and the risks they pose to users.

A one-pager on the bill is available HERE.

Read the full text of the bill HERE.

###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-remembers-victims-of-chinese-communist-party-on-105th-anniversary/,Lankford Remembers Victims of Chinese Communist Party on 105th Anniversary,2026-09-23,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Angus King (I-ME) today introduced a bipartisan resolution observing the 105th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) coming into power and remembering the countless lives destroyed by the CCP’s decades-long campaign of political and religious repression.

The resolution comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Washington for a state visit with President Donald Trump. It documents the CCP’s history of mass persecution, including the Great Chinese Famine, the Tiananmen Square massacre, and decades of repression against religious minorities and political dissidents. It also highlights the CCP’s ongoing persecution of Christians, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners, and others, as well as its efforts to conduct transnational repression against dissidents living outside China.

“For 105 years, the Chinese Communist Party has oppressed its own people, persecuted people of faith, and denied basic freedoms,” said Lankford. “As the United States engages with Beijing, we cannot forget the millions who have suffered under the CCP or those who continue to live under its repression today. The United States must continue to stand for religious freedom, human rights, and the dignity of every person.”

“Abraham Lincoln, at his Gettysburg Address, famously said that a government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,” said King. “And while we, as Americans, have had differing views on policy, we all believe that freedom and democracy are at the core of our country’s values. That’s why we have chosen to highlight the immeasurable consequences that the Chinese communist party has done to its own people –and the global community—since it came to power more than 100 years ago. With this resolution, and on the heels of the Trump-Xi summit, we remember the countless lives that the Chinese Communist Party has destroyed and recommit to the basic tenets of equality and liberty.”

Background

The resolution also recognizes the CCP’s continued political, military, economic, and social pressure against Taiwan and its efforts to undermine religious freedom and fundamental human rights.

Lankford has long worked on a bipartisan basis to confront religious persecution in China. Earlier this year, Lankford and bipartisan colleagues urged President Trump to raise the case of imprisoned Pastor Ezra Jin directly with Xi. President Trump subsequently raised Jin’s case with Xi, and Chinese authorities released Jin in July.

You can learn more about the resolution HERE in Fox News and can download it HERE.

###",1,2026-09-24T09:44:48Z,2026-09-24T09:45:52Z
https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/armstrong-on-535-news-its-time-to-do-whats-right-for-the-country/,Armstrong on 535 News: It’s Time to Do What’s Right for the Country,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,Alan Armstrong,A000383,www.armstrong.senate.gov,armstrong,https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/news/media-center/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 17, 2026

CONTACT:

Chrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney

Armstrong on 535 News: It’s Time to Do What’s Right for the Country

ARMSTRONG CALLS FOR BIPARTISAN COURAGE TO FIX BROKEN FEDERAL APPROVAL PROCESSES ACROSS RENEWABLE, MINING, AND OIL & GAS SECTORS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) appeared on the Capitol Hill-focused 535 News this week to urge immediate congressional action on federal permitting reform. Drawing from his decades of experience as an engineer and later the CEO of the Williams Companies, Armstrong outlined how bureaucratic gridlock and endless judicial appeals continue to undermine American energy independence, AI development, and long-term economic growth.

During the interview, Armstrong emphasized that permitting reform is not an issue tailored to a single industry, but a national imperative that affects all forms of domestic energy and infrastructure development – ranging from transmission lines and critical mining material to domestic natural gas pipelines and traditional energy infrastructure.

KEY EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW

On the universal scope of permitting reform across all energy sectors:

“It’s not one form of energy. It’s everything. It’s renewables not being able to get connected into markets that need that power. It’s pipelines not being able to displace fuel oil and coal, which is so much more expensive and so much more emissions. There are mines that we desperately need here in the U.S. to be able to continue to not have to import it from sources that are not so friendly to us… The focus of permitting reform should not be to try to select what energy source we’re going to use; it should make it simpler and with great confidence in being able to get a permit if you go through the process.”

On how states arbitrarily block interstate projects under Sec. 401 of the Clean Water Act:

“Nobody is asking for, ‘Hey, let’s lower the environmental protections.’ That is not what any of these bills are about. They’re simply about bringing certainty and a set of standards… Today, a state is not bound by those. A state can come up with whatever rules they want to on the fly. And so, if you have a pipeline that’s going through multiple states, and a state says, ‘Well, what am I getting out of this?’ And it becomes popular to stop it because the NGOs come in and want to have something to fight about… it’s completely arbitrary as to whether a state’s going to issue you the 401 certificate.”

On the need for judicial reform and fixing regulatory uncertainty:

“The bill takes on things like judicial reform, because one of the primary things that people can’t afford is to get caught up in litigation… I personally sat in a situation where we had a billion-dollar pipeline that we had spent four and a half years getting the permit done. Got the permit. It was up and running for 9 months, and a court came in and vacated a FERC certificate… You can’t have projects that are up and running, you went through all the law required, you went through an entire EIS process, and somebody comes up with something that they didn’t raise during the EIS process and raises it after the fact, holding the project up for 3.7 years.”

On why existing big energy incumbents benefit from gridlock while America falls behind:

“A lot of people think, ‘Well, duh, you were a pipeline executive, and so you want to come talk about permitting reform.’ Actually, the incumbent big companies, like the company that I was the CEO for, this has been a bounty to make it difficult to build when you already own a lot of the critical infrastructure. It just makes your infrastructure more and more valuable… But long-term, our country is not going to be the great country that we’ve all enjoyed… We have another round of big infrastructure that needs to be built here to support things like AI and modern manufacturing. And if we can’t get it built here, we will fall behind.”

On the need for courage and integrity in the Senate:

“I hope that people will stand tall to the political courage it takes to do what’s right for our country… I wish that there was much more focus on what’s good long-term for the country, even if it’s to somebody’s own political peril to get the right thing done. This is one of those circumstances where people know it’s the right thing.”",1,2026-09-24T10:30:22Z,2026-09-24T10:31:42Z
https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/armstrong-urges-the-advancement-of-comprehensive-permitting-reform-in-september/,Armstrong Urges the Advancement of Comprehensive Permitting Reform in September,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,Alan Armstrong,A000383,www.armstrong.senate.gov,armstrong,https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/news/media-center/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 16, 2026

CONTACT:

Chrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney

Armstrong Urges the Advancement of Comprehensive Permitting Reform in September

COMPANIES, LABOR, AND ADVOCACY GROUPS CALL FOR CONGRESSIONAL ACTION TO GET AMERICA BUILDING AGAIN

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) is urging the advancement of a strong, comprehensive permitting reform package during the September work period. His call comes as companies, trade associations, labor organizations, advocacy groups, and cross-sector stakeholders urge Congress to address permitting delays that raise consumers utility bills and deters competition amongst energy providers.

“I remain confident that the committees of jurisdiction will put forward a strong, effective, well-rounded permitting reform package this upcoming work period,” said Senator Armstrong. “The committee-led effort remains the most viable path to the Senate floor. Congress should seize this historic opportunity to deliver meaningful permitting reform for American families and businesses.”

“Our team’s goal has been to see legislation enacted that brings practical solutions like those included in the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act, solutions supported by a broad, cross-sector coalition. We are anxious to support the committee’s efforts to get this done. However, it is imperative that the final product delivers meaningful structural reforms—not weak workarounds that look good on paper but fail to prevent frivolous litigation unrelated to environmental impacts. The time is right to get this done, as both sides of the aisle recognize the importance of enabling our nation to build with certainty and speed while maintaining the highest protections for our environment.”

Permitting reform does not reduce environmental protections; it simply provides a clear path to getting things built instead of litigated. The ability to build power plants, pipelines, transmission lines, and critical mineral projects helps determine whether manufacturers can expand, advanced technologies can scale, and defense suppliers can secure necessary materials and reliable electricity.

The only groups opposing sensible permitting reform are those who profit from stopping American progress.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: CALLS ACROSS THE ECONOMY

Momentum for permitting reform grew during the Senate’s August recess. From energy producers and manufacturers to labor, environmental advocates, and state leaders, stakeholders agree: America cannot deliver affordable energy, strengthen supply chains, or compete globally if it cannot build. Their message reinforces Senator Armstrong’s call for Congress to advance a strong, bipartisan package.

CONGRESSIONAL AND STATE LEADERS: THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW

“We are in the midst of negotiating something that I think could be game-changing for the country, and this is permitting reform,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

Source: Steven Allen Adams, “Capito, Justice Focus Remarks on Energy at 90th Annual W.Va. Chamber Meeting,” Parkersburg News and Sentinel, September 4, 2026.

“When it comes to permitting reform, if we can actually pull this off … it means lower energy prices for all Americans,” said Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH).

Source: “Ted Cruz Names ‘Most Powerful Democrat’ as He Warns Socialist Rise Has Paralyzed Bipartisanship,” Fox News, September 4, 2026.

“Permitting reform is affordability. My goal with permitting reform is simple: make America the best place in the world to build, invest, and innovate,” wrote Senator Jon Husted (R-OH).

Source: Senator Jon Husted, “On the Phone with Ohioans,” September 4, 2026.

“We need to pass permitting reform and actually increase domestic production of energy—including in New York,” saidRepresentative Mike Lawler (R-NY).

Source: “Swing-District Republicans Brace for a Midterm Storm,” New York Post, September 10, 2026.

“We need permitting reform. … We need Congress to act so that we can build the infrastructure that will help us to bring down prices,” said Utah Governor Spencer Cox.

Source: “Transcript: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on ‘Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,’ Sept. 13, 2026,” CBS News, September 13, 2026.

“Permitting reform means more certainty for landowners, more investment in rural communities and more good-paying jobs for Oklahomans,” wrote Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.

Source: Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt), X, September 2, 2026.

“Slow, burdensome, and bureaucratic permitting hurts our economy, slows investment in the state, and reduces opportunity for Coloradans,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

Source: Office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis, August 6, 2026.

LOWER COSTS AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY

“If we have permitting reform, we think it will lower most energy prices by up to about 20%,” said David McIntosh, President of Club for Growth.

Source: “Energy Summit Links Permitting Reform to Power Bills,” Spectrum News, September 4, 2026.

“Permitting reform is the most effective step Congress can take to deliver affordable, reliable energy to American families and businesses,” said Brandon Arnold of the National Taxpayers Union.

Source: “Congress Pushed to Act Now to Stop Looming Crisis for America’s Electric Grid,” The Washington Times, September 14, 2026.

“Permitting reform isn’t simply an energy issue or an environmental issue. It is an affordability issue,” wrote former Senator Pat Toomey.

Source: “America’s Broken Permitting System Is Quietly Raising Your Cost of Living,” Fox News, August 17, 2026.

“Permitting reform means more jobs, lower costs, and stronger communities,” the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry wrote.

Source: Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry (@PAChamber), X, September 3, 2026.

“America’s energy and economic future depends on our ability to build the infrastructure needed to meet this moment. Lengthy and unpredictable permitting processes can add years of delay and significant costs to critical energy infrastructure projects, costs that ultimately impact customers. Permitting reform is an important step toward keeping energy affordable, strengthening reliability, and delivering the infrastructure needed to efficiently meet growing demand. By streamlining reviews while maintaining appropriate state and environmental standards, policymakers can help protect customers and support a more resilient energy system,” saidMatthew Satterwhite, Head of U.S. Policy and Regulatory Strategy at National Grid.

Source: direct statement, August 28, 2026.

“Senator Armstrong recognizes how America’s broken permitting system can delay the infrastructure we need, and his leadership has brought renewed urgency to this debate. Too many critical energy projects remain tied up for years in red tape, making it harder to deliver affordable, reliable energy to American families. We urge lawmakers to come together this year to pass durable, bipartisan permitting reform,” said Kristin Whitman, Senior Vice President of Government Relations at the American Petroleum Institute.

Source: The Washington Reporter, August 23, 2026.

POWER, GRID RELIABILITY AND AMERICA’S GROWING ENERGY NEEDS

“We are highly supportive of Senator Armstrong’s legislation, the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act. We thank him for his hard work on this bill, and we are hopeful that we can get this critical policy moving forward. […] As electricity demand continues to grow, meeting our future energy needs will require us to build new generation and critical infrastructure more quickly and efficiently. We thank Senator Armstrong for his leadership on this critically important issue at such a vital time, and we want to draft in his wake to help make these reforms successful,” said Todd Snitchler, President and CEO, Electric Power Supply Association.

Source: Energy Solutions podcast, “Get America Building: Senator Alan Armstrong on Energy Infrastructure and Permitting Reform”, August 12, 2026

“America’s energy future is stuck at the starting line,” wrote Amy Andryszak, President and CEO of INGAA, and Todd Snitchler, President and CEO of EPSA.

Source: “The Price of Waiting on Pipes and Wires,” New York Daily News, August 26, 2026.

“Permitting reform is a great opportunity. It’s sorely needed. It’s needed now,” said Brian Papp of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.

Source: “Congress Pushed to Act Now to Stop Looming Crisis for America’s Electric Grid,” The Washington Times, September 14, 2026.

“Americans need a power grid that’s bigger and better. But America needs Congress to act to help build the energy infrastructure it needs faster,” wrote Heather O’Neill, president and CEO of Advanced Energy United.

Source: “We Have Enough Power to Light Up America. Washington Won’t Let Us Plug It In,” Washington Examiner, September 12, 2026.

“We’ve got to right-size our permitting in this country to make sure it’s accountable. It’s timely,” said Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Source: “NRECA: America Needs More Power, Not Restrictions on Natural Gas Plants,” RFD-TV, August 31, 2026.

“A permitting system that reliably moves energy to where it’s needed is not optional; it is foundational to affordability, reliability, and national security. @SenArmstrong’s AEMI recognizes this reality and offers a targeted, practical fix: streamline reviews, curb misuse of Section 401, and empower FERC to do its job. Reform is the only path,” the American Consumer Institute wrote on X.

Source: ACI (@consumerpal), X, August 18, 2026

“Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) has introduced S.4944, the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act of 2026, a comprehensive permitting reform package aimed at speeding energy and mineral infrastructure while keeping environmental review in place. […] NHA urges its members to contact their U.S. Senators and ask them to cosponsor and support S.4944.” said the National Hydropower Association in a member action alert.

Source: “Support S.4944, the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act!”

MANUFACTURING, INFRASTRUCTURE AND AMERICAN COMPETITIVENESS

“Thank you, @SenArmstrong for your steadfast leadership on permitting reform. As you rightly point out, American steelmaking depends on affordable, reliable power and we need a permitting system that allows us to build the infrastructure to deliver it. Let’s get permitting reform done and keep American manufacturing moving forward.” the Steel Manufacturers Association wrote on X.

Source: Steel Manufacturers Association (@SMA_Steel), X, August 31, 2026.

“AEMIA [the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act] is a win-win for the cement industry, and the ACA is proud to support it,” wrote Sean O’Neill, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs of the American Cement Association.

Source: Letter, August 19, 2026.

“Modernizing our permitting system, supporting production in the U.S., and investing in innovative technologies will help secure America’s energy advantage and keep us globally competitive while reducing costs for consumers at home. By producing critical chemistries in the U.S., we can avoid supply disruptions, cut shipping costs, and keep energy prices more predictable. That means families can rely on energy to power daily life, from keeping cool to preparing meals and staying connected with loved ones,” posted the American Chemistry Council.

Source: “Powering America’s Future with Chemistry,” blog post, August 5, 2026.

“Permitting reform is one of the most critical, and most bipartisan, infrastructure challenges facing our economy today. We need a permitting process that is predictable, transparent, timely and one that allows America to build the energy infrastructure our economy demands. We encourage Congress to #PermitAmerica2Build,” posted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce (@USChamber), X, August 21, 2026

“There’s still more that needs to be done on permitting reform and speeding things up. Ohio’s doing a lot of things right, but we could benefit from federal permitting reform, and it would help Ohio really go into a supercharged economic mode—we’ll be a superpower,” said Steve Stivers, President and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

Source: State Affairs, September 4, 2026.

“Senator Armstrong is right to make this a priority. His push for permitting reform recognizes something rural Oklahomans already know, a strong economy depends on the ability to build. Congress should use the opportunity in front of it to create a permitting process that is efficient, responsible and durable,” said Monica Collison, President of the Oklahoma Rural Association.

Source: OK Energy Today, August 28, 2026.

“Oklahoma has spent generations helping power the U.S. With a permitting system that provides timely, consistent decisions, our state can continue building the infrastructure needed to meet the country’s growing energy needs for generations. Armstrong’s bill can help make that system a reality,” wrote John Tidwell, State Director of Americans for Prosperity–Oklahoma.

Source: Tulsa World, August 23, 2026.

BIPARTISAN REFORM AND THE NEED FOR A DURABLE DEAL

“CEBA appreciates the work of @SenArmstrong and colleagues across the aisle in looking for common-sense solutions that enable real and lasting reform to existing environmental and permitting laws. We thank the senator for his focus on the issues and continue to hope that a broad, bipartisan deal can be struck in the weeks and months ahead,” posted Corporate Buyers Energy Association.

Source: CEBA (@CEBAPower), X, August 28, 2026.

“Democrats can’t claim to treat climate change as a crisis if they are unwilling to act to solve it. Right now, that means making a deal on permitting with Republican lawmakers and Mr. Trump,” said Jane Flegal, senior fellow at the Searchlight Institute, and Pavan Venkatakrishnan policy fellow at Searchlight at the Searchlight Institute.

Source: “Dems Should Permit Trump a Win,” The Wall Street Journal, September 11, 2026.

“A nation that litigates its own power plants into paralysis disarms itself as surely as if it scrapped its fleet. So the US must build. More generation. More transmission. More pipelines. More refining. More nuclear. More solar. More everything. And to build, we must fix a broken permitting system that stalls energy projects for years to decades. The national heroes of this moment include county commissioners, state legislators, and members of Congress pushing the reforms that ensure America builds at home. Every megawatt we add expands any President’s room to maneuver. It also holds costs down for families. Permitting reform is not a technocratic sideshow. It is a wartime arsenal. It is economic hope for households trying to make the math work. It is an act of civilizational self-defense,” wrote Sarah E. Hunt, CEO and President of the Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy.

Source: Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy, X, August 24, 2026.

BACKGROUND

Armstrong introduced the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure (AEMI) Act this summer to provide practical solutions to permitting delays and help get America building again. The legislation offers reforms for consideration as the committees develop a comprehensive package. As of August 12, the bill had 17 Senate cosponsors and support from dozens of outside stakeholders.",1,2026-09-24T10:30:22Z,2026-09-24T10:31:42Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-leads-oklahoma-delegation-in-push-for-federal-disaster-assistance-following-july-4-storms/,Lankford Leads Oklahoma Delegation in Push for Federal Disaster Assistance Following July 4 Storms,2026-09-14,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) led the Oklahoma congressional delegation in urging President Trump to approve Governor Kevin Stitt’s request for a major disaster declaration to help Oklahoma communities recover from severe storms, high winds, flooding, and widespread power outages that struck the state on July 4.

The delegation requested Public Assistance for Cleveland, Nowata, Osage, and Washington Counties, as well as Hazard Mitigation Grant Program assistance statewide.

Read the full letter HERE and below.

Mr. President,

We write in support of the formal request from the State of Oklahoma, through the office of Governor Kevin Stitt, that was submitted on September 2, 2026, for a major disaster declaration, including Public Assistance for Cleveland, Nowata, Osage, and Washington Counties to recover from severe storms, high winds, flooding, and widespread power outages that occurred on the evening of Saturday, July 4, as well as Hazard Mitigation Grant Program assistance statewide. An Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency in these counties (E.O. 2026-23) was issued on July 5, 2026.

Severe storms, high winds, and flooding impacted the State of Oklahoma on the evening of Saturday, July 4 and caused damage to public property within the State. As usual, Oklahomans demonstrated the Oklahoma Standard when they stepped up to help their families and neighbors as they began the process of cleaning up the debris and repairing damage to schools, businesses, and neighborhoods.

State and local officials have informed us that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response and recovery is beyond the combined capability of the state and local governments, and that federal assistance is necessary to lessen the threat of disaster, protect property, and to ensure the safety of these communities.

As such, we respectfully urge you to approve the Governor’s request for the counties listed above and to provide Hazard Mitigation Grant Program assistance statewide. We stand ready to provide any assistance needed to ensure the prompt evaluation of this request. Please reach out to our offices with any questions on this matter.

Sincerely,

/x/

Background

Lankford has consistently worked to ensure Oklahoma communities have access to federal resources following severe weather and natural disasters.

In July, Lankford announced more than $12.3 million in FEMA Public Assistance grants to help Oklahoma communities repair electrical infrastructure, roads, and public buildings damaged by severe storms, tornadoes, and winter weather.

In June, Lankford highlighted more than $2.8 million in FEMA assistance for recovery from severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, and wildfires after working with FEMA leadership to finalize the grants.

Earlier this year, Lankford helped secure more than $20 million in FEMA funding for flood mitigation in Tulsa County and severe-weather recovery efforts in Shawnee, Sulphur, and other Oklahoma communities.

Lankford has also repeatedly worked with the Oklahoma congressional delegation to support major disaster declarations following severe weather, including leading the delegation’s request for federal assistance after the April 2024 tornado outbreak.

Lankford has introduced bipartisan legislation to improve federal disaster response and recovery, including the POWER Act, which would allow FEMA funding to be used to strengthen electrical infrastructure while it is rebuilt following a disaster.

###",1,2026-09-15T09:50:21Z,2026-09-15T09:52:05Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-celebrates-states-largest-federal-transportation-grant-with-roosevelt-bridge-groundbreaking/,Lankford Celebrates State’s Largest Federal Transportation Grant with Roosevelt Bridge Groundbreaking,2026-09-11,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster, Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation and Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation Tim Gatz, and state and local leaders in Marshall County on Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking of the $409 million Roosevelt Bridge Project replacing the more than 80-year-old section of US-70 spanning Lake Texoma between Durant and Kingston.

“After years of working with the Department of Transportation to obtain federal funding, I’m grateful to have secured the largest transportation grant in Oklahoma history for this project,” said Lankford. “This is a historic investment in Southern Oklahoma that will ensure safer, more reliable travel for school buses, truck drivers, families, and tourists that cross Lake Texoma every day.”

The Roosevelt Memorial Bridge over Lake Texoma connects Southern Oklahoma from east to west. Originally built in 1942 under the Roosevelt Administration, the bridge has become functionally obsolete and is at risk of deteriorating and becoming structurally deficient. The bridge carries 12,000 vehicles per day, and while either side is a four-lane highway, the bridge remains two lanes with no shoulders, which leads to bottlenecks and higher collision rates.

“The groundbreaking of the US-70 Roosevelt Bridge replacement project marks a monumental milestone for southeastern Oklahoma and our neighbors in Texas and Arkansas whose lives and economies rely upon this critical corridor,” said Tim Gatz, Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation and Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. “A project of this magnitude would never be possible without the support of our federal delegation, including Senator Lankford, and the $124 million Federal Bridge Investment Program grant that covers roughly 30 percent of this project’s cost. We are also grateful to Governor Stitt, our legislature and many state partners who are helping bring this important project to life.”

In July 2024, Lankford announced the Federal Highway Administration had awarded ODOT $123.85 million in federal funding for the Roosevelt Bridge project, the largest federal transportation grant in Oklahoma history. This is one of 19 projects nationwide awarded a Bridge Investment Program – Large Bridge Project grant. The existing bridge will stay open for travelers during construction, with the new bridge expected to open in Fall of 2029.",1,2026-09-12T09:02:30Z,2026-09-12T09:03:27Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-marks-25th-anniversary-of-september-11th-attacks/,Lankford Marks 25th Anniversary of September 11th Attacks,2026-09-11,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) released the following statement marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks:

“Twenty-five years later, we honor the lives lost and pray for the families that continue grieving,” said Lankford. “Today and every day we thank the first responders and those in uniform who run towards danger in order to protect and serve others. We will never forget.”

###",1,2026-09-12T09:02:30Z,2026-09-12T09:03:27Z
https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/armstrong-peters-congress-already-has-the-common-ground-to-pass-permitting-reform/,"Armstrong, Peters: Congress Already Has the Common Ground to Pass Permitting Reform",2026-09-08,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,Alan Armstrong,A000383,www.armstrong.senate.gov,armstrong,https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/news/media-center/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 8, 2026

CONTACT:

Chrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney

Armstrong, Peters: Congress Already Has the Common Ground to Pass Permitting Reform

REPUBLICAN SENATOR AND DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN SAY CONGRESS ALREADY AGREES ON ENOUGH TO ACT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA) are calling on Congress to seize a rare window of bipartisan agreement and pass meaningful permitting reform.

In a new joint op-ed published in American Affairs, Armstrong and Peters argue that while they represent different parties, chambers, and regions of the country, they agree on a fundamental challenge facing the United States: America has lost its ability to build.

Importantly, Armstrong and Peters argue that Congress already has substantial bipartisan agreement on how to begin fixing it. Meaningful reform should establish clear and enforceable timelines, modernize environmental review, provide certainty against endless litigation, and make it easier to build the linear infrastructure America needs—without picking political favorites between pipelines and transmission.

Their message comes as Congress faces a choice: allow longstanding disagreements over energy and environmental policy to derail another attempt at reform, or act on the significant bipartisan consensus that already exists around fixing the permitting process itself. As Armstrong and Peters write, the principles at the heart of reform—rigorous review, clear rules, accountability, reasonable deadlines, and certainty that final decisions remain final—are not partisan.

“We have a rare bipartisan window of alignment to solve this. We already agree on enough to get started. If Congress fails to act, we will fail to deliver for the American people. The market is begging to build. It is time for Congress to stop standing in our own way and get America building again.”

Read the full op-ed here in American Affairs, and see selected excerpts here:

“America has lost its ability to build.”

“Whether we are trying to produce more American energy, construct transmission lines, power the artificial intelligence revolution, strengthen manufacturing, develop critical minerals, or build affordable housing, projects are being choked by a permitting system that too often rewards delay instead of results. No longer simply an environmental or energy issue, it is an affordability problem, an economic competitiveness problem, and increasingly a national security problem.”

“Congress itself acknowledges this dysfunction. When lawmakers decide something urgently needs to be built—from affordable housing to critical infrastructure—we waive or streamline NEPA requirements without making fundamental reforms to the law. That is an admission that the underlying process needs modernization. Congress should fix the system rather than constantly invent exceptions to it.”

“We also agree that permitting reform cannot devolve into a partisan slugging match over ‘transmission vs. pipelines.’ We want a win for all linear infrastructure.”

“The principles of reform are not partisan: rigorous review, clear rules and pathways to accountability, reasonable deadlines, and confidence that final decisions will remain final without burdensome litigation.”

“We have a rare bipartisan window of alignment to solve this. We already agree on enough to get started. If Congress fails to act, we will fail to deliver for the American people. The market is begging to build. It is time for Congress to stop standing in our own way and get America building again.”",1,2026-09-24T10:30:22Z,2026-09-24T10:31:42Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-resolution-designating-september-as-national-child-awareness-month-passes-senate/,Lankford Resolution Designating September as National Child Awareness Month Passes Senate,2026-09-03,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — A Senate resolution introduced by US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), designating September as National Child Awareness Month (NCAM), recently passed the Senate unanimously. The resolution promotes awareness of charities that benefit children and youth-serving organizations across the country.

“Every child has tremendous worth and potential, and for nearly two decades, the Senate has supported the charities, nonprofits, and outreach organizations that make their futures even brighter,” said Lankford. “The volunteers and staff who invest in America’s youth demonstrate the Oklahoma Standard. This month – and every month – we recognize the work they do to strengthen our families and empower the next generation of leaders.”

“Helping children succeed is one of the best investments that we can make for the future of our country,” said Hassan. “This month is an opportunity to recognize the organizations and volunteers who work every day to support children and families in New Hampshire and across the country. Their tireless work helps ensure that every child has the chance to dream big and reach their full potential.”

You can download the full text of the resolution HERE.

###",1,2026-09-04T09:19:37Z,2026-09-04T09:20:58Z
https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/icymi-sen-armstrong-outlines-urgency-of-permitting-reform-to-boost-energy-grid-and-national-security-in-535-news-editorial/,ICYMI: Sen. Armstrong Outlines Urgency of Permitting Reform to Boost Energy Grid and National Security in 535 News Editorial,2026-08-31,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,Alan Armstrong,A000383,www.armstrong.senate.gov,armstrong,https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/news/media-center/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 31, 2026

CONTACT:

Chrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney

ICYMI: Sen. Armstrong Outlines Urgency of Permitting Reform to Boost Energy Grid and National Security in 535 News Editorial

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) published an op-ed today in 535 News detailing how bureaucratic red tape and federal permitting paralysis threaten American energy reliability, economic competitiveness, and national defense readiness.

In the piece, Senator Armstrong draws on his decades of experience as an energy industry executive to outline how excessive delays, endless litigation, and interconnection backlogs leave key industries—from steel and aluminum manufacturing to AI power infrastructure—vulnerable to foreign competitors like China.

Read the full piece here and below.

AMERICA BUILT THE 20TH CENTURY. CAN WE BUILD THE 21ST?

BY: SENATOR ALAN ARMSTRONG (R-OK)

America’s 21st-century ambitions—from leading the artificial intelligence boom to revitalizing domestic manufacturing—rest on an aging physical foundation designed for the 20th century. The United States remains a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, but we lose that edge if we cannot build the infrastructure required to support these advances.

America has a proud history as a nation of builders. In the post-World War II era, Americans constructed mega-bridges and entire expressway systems in mere years. But in the decades since, the federal permitting system has become so cumbersome that it is often easier to block a project than to build one. A system well intentioned to protect the environment and the public interest has, paradoxically, become a primary obstacle to the progress our nation urgently needs and the environmental benefits that progress enables.

The result is permitting paralysis—regulatory gridlock that affects nearly every sector of the economy and threatens economic competitiveness and national security.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the U.S. electrical grid, which is choked by an interconnection backlog that prevents the deployment of new energy. Utilities are quoting 8 to 15 years to complete studies for a single interconnection request. The nation needs over 160 gigawatts of new power in the next four years, yet permitting and building required transmission lines can take 7 to 19 years. These delays not only hinder our ability to meet growing power demand but also restrain the deployment of more efficient, more sustainable energy technologies. Under the current system, large power consumers like major industrial players and data center developers are increasingly bypassing the public grid entirely, building private “behind-the-meter” energy systems because public infrastructure cannot keep pace.

These bottlenecks have severe consequences for consumers and manufacturers alike, particularly the American steel industry, which depends on stable, affordable power. When power costs recently surged 76 percent year over year in PJM, the nation’s largest grid, steel manufacturers absorbed millions of dollars in additional expenses simply to maintain production. When we fail to build the infrastructure required to power these facilities, we increase our reliance on higher- emitting foreign sources and jeopardize the workers and factories producing steel for our bridges, naval vessels, and industrial base.

The national-security stakes become even clearer with aluminum. The United States imports roughly 85 percent of its aluminum and is entirely dependent on foreign sources for the high-purity aluminum used in F-35 fighter jets and missiles. A multi-billion-dollar smelter project in Oklahoma stands ready to double domestic production, but its success depends on timely approvals for affordable power and river logistics. When we cannot build the infrastructure needed to supply our defense industrial base, permitting paralysis becomes a strategic vulnerability.

The constraints begin even further upstream, with raw materials themselves. Permitting and building a new mine in the United States can take nearly 30 years. Minnesota’s NewRange copper-nickel mine has spent decades and hundreds of millions of dollars navigating reviews without breaking ground. In Alaska’s Ambler region, access to mineral development has been allowed in federal law for decades, yet projects remain trapped in regulatory uncertainty. We possess extraordinary resources and world class standards but increasingly struggle to couple those assets into productive capacity.

When I was a CEO in the energy industry, I saw firsthand how our broken permitting system chills project investment. Corporate boards hesitate to commit capital when permits can be delayed, litigated, or revoked after issuance, and they require higher returns to justify the risk. Now, as a U.S. Senator, I realize how widespread this problem is and the geopolitical harm it does to the country.

While America spends years reviewing and litigating whether projects can proceed, our global competitors are building industrial capacity at a speed we struggle to match. Twenty years ago, U.S. and Chinese installed electrical capacity were roughly at parity. Today, China’s capacity has nearly tripled while ours has grown by less than 20 percent. China is building the power plants, transmission networks, mines, factories, and supply chains that will underpin the 21st-century economy while America too often waits for permission.

Thankfully, we are not China. We are a nation of the people. We are a nation of innovators who are proud to take precautions to protect and restore the beautiful environment of this country. We used to be a nation of builders. However, our permitting processes have become our foes greatest strength, and the goal of our honest intentions have been lost in the morass of litigation and endless do-loops.

That widening gap is about more than economic growth. America cannot deter its adversaries with a hollowed-out industrial base or an energy system incapable of expanding at the speed modern security challenges demand. Military strength depends on domestic production, resilient supply chains, and the ability to build quickly. When delays and litigation stretch into years or decades, we are not simply slowing development; we are weakening the foundation of American readiness.

We do not want to look back in a decade and wonder how a country blessed with extraordinary resources and people allowed a bureaucracy of its own making to surrender its global competitive edge. America can lead the 21st-century economy. But first, America needs to allow itself to build again.

Alan Armstrong, a Republican, is a U.S. senator from Oklahoma. He served as CEO and executive board chairman of Williams from 2011 to 2026.",1,2026-09-24T10:30:22Z,2026-09-24T10:31:42Z
https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/afp-oklahoma-praises-sen-armstrongs-permitting-reform-bill-in-thetulsa-world/,AFP-Oklahoma Praises Sen. Armstrong’s Permitting Reform Bill in theTulsa World,2026-08-25,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,Alan Armstrong,A000383,www.armstrong.senate.gov,armstrong,https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/news/media-center/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 25, 2026

CONTACT:

Chrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney

AFP-Oklahoma Praises Sen. Armstrong’s Permitting Reform Bill in theTulsa World

JOHN TIDWELL STRESSES THE URGENCY TO PASS ARMSTRONG’S AEMI ACT TO MAINTAIN OKLAHOMA’S STATUS AS A NATIONAL ENERGY LEADER

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a recent opinion column published by the Tulsa World, John Tidwell, Oklahoma State Director of Americans for Prosperity, highlighted Senator Alan Armstrong’s (R-OK) landmark legislation, S. 4944, the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure (AEMI) Act, as a critical step toward unlocking domestic energy growth and fixing the nation’s broken permitting system.

In the op-ed, Tidwell outlines how excessive federal red tape, administrative delays, and endless litigation threaten Oklahoma’s historic role as a national energy leader. Tidwell emphasizes that reforming the current regulatory process is necessary to lower energy costs, expand the electric grid, and ensure long-term energy independence.

Read the full op-ed here. Key excerpts:

ON THE NEED FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION

“Sen. Alan Armstrong has introduced the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act, which would provide the predictability that Oklahoma needs to lead the way in building the next generation of energy.”

ON PERMITTING OBSTACLES

“It takes an average of 4 ½ years to obtain a permit to build energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, more than 4,000 miles of pipeline projects remain tied up in legal battles and permitting delays.”

ON RISING POWER DEMANDS

“Demand for reliable electricity also is rising faster than it has in decades. This is an opportunity for energy-producing states like Oklahoma to help meet that need. Our ability to build and transmit energy will determine whether our country is prepared to meet the demands of an increasingly strained energy grid. Energy demand is expected to grow 52% by 2034, with data centers and manufacturing making up a large portion of this demand.”

ON MODERNIZING FEDERAL REVIEWS

“Armstrong’s bill would streamline overlapping federal reviews while ensuring environmental laws remain focused on evaluating legitimate environmental impacts rather than creating years of procedural delay.”

The American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act targets these exact bottlenecks by modernizing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scope, strengthening the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) role over interstate natural gas projects, amending Clean Water Act Section 401 review processes, and establishing clear judicial review standards.

BACKGROUND

In June, Armstrong hosted an official event on Capitol Hill, Getting America Building Again: Permitting Reform and America’s Competitive Future, which brought together more than 150 business leaders and policy experts to advance a shared blueprint for comprehensive permitting reform and discuss the urgent need to modernize America’s permitting laws.",1,2026-09-24T10:30:22Z,2026-09-24T10:31:42Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-common-cents-act-passes-senate-by-unanimous-consent/,ICYMI: Common Cents Act Passes Senate by Unanimous Consent,2026-08-18,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) successfully advanced the bipartisan Common Cents Act through the Senate by unanimous consent before the Senate adjourned. The legislation would end production of the penny and save taxpayers an estimated $56 million annually.

The effort to end penny production has gained momentum under President Trump. On February 9, 2025, President Trump called for an end to the minting of pennies. On February 18, 2025, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the US Mint would soon stop producing the penny. The Common Cents Act brings common sense to America’s coinage system by ending production of a coin that costs nearly four cents to produce while providing businesses with clear rules for cash transactions. The House passed the legislation by voice vote on July 14.

“It costs nearly four cents to make a penny that is worth one cent. That is not a good use of taxpayer dollars. The Common Cents Act is a bipartisan, commonsense solution that will save taxpayers millions of dollars while ensuring businesses have clear rules for cash transactions. I’m glad the Senate unanimously passed this legislation and took another step toward bringing our nation’s coinage system into the 21st century,” said Lankford.

Background

The Common Cents Act does the following:

Ends production of the penny.

Provides legal certainty for businesses on rounding practices.

Permits a lower-cost composition for the nickel that reduces costs while maintaining compatibility with existing machines.

Requires advance Congressional notification of the discontinuation of future coinage.

The National Association of Convenience Stores, National Grocers Association, National Restaurant Association, the United Steelworkers Union (USW), International Franchise Association, National Retail Federation, American Bankers Association, Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), and others have all endorsed the legislation.

You can view the full bill text HERE and learn more about the law passed HERE.

###",1,2026-08-19T05:29:02Z,2026-08-19T05:30:24Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-bipartisan-task-force-for-combating-antisemitism-statement-on-2025-fbi-hate-crimes-report/,Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism Statement on 2025 FBI Hate Crimes Report,2026-08-17,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Today, US James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-founders and co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, released the following statement in response to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) 2025 Hate Crimes Report. The FBI data shows that more than 62% of religiously-motivated hate crimes in 2025 targeted Jewish Americans – more than any other religious group – and 2025 was the third-highest year of anti-Jewish hate crimes on record.

“Year after year, we’ve seen alarming rates of antisemitic harassment and violence in this country. While the latest FBI Hate Crimes report shows a slight decrease in 2025 when compared to the previous year, anti-Jewish hate crimes continue to be higher than they were before the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel,” said Senators Lankford and Rosen. “This report shows the dark reality for Jewish Americans: antisemitic attacks make up more than 62 percent of religiously-motivated hate crimes in the United States, more than double all other kinds of religiously-motivated hate crimes combined. We’re faced with nothing less than a crisis, and we need collective action. Our bipartisan Jewish American Security Act will take important steps to protect Jewish Americans where they are targeted – on campus, in their communities, and online. We will continue working to pass this bill and take action at the federal level to protect Jewish Americans.”

As co-founders and co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force on Combating Antisemitism, Senators Lankford and Rosen have been leading the fight against rising antisemitism. The task force has grown to include more than half of the Senate – with members in equal numbers from both parties – and successfully pushed for the development of the first-ever national strategy to combat antisemitism. Earlier this year, Senators Lankford and Rosen introduced the Jewish American Security Act, landmark bipartisan legislation to protect Jewish Americans on college campuses, at Jewish communal institutions, and online.

###",1,2026-08-18T05:27:41Z,2026-08-18T05:29:06Z
https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/armstrong-joins-epsas-energy-solutions-podcast-to-discuss-permitting-reform-agenda/,Armstrong Joins EPSA’s Energy Solutions Podcast to Discuss Permitting Reform Agenda,2026-08-13,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,Alan Armstrong,A000383,www.armstrong.senate.gov,armstrong,https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/news/media-center/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 13, 2026

CONTACT:

Chrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney

Armstrong Joins EPSA’s Energy Solutions Podcast to Discuss Permitting Reform Agenda

“IT’S NEVER BEEN SO EASY TO BLOCK PROJECTS VERSUS BUILD PROJECTS”: ARMSTRONG CALLS FOR STREAMLINED FEDERAL REVIEWS AND REGULATORY CERTAINTY TO MEET RISING ENERGY DEMAND

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) joined the Energy Solutions podcast, hosted by Todd Snitchler, President and CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), for an in-depth conversation on energy infrastructure, the lessons of the shale gas revolution, and the critical need for bipartisan permitting reform.

Listen to the full podcast here.

During the interview, Sen. Armstrong drew on his nearly four decades of energy industry experience to discuss how regulatory delays and fragmented agency reviews hinder critical infrastructure projects. Key highlights from his comments:",1,2026-09-24T10:30:22Z,2026-09-24T10:31:42Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-colleagues-resolution-recognizing-national-community-health-center-week-passes-senate/,"Lankford, Colleagues’ Resolution Recognizing National Community Health Center Week Passes Senate",2026-08-11,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — A Senate resolution introduced by US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and John Cornyn (R-TX), along with Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jim Justice (R-WV), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), designating August 2-8, 2026, as National Community Health Center Week, recently passed the Senate unanimously.

You can read the full resolution text below or HERE.

“Whereas, for over 60 years, community health centers have provided access to high-quality, affordable, comprehensive, preventive care for individuals in the United States, having a positive impact on the health system of the United States;

Whereas, as the largest primary care network in the United States, over 1,500 community health centers provide high quality care for up to 52,000,000 individuals in 17,000 communities, such that 1 in 7 individuals across the United States and 1 in 3 in rural areas rely on community health centers;

Whereas community health centers are an important element of the health system of the United States, serving rural, suburban, island, frontier, and urban communities, often as the only accessible and dependable source of primary care;

Whereas community health centers are responding to the growing burden of chronic disease by expanding access to nutrition services and lifestyle counseling, reducing expensive emergency room visits and hospital admissions, and keeping the people of the United States healthy;

Whereas community health centers integrate a wide range of services into primary care, such as mental health, dental, vision, hearing, and pharmacy services, creating a one-stop shop for all health-related needs;

Whereas community health centers are uniquely governed by patient-majority boards, ensuring communities are fully engaged in the strategy of community health centers for improving care access and quality;

Whereas community health centers are locally operated nonprofit organizations that empower local economies by generating nearly $262,000,000,000 in economic activity across the United States;

Whereas community health centers nationally support 809,000 jobs, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, counselors, dentists, pharmacists, and community health workers on multidisciplinary teams;

Whereas the community health center model of care is effective at overcoming barriers to access, improving health outcomes, and saving taxpayer dollars;

Whereas, in 2025, community health centers provided cancer screening to nearly 11,000,000 patients and helped more than 4,000,000 patients control their hypertension and nearly 2,500,000 patients control their diabetes;

Whereas community health centers are on the front lines of addressing opioid overdoses, responding to health care needs arising from natural disasters, expanding access to care for our veterans, and operating nearly 4,600 school-based sites and over 1,300 mobile units to reach people living in rural and remote areas; and

Whereas National Community Health Center Week offers the opportunity to recognize the contributions of every community health center: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

honors the dedicated staff, board members, patients, and all those responsible for the continued success of community health centers since the first centers opened their doors 6 decades ago;

celebrates the legacy of community health centers and their vital role in shaping the past, present, and future of the health system of the United States;

supports the designation of the first week of August 2026, as “National Community Health Center Week”; and

encourages all people of the United States to participate in National Community Health Center Week by visiting their local community health center and celebrating the important partnership between community health centers and the communities they serve.”

###",1,2026-08-18T05:27:41Z,2026-08-18T05:29:06Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-leads-colleagues-in-introducing-bill-to-strengthen-and-protect-the-ministry-of-military-chaplains/,Lankford Leads Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Strengthen and Protect the Ministry of Military Chaplains,2026-08-07,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced the Military Chaplains Modernization Act of 2026 (MCMA) to codify the purpose, role, duties, and professional qualifications of military chaplains and to protect chaplains from being forced to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.

“For our country’s 250-year history, military chaplains have walked alongside our service members through the hardest moments of their lives, offering prayer, counsel, and hope in isolated posts and combat zones alike,” said Lankford. “Chaplains serve because they are called to it. Congress has a responsibility to make sure they can carry out that calling faithfully, without being forced to violate the tenets of their faith and without fear of retaliation for holding to what they believe. This bill honors the men and women who minister to our heroes who defend our nation.”

“Military chaplains shouldn’t have to check their faith at the door when they put on the uniform,” said Cramer. “They play a vital role in supporting the moral and spiritual well-being of our servicemembers, and their ministry and the men and women they serve are strengthened because of their faith. This legislation protects their ability to minister according to their beliefs and ensures those freedoms are always preserved.”

“Military chaplains provide a vital service to the patriots who sacrifice for our country every day. By standardizing a chaplain’s role, this commonsense legislation clarifies their duties and protects chaplains from unfair censorship. Like all Americans, our men and women in uniform have the God-given right to observe their religious beliefs, especially as they put their own lives on the line to defend our nation. Our legislation reinforces those rights,” said Grassley.

“Military chaplains serve a unique and important role in our armed forces, providing spiritual guidance to our men and women in uniform. That is why it is imperative that their deeply held religious beliefs must be protected throughout their time in the military. I’m proud to support this legislation and the faith leaders who serve in our Armed Forces,”said Britt.

Background

Joining Lankford in cosponsoring the legislation are Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Katie Britt (R-AL). The bill has been included in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and is being led on the House side by Rep. Keith Self (R-TX-03).

The bill is also supported by the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, which provides advice and recommendations to Department of War (DOW) officials on matters of religious exercise.

Lankford has a long record of protecting religious liberty in the military. In the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA, Lankford secured language requiring every branch of the military to implement training for military leaders and service members on federal laws, DOW instructions, and regulations regarding religious liberty and accommodation. That training language was implemented in the Fiscal Year 2021 NDAA. The MCMA builds on that foundation by codifying protections for the chaplains who minister to service members every day.

The Military Chaplains Modernization Act:

Codifies the purpose, role, duties, and professional qualifications of chaplains across the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force.

Guarantees that chaplains may conduct worship, provide counseling, teach, deliver sermons, minister, and offer prayer in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs and the tenets of their religious-endorsing organization, free from censorship, undue restriction, or fear of retribution.

Prohibits any member of the Armed Forces from requiring or assigning a chaplain to perform any rite, ritual, ceremony, sermon, speech, task, or action contrary to the chaplain’s sincerely held religious beliefs.

Protects chaplains from retaliation or adverse personnel actions, including denial of promotion, letters of reprimand, and negative entries in the chaplain’s record, for refusing to violate their beliefs.

Establishes that violations are subject to prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Codifies the ranks and roles of the Chief of Chaplains and Deputy Chief of Chaplains as principal advisors to their respective service Secretaries and Chiefs of Staff.

You can download the full bill text HERE and learn more in the Washington Stand HERE.

###",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-defends-age-verification-laws-to-protect-children-from-explicit-content/,Lankford Defends Age Verification Laws to Protect Children from Explicit Content,2026-08-07,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Chair of the Senate Values Action Team, today sent a letter to Pornhub after the company’s July 28 letter urged state lawmakers to reject age verification laws that protect children from online explicit content.

You can read the full text of the letter HERE or below. Learn more in Fox News HERE.

Dear Mr. Friedman,

I write in response to the disgraceful letter Pornhub sent to state lawmakers on July 28th. The letter strongly urged against passage of age verification laws and further revealed the fact that Pornhub has no interest in protecting children.

Pornhub preys on children. It exposes them to horrific sexual content and does nothing to ensure that children are not sexually abused in the content it hosts. Pornhub’s letter suggests that tech companies should be responsible for protecting children from pornography. Lawmakers can and should hold tech companies accountable for the harm they pose to children. But that should not preclude state and federal lawmakers from holding platforms like Pornhub accountable for the harm it causes. Pornhub’s letter fails to say the quiet part out loud: Pornhub would lose customers if children were prohibited from viewing its content.

The American Psychological Association found that the average age of pornography exposure among boys was 13.37 years old with the youngest exposure at 5 years old. 43.5% of men reported that their first exposure was accidental and 17.2% of men reported that their first exposure was forced. Our children, especially young boys, deserve better than this. It should not be controversial that children deserve a childhood that is free from pornography.

Age verification laws are an important piece of making the internet safer for children. It is not the only solution to combat this problem, but it is an important start. Pornhub’s letter argues that age verification laws increase privacy risks for adults. But as you know, many state laws require platforms to delete personal information as soon as the age verification is complete. For example, Oklahoma law prohibits platforms from retaining any information after access is granted and imposes penalties on platforms who do not comply. The Age Verification Providers Association, which represents almost 30 organizations that provide age verification technology, have explained in detail the privacy protections that are built into these systems. These methods even complied with the EU’s stringent privacy requirements and are no more invasive than an in-person age check.

The Supreme Court affirmed in Free Speech Coalition vs. Paxton that these types of laws do not unreasonably burden adults and that the state has a legitimate interest in protecting children from these images. Pornhub’s letter complains that consumers do not want to go through age verification to access its content. But this is a small price to pay to protect children from harmful content.

My colleagues and I are working hard to address the harms to children online. We will not stop until we hold companies like Pornhub accountable. It is our duty to protect the most vulnerable in our society.

Parents today face an uphill battle when it comes to protecting their children online. Age verification is one simple step platforms can take to help preserve childhood innocence. This is especially true for platforms that host violent and perverse sexual content. Pornhub should be ashamed of its letter to state lawmakers and ashamed that they do nothing to protect children.

In God We Trust,

[X]

###",1,2026-08-08T05:41:38Z,2026-08-08T05:43:24Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-lee-introduce-the-ballots-by-election-day-act-to-restore-confidence-in-federal-elections/,"Lankford, Lee Introduce the Ballots by Election Day Act to Restore Confidence in Federal Elections",2026-08-07,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the Ballots by Election Day Act to require that all absentee and mail-in ballots in federal elections be received by the time polls close on Election Day.

In Watson v. Republican National Committee, the US Supreme Court upheld Mississippi’s law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to five days after and held that federal election-day statutes do not set a deadline for ballot receipt. The Ballots by Election Day Act legislatively closes that gap by setting a uniform federal deadline that requires ballots to be in the hands of election officials by the time polls close.

“Election Day should mean Election Day,” said Lankford. “Americans should not have to wait days or weeks while states like California keep counting ballots. The SAVE Act, this bill, and every other effort to secure our elections are about the same thing: making sure the American people can trust the results. If your ballot is going to count, it needs to be in the hands of election officials by the time the polls close.”

“Congress holds the constitutional authority to set the times, places, and manner of federal elections,” said Lee. “States counting late ballots are inviting fraud and sowing doubt in their own election results. Our bill will clarify protocol and restore trust by counting only ballots received before the polls close on election day.”

Background

Currently, states set their own deadlines for receipt of absentee and mail-in ballots in federal elections, with some states accepting ballots for days after Election Day so long as they are postmarked by Election Day. In Watson v. Republican National Committee, the Supreme Court held that federal law does not currently prohibit states from counting late-arriving ballots. The Ballots by Election Day Act would establish a uniform federal deadline for receipt of ballots in federal elections.

The Ballots by Election Day Act:

Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require that absentee and mail-in ballots in federal elections be received by the appropriate election official no later than the time polls close on Election Day.

Prohibits states from counting absentee or mail-in ballots received after polls close on Election Day.

Preserves existing protections for absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

Applies to federal elections held in 2027 and every year thereafter.

Lankford is an original cosponsor of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act and the SAVE America Act and has voted for the SAVE Act six times on the Senate floor.

You can download the full bill text HERE and can learn more in Fox News HERE.

###",1,2026-08-08T05:41:38Z,2026-08-08T05:43:24Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-shaheen-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-sanction-hezbollah-and-strengthen-lebanons-sovereignty/,"Lankford, Shaheen Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Sanction Hezbollah and Strengthen Lebanon’s Sovereignty",2026-08-07,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act, legislation to support Lebanon’s rule of law and democratic institutions through targeted sanctions, support for expanding the state’s civil authority, and security assistance to help the Lebanese state establish a monopoly of force over its territory, disarm Hezbollah, integrate communities into the state and free Lebanon from Iran’s malign influence.

“For decades, Iran has used Hezbollah to destabilize Lebanon, Israel, and threaten Americans who live in the region, but President Trump has created a real opening for change by bringing Israel and Lebanon to the table for the first direct talks in 30 years,” said Lankford. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act with Senator Shaheen. Our bill imposes tough sanctions on the network financing Hezbollah and provides security assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces. A sovereign Lebanon protects Lebanese, Israeli, and American citizens living in the region, and puts real pressure on the terrorists.”

“For the first time in decades, Lebanon has a real chance to reclaim its sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and break free from Iran’s malign influence, but success depends on sustained American support,” said Shaheen. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act with Senator Lankford. It combines tough sanctions on Hezbollah’s enablers with targeted security and recovery assistance as well as congressional oversight. This legislation helps the Lebanese state extend its authority and build toward a peaceful future with its neighbors. A sovereign, stable Lebanon is firmly in America’s interests, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.”

Background

The Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act seizes on the opportunity presented by direct negotiations and the trilateral framework between the United States, Israel, and Lebanon to ensure the disarmament of Hezbollah, integrate Lebanese communities previously reliant on Hezbollah into the Lebanese state, and build toward peaceful relations between Lebanon and Israel.

After years of Iranian proxy influence through Hezbollah, a banking sector crisis and challenges in government formation, Lebanon’s reform-minded government represents the best chance in decades to secure a safe and prosperous future. While the Lebanese Armed Forces, with US support to coordinate with the Israel Defense Forces, have made progress in disarming Hezbollah, Iran’s illicit financing and support of the group remains a significant impediment to completing that effort. Deepening this crisis, an estimated 1.2 million people have been displaced from southern Lebanon, risking another regional crisis.

The Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act would:

Impose sanctions on foreign persons who support Iran’s financing of Hezbollah or obstruct Lebanon’s efforts to disarm the group and reform its financial sector. Sanctions include blocking of property, financial transaction prohibitions and visa ineligibility, with exceptions for humanitarian assistance.

Support stabilization by continuing humanitarian assistance and establishing an incentive fund for recovery of infrastructure and civil services run by the state, as opposed to Hezbollah.

Authorize $200 million annually in security assistance to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces, conditioned on demonstrated progress against Hezbollah and with the opportunity to increase to $300 million annually if there is sufficient progress, including Foreign Military Financing and support to interdict weapons, Captagon and other illicit goods that fund the group.

Require recurring oversight, including reporting on Lebanon’s progress in disarming Hezbollah, a strategy for use of stabilization and security funds to provide Lebanese communities with an alternative to Hezbollah, efforts to secure funding from international donors, US efforts to coordinate between the Lebanese Armed Forces and Israel Defense Forces, banking-sector reform and progress toward peaceful relations between Lebanon and Israel.

You can download the full bill text HERE and a one pager of the bill can be found HERE. You can learn more in Bloomberg HERE.

###",1,2026-08-08T05:41:38Z,2026-08-08T05:43:24Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-murray-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-increase-funding-opportunities-for-tribal-nations-neighboring-military-installations/,"Lankford, Murray Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Funding Opportunities for Tribal Nations Neighboring Military Installations",2026-08-06,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Patty Murray (D-WA) recently introduced new legislation to make Tribal governments eligible to apply for grants under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). Currently, Tribal governments are ineligible to apply for funding under DCIP’s grant authority, despite their role in supporting military installations and defense communities nationwide.

“Oklahoma is home to 39 Tribal Nations, and many of them live and work alongside the men and women who serve at our military installations. When a Tribe is doing work that benefits a military base or post, whether that is roads, utilities, or emergency response, the Tribe should have the same opportunity to apply for federal infrastructure grants as any other local government. This bill is a simple, common-sense fix that recognizes the role Tribes already play in our military readiness,” said Lankford.

“From Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Fairchild Air Force Base and everywhere in between Tribal Nations—like Yakama, Suquamish, and many more—do critical work to support military installations in Washington state and throughout the country,” said Murray. “That’s why this legislation is an important step to expand eligibility to DCIP grants. Tribes play a key role in our military readiness—they should be eligible for these funds just like any other community would be.”

Historically, DCIP provides grants to state and local governments for off-base infrastructure that supports military installations. These investments strengthen military readiness and benefit servicemembers and their families by improving transportation, schools, utilities, hospitals, and other essential infrastructure.

Tribal Nations that neighbor military bases are often already doing this work to support critical infrastructure projects that support military communities. This bill would amend the current language to include Tribal governments as eligible, “state and local,” entities to apply for DCIP grants. Reps. Emily Randall (D-WA-06) and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) lead companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

The full bill text is available HERE.

###",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-lee-introduce-bill-to-end-federal-funding-for-harmful-gender-transition-research-on-minors/,"Lankford, Lee Introduce Bill to End Federal Funding for Harmful Gender Transition Research on Minors",2026-08-04,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mike Lee (R-UT) recently introduced the Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act to prohibit the use of federal funds for any research or publication promoting gender transitions for minors. The legislation will shield American children from permanent medical and psychological damage, in line with President Trump’s agenda to keep tax dollars from child mutilation.

“God creates every child male or female in His perfect image,” said Lankford. “For too long, taxpayers have been forced to fund sex-rejecting studies on kids. The result has been irreversible physical harm, mental health crises, and families torn apart. President Trump has led the effort to shut down these grants across the federal government, and Congress needs to make it permanent. This bill ensures that not one more taxpayer dollar funds research designed to harm children.”

“Why is the federal bureaucracy in the child mutilation business?” said Lee. “Americans don’t want to pay millions for these disturbing studies where hundreds of kids are experimented on with puberty-blocking drugs. President Trump rightly halted this attack on America’s kids. Our bill will codify his agenda to keep federal dollars out of gender transition research involving minors.”

Background

Joining Lankford and Lee in co-sponsoring the legislation are Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and it is endorsed by Students for Life Action and the American Principles Project.

The Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act prohibits the use of federal funds for any research, observational study, or publication relating to gender transitions in individuals under the age of 18, which is conducted for the purpose of affirming a minor’s asserted identity or perception of his or her sex, if such is incongruent with the minor’s biological sex.

You can download the full bill text HERE.

###",1,2026-08-05T07:37:37Z,2026-08-05T07:38:44Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/fauci-invokes-the-fifth-as-lankford-presses-on-closed-churches-chinas-cover-up-and-the-former-niaid-directors-own-notes/,"Fauci Invokes the Fifth as Lankford Presses on Closed Churches, China’s Cover-Up, and the Former NIAID Director’s Own Notes",2026-07-29,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), today pressed Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, on the forced closure of American churches and places of worship during the COVID-19 shutdown, and on China’s cover-up of the data, wet market, and Wuhan Institute of Virology research that Dr. Fauci himself flagged in his private notes weeks before the first American death from the virus.

Dr. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in response to each of Lankford’s questions at today’s committee hearing on the federal government’s COVID-19 response. At the close of his questioning, Lankford raised a parliamentary question to the chairman about whether Dr. Fauci’s decision to deliver an opening statement and then refuse to answer questions is consistent with the precedent set in 2014, when the House Oversight Committee held former IRS official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress for the same pattern.

You can watch Lankford’s full exchange HERE. You can download it HERE.

Excerpts from the hearing:

On the human toll of the pandemic response:

Lankford: “Countless families, including my own, watched a loved one die behind glass or through a screen because we couldn’t get access to them. Children couldn’t get to school. People missed their prom or graduation ceremonies. There were lots of things that happened that dramatically changed the future of the country. The mental health issues that we have been continuing to deal with from the isolation have been profound.

“Even something as simple as children that wore masks or around adults wearing masks for all that time are slower in learning language now because they couldn’t watch someone’s lips moving. And so, they’re slower in that.

“Amazingly enough, churches and places of worship were forced to be closed down. There were even churches that met with a pastor, preached in the parking lot, and the congregants all met in their cars with windows up, and police came and scattered them and said, you can’t be here.

“The simple act of social distancing became an issue, as everyone guessed what’s the right distance to be away from someone else? Literacy rates have declined. All these things are results, not to mention the loss of lives and the health experiences that have been out there for many Americans.”

On missed childhood measles vaccinations worldwide:

Lankford: “On May 6th, 2020 you wrote, at that time, ‘I had a conversation with Robert Redfield’, as you know well, was then the director of CDC ‘about the fact that greater than 1 million children worldwide have missed their measles vaccination because of the shutdown.’ You stated, ‘This is terrible and needs to be addressed, since on that basis alone there would be far, far more excess deaths from measles among children than coronavirus deaths among children. I need to bring this up to the T.F., the task force.’

“Did you ever have an opportunity to bring up the potential of measles deaths among children and infection rate going around the world from measles, based on the fact that so many children would not get their measles vaccine because of the shutdown?”

Dr. Fauci: “I’m sorry, Senator. But, on the advice of counsel, I respectfully declined to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.”

On the origins of COVID-19 and the Wuhan Institute of Virology:

Lankford: “In January the 26th of 2020, this is before we had our even our first tragic death of coronavirus in the United States, you wrote, ‘It now appears using epi data, that the genomic data in the first infection was in early December and was not connected to the market.’ … We know the market was not the source. It was the amplifier.

“On January the 31st, you wrote about a phone call. You wrote, ‘The people on the phone felt the mutations around the furin cleavage site of the spike protein could not have occurred naturally, since it would require an evolutionary jump that they found nowhere in bat isolates. They bring up the possibility this could have been deliberately inserted in either accidentally released or deliberately released by a crazy person in the lab, the former being the most likely.'”

[…]

Lankford: “The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in May of 2020 put out a classified document that has only been recently unclassified on this, that had this statement: ‘We assess all the necessary conditions for an accidental release of a laboratory modified coronavirus, specifically a coronavirus adapted to recognize human cell receptors, were present at the Chinese Wuhan Institute of Virology in mid to late 2019.'”

[…]

Lankford: “I have clearance. I serve on the Intelligence Committee. I’ve actually read this complete document unredacted. My concern is were you given the ability to see this document unredacted, based on your position? Were you able to see this and to be able to get this information? … Were you able to give access to this data?”

Dr. Fauci: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully declined to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.”

On China’s cover-up and lessons for future international research cooperation:

[…]

Lankford: “It’s not just our cooperation with Chinese scientists. It’s our acknowledgment that China covered up their data, wouldn’t allow our scientists to be able to come in. They cleaned up the wet market. They cleaned up the other areas. They wouldn’t allow you to get access to all the other scientists there, including their health records, what happened to them, or even all the sequencing that they had done in advance.”

[…]

Lankford: “If we’re going to fund research and cooperate with you, we’ve got to have certain things from you. If things go sideways, we’ve got to have access to all information in all places.”

[…]

Lankford: “The Wuhan Institute of Virology… being, as was noted by many people, the only lab in the world that was doing research like this that had a lower standard of actually their security standards there than many other labs around the world. Yet they were doing this very dangerous research.

“What can we gain and what advice could you give us to say in a future setting? We’ve got to make sure that we actually get information from people, and we can be guaranteed that we’re going to get that insight.”

Dr. Fauci: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully declined to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.”

On the parliamentary question and the Lois Lerner precedent:

Lankford: “Chairman, really, this is a question for you. And it’s a question to try to figure out how do we get a good answer on this. Because clearly, [Dr. Fauci’s] attorneys are saying that he has a Fifth Amendment right. So we’ve also subpoenaed him to be able to compel his testimony, to be able to be here.

“I happen[ed to be] in the committee [when] we’re also dealing with Lois Lerner. Lois Lerner came and testified, gave an opening statement, and then took the Fifth Amendment. The committee then held her in contempt for that, saying, you can’t do both. You can’t both testify and say, I’m not going to answer questions.

“So the parliamentary question that I think we’ve got to be able to deal with is, is this consistent with Lois Lerner? What she also did when she came before Congress gave an opening statement, testimony, so made a statement and then refused to answer questions. Are we dealing with the same issue here where someone is [saying] you can’t make a statement and say, I’m not going to make statements at the same time.”

###",1,2026-07-30T07:32:48Z,2026-07-30T07:34:08Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-lankford-testifies-before-house-appropriations-committee-on-ending-government-shutdowns-forever/,ICYMI: Lankford Testifies Before House Appropriations Committee on Ending Government Shutdowns Forever,2026-07-27,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) testified Wednesday before the House Appropriations Committee in support of his bipartisan, bicameral Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, which would take government shutdowns off the table and require Congress to stay in Washington until its work is done. The hearing marked the Committee’s first full committee oversight hearing since 2008. Lankford testified alongside Representative Tom McClintock (R-CA-05) and former Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young.

Excerpts from Lankford’s prepared opening statement:

“Sharee Quick is a TSA officer in Las Vegas. During the last shutdown, she showed up to work every day with no pay. She had to make decisions every week whether she should put gas in her car or pay her electricity bill. She went more than 40 days without a paycheck. She didn’t know how she was going to pay for her essential blood pressure medication. That happened because we didn’t resolve our differences on time.

“Federal workers and their families should not suffer when Congress has not finished the yearly appropriations work. But they do. Some of you in this room may remember the December 2018 shutdown, when Congress left town for Christmas, but federal workers got lumps of coal.

“How can we actually solve this? And I say: solve this together. Today, I am bringing you something unique: a nonpartisan proposal. Seven years ago, I sat down with my Democratic colleague Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire to develop a plan to end government shutdowns in a nonpartisan way. We worked alongside Representatives Arrington and Panetta to get more input and ideas.

“The bill does not solve every fiscal and budgetary problem we need to address, but it does solve one thing: it prevents government shutdowns.

“My mom was a schoolteacher, school librarian, and school administrator her whole career. She would have said, ‘If you do not finish your work during class, you have to stay after school until it is finished.'”

On How PGSA Puts Pressure on Congress Instead of Federal Workers:

Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03): “Can you explain how your proposal would facilitate bipartisan compromise, when many of us think that it would likely facilitate more entrenched partisan disagreement?”

Lankford: “This particular proposal puts the pressure on us, not on federal workers. Right now, the leverage to get our work done is TSA agents not getting paid, air traffic control not getting paid, federal law enforcement not getting paid. Those families are the leverage for us to do our work. Those families have nothing to do with our inability to be able to get things finished up. I want to put the leverage on us, not on federal workers and their families. And the best way to do that is basically to force us to stay in the room until we’re finished negotiating.

“I go back to my mom again. My best advice ever came from my mom. When my brother and I would have an argument in the living room, she would make both of us leave and go to one of our rooms and say, ‘If you guys are going to fight, go over there and fight. Don’t disturb the rest of the family. When you’re done, then you can come back in here.’ That basically puts all of us, House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats, to say you can’t do anything but appropriations, and you’re going to stay there until appropriations is done. When appropriations is done, then you can go home or move to other subjects. But until you do appropriations, you can’t leave or switch other things. I think that puts the pressure where it needs to be, on us.”

On Support from Representative Steny Hoyer:

Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05): “I want to thank you for this thoughtful proposal. I will tell you, I am very much supportive of your proposal. You cannot consider other legislation until must-pass legislation. And the only must-pass legislation is the appropriation bills. None of the authorizing bills are must-pass. Consequences will occur, but they will not shut down government if they don’t pass.

“And I want to thank you for a thoughtful presentation and the way that you always present yourself and your issues in a constructive, positive way. And I look forward to working with you as we go forward. Because as majority leader, I indicated to the Appropriations Committee and Shalanda Young, I want the bills ready to go to the floor by June 1st. I want all the bills considered in June… So I thank the gentleman. I thank you. I look forward to working with them.”

Background

Since its initial introduction in 2019, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act has earned support from 31 organizations and policy experts across the ideological spectrum. Supporters include 11 labor and federal workforce organizations, among them the American Federation of Government Employees, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the National Treasury Employees Union, the Air Line Pilots Association, the Association of Flight Attendants, and the United Steelworkers; conservative and free market organizations including Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, and the National Taxpayers Union; veterans organizations including Concerned Veterans for America and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; and good government groups including the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and the Partnership for Public Service.

You can watch Lankford’s full opening remarksHERE. You can download the exchanges from the hearing HERE.

###",1,2026-07-28T07:37:32Z,2026-07-28T07:38:50Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-coons-introduce-bill-to-expand-grant-opportunities-for-rural-law-enforcement-officers/,"Lankford, Coons Introduce Bill to Expand Grant Opportunities for Rural Law Enforcement Officers",2026-07-24,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Training Rural Law Enforcement Officers Act of 2026, which would allow qualified nonprofit organizations and state government entities to use Department of Justice grant funding to provide training to small and rural law enforcement agencies at no cost to those agencies.

Nearly half of local police departments in the United States have fewer than 10 sworn officers, three out of four have fewer than two dozen, and eight out of 10 have fewer than 50. Federal law enforcement grants administered by the Department of Justice often carry complex application processes and extensive reporting requirements, and smaller agencies frequently skip applying altogether because they lack the staff and experience to navigate them.

“For too long, federal grant programs have felt out of reach for many small and rural law enforcement agencies,” said Lankford. “The grant process can be cumbersome and difficult to navigate, especially for a department with a handful of officers. Our bill fixes this by letting qualified nonprofits carry the paperwork and bring the training directly to small agencies at no cost to them. Small law enforcement agencies should not be cut off from federal grant dollars.”

“Every community, including those in places like rural southern Delaware, deserves well-trained law enforcement protection,” said Coons. “Rural police departments often have significantly less funding than they need to participate in modern training programs, and we should give them the tools they need to protect and serve their communities.”

“Far too often the brave men and women of our nation’s law enforcement community, especially those from smaller and rural departments, lack the necessary training to effectively and safely resolve incidents they routinely face in the course of their duties. There is an important need for the federal government to allow for law enforcement officers from small and rural departments to receive proper training for such incidents, both routine and often unfamiliar. The Training Rural Law Enforcement Officers Act of 2026 will help ensure that law enforcement personnel from smaller and rural departments will have access to the training so vitally important to helping ensure both a proper and effective response to critical incidents and as a result preserving law enforcement and civilian life and security alike. On behalf of the over 40,000 members of the National Tactical Officers Association, I strongly commend Sen. Lankford and Sen. Coons for bringing this important legislation forward,” said Thor Eells, Executive Director of the National Tactical Officers Association.

“On behalf of the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executive’s Association, I thank Sen. Lankford and Sen. Coons for introducing this important legislation. The Training Rural Law Enforcement Officers Act of 2026 will significantly increase the access to critical training for smaller and rural law enforcement departments and agencies nationwide at no additional cost to the taxpayer. By expanding DOJ grant eligibility to validated nonprofit organizations to provide vital training to smaller and rural law enforcement agencies, it will ensure that needed training will be received by law enforcement officials nationwide irrespective of their department’s size or resources. This increased training will assist agencies and their respective communities to respond effectively, efficiently, and compassionately to the public they serve,” said Mike Brown, Executive Director of the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executive’s Association.

Background

The Training Rural Law Enforcement Officers Act would allow qualified nonprofit organizations and state government entities to receive Department of Justice law enforcement training grants to deliver training at no cost to agencies with fewer than 50 sworn officers. Eligible training includes de-escalation, officer wellness, leadership development, victim-centered response to domestic violence, critical incident response and management, and evidence-based safety training for active shooter situations, safe handling of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, rescue operations, and countering ambush attacks.

The bill also covers training for responding to calls involving people with mental health needs, substance use disorders, disabilities, veterans, vulnerable youth, victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or trafficking, and people experiencing homelessness or living in poverty. In addition, the bill would allow two or more localities receiving Department of Justice grants under this program to pool their grants to contract with a qualified nonprofit for shared training.

You can view the full text of the bill HERE.

###",1,2026-07-24T07:30:11Z,2026-07-24T07:31:13Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/house-appropriations-to-hear-lankfords-plan-to-end-government-shutdowns-in-first-oversight-hearing-since-2008/,House Appropriations to Hear Lankford’s Plan to End Government Shutdowns in First Oversight Hearing Since 2008,2026-07-21,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) will testify Wednesday before the House Appropriations Committee in support of his bipartisan, bicameral Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, which would take government shutdowns off the table and force Congress to stay in town until its work is done. The hearing marks the Committee’s first full-committee oversight hearing since 2008.

Lankford introduced the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026 with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH). Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19) and Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19).

WHAT: House Appropriations Committee full committee hearing, “Funding Lapses: Analyzing Shutdown Reform”

WHO: Senator James Lankford, Rep. Tom McClintock, and Shalanda Young

WHEN: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET

WHERE: 2128 Rayburn House Office Building

LIVESTREAM: Hearing page and livestream

Since its initial introduction in 2019, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act has earned support from 31 organizations and policy experts across the ideological spectrum. Supporters include 11 labor and federal workforce organizations, among them the American Federation of Government Employees, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the National Treasury Employees Union, the Air Line Pilots Association, the Association of Flight Attendants, and the United Steelworkers; conservative and free market organizations including Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, and the National Taxpayers Union; veterans organizations including Concerned Veterans for America and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; and good government groups including the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and the Partnership for Public Service.

Ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, supporters including the Association of Flight Attendants, the American Federation of Government Employees, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, Concerned Veterans for America, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and the Partnership for Public Service submitted letters of support to the Committee.

Joining Lankford and Hassan in cosponsoring the bipartisan legislation are Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), and Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Kennedy (R-LA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tim Scott (R-SC), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Alan Armstrong (R-OK), John Fetterman (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

Background

Introduced initially in February 2019, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act requires that if appropriations work is not done on time, all Members of Congress must stay in Washington, DC, and work until the spending bills are completed. This will prevent a government-wide shutdown, continue critical services and operations for Americans, and hold federal workers harmless while Congress completes appropriations.

Upon a lapse in government funding, the bill would implement an automatic continuing resolution (CR) on rolling 14-day periods, based on the most current spending levels enacted in the previous fiscal year. This would prevent a shutdown and continue critical services and operations.

During the covered period of an automatic CR, the following restrictions are put in place:

No taxpayer-funded travel allowances for official business (except one flight to return to Washington, DC) for the following:

White House OMB staff and leadership

Members of the House and Senate

Committee and personal staff of the House and Senate

No official funds may be used for CODEL or STAFFDEL travel

No use of campaign funds by congressional offices to supplement official duties or travel expenses

No motions to recess or adjourn in the House/Senate for a period of more than 23 hours

In addition, under the bill, no other votes would be in order in the House and Senate unless they pertain to passage of the appropriations bills or mandatory quorum calls in the Senate. However, after 30 days under the automatic CR, certain expiring authorization bills and executive calendar nominations would be eligible for consideration on the Senate floor, including a nomination for a Justice of the Supreme Court or a Cabinet Secretary, and narrow reauthorization legislation for programs operating under an authorization that has already expired or will expire within the next 30 days. These restrictions can be waived by a two-thirds vote in either chamber, but not for longer than seven days.

You can view the full bill text HERE.

###",1,2026-07-22T07:34:13Z,2026-07-22T07:35:16Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-coons-introduce-bill-to-help-unemployed-workers-start-small-businesses/,"Lankford, Coons Introduce Bill to Help Unemployed Workers Start Small Businesses",2026-07-17,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Jon Husted (R-OH) introduced the New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self-Sufficiency (NO BOSS)Act recently, legislation that would modernize the Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) program so that laid off workers can more easily receive their normal allotment of unemployment insurance even while working full-time to start a new business.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will likely reshape America’s economy and disrupt or displace jobs across many sectors. However, even as AI is expected to contribute to job losses, it will also lower barriers to entrepreneurship, making it easier than ever for workers to start a small business. The NO BOSS Act would ensure that workers experiencing a job transition don’t have to sacrifice their unemployment insurance payments to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

Current law allows states to operate Self-Employment Assistance programs, which allow eligible unemployment insurance beneficiaries to continue receiving benefits while working full-time to launch a business rather than searching for traditional employment. However, outdated federal rules unnecessarily limit who can participate, leaving fewer workers with a meaningful opportunity to choose business ownership over traditional employment.

“If you lose your job, the government shouldn’t tell you the only way forward is to go work for somebody else. Some folks have a business idea they’ve been dreaming about for years, and losing a job might be the push to finally chase it. Right now, an outdated federal rule forces people on unemployment to spend their time applying for jobs they don’t want instead of building the business they do want. Our bill fixes that. If you’re willing to put in the work to start a business, hire your neighbors, and build something in your community, we should cheer you on, not stand in your way,” said Lankford.

“Every small business began with someone taking a chance on a new idea, and new AI tools will make it easier than ever to turn those ideas into business plans, sales, and storefronts,” said Coons. “Americans shouldn’t have to choose between the safety net of unemployment benefits that they’ve paid into and the all-American opportunity to chase their entrepreneurial dream. As artificial intelligence reshapes the nature of work, this bill will help support American entrepreneurs, keep food on families’ tables, lift up small businesses, and keep our economy strong.”

Background

The NO BOSS Act would update the SEA program by:

Creating new opportunities for unemployment insurance beneficiaries and encouraging small business formation

Eliminating the requirement that SEA beneficiaries must be “likely to exhaust benefits,” which implies the program can only be used by workers unlikely to find another job

Clarifying that developing a business plan and conducting market feasibility studies count as entrepreneurship work

Making it easier for more states to establish SEA programs modeled on the most successful state programs

The bill is endorsed by the Center for American Entrepreneurship, the Foundation for American Innovation, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, the R Street Institute, Shopify, Block, Bipartisan Policy Center Action, and the Coalition to Protect America’s Small Sellers.

You can find the full text of the bill HERE.

###",1,2026-07-18T06:58:50Z,2026-07-18T07:00:34Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-joins-darline-graham-blumenthal-and-60-senators-to-hold-purchasers-of-russian-oil-accountable/,"Lankford Joins Darline Graham, Blumenthal and 60+ Senators to Hold Purchasers of Russian Oil Accountable",2026-07-17,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"Before his death, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) secured an agreement with the White House on new text to bring sweeping sanctions against the enablers of Russia’s war in Ukraine

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Darline Graham (R-SC) and more than 60 members of the Senate in introducing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, legislation to hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.

US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the effort last week and secured an agreement with the White House on Friday, before his death.

“Putin is a murderous KGB thug, and the countries still buying Russian oil and natural gas know they are funding his war against Ukraine,” said Lankford. “If we cut off Russia’s oil money, we cut off the weapons murdering Ukrainians. Lindsey Graham was an outspoken advocate for the freedom-loving people of Ukraine. Let’s finish what he started and put the pressure on Russia and everyone who bankrolls them.”

“Until the very day he passed, Lindsey remained focused on passing the Russia sanctions bill. Passing this legislation would honor my brother’s steadfast commitment to our national security and it would provide President Trump with additional leverage to bring this war to an end. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation and send it to President Trump’s desk,” said Darline Graham.

“Ukraine is at a critical crossroads — and we must meet this pivotal moment with a powerful sanctions bill. As Ukraine turns the tide on the battlefield, our Russia sanctions bill would be historically impactful in stopping Russia’s murderous slaughter,” said Blumenthal. “When Senator Graham and I last spoke, he was absolutely exultant, calling from Kyiv with news that President Trump would support this bill to impose scorching tariffs and sanctions on purchasers of Russian oil and stop them from fueling Putin’s war machine. Now is the time to push Russia toward peace. Ukraine is gaining net territory and reaching deep into Russia with its drones and missiles. Sanctions provide a path toward peace. Our bill is the product of lengthy, detailed, difficult bipartisan work, and now has broad bipartisan support. Passing this legislation right now would be a fitting tribute to Senator Graham’s fierce support for Ukraine’s freedom.”

Background

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet.

The legislation also directs the President to impose up to 100 percent tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the majority of Russian oil, gas, and enable Russian sanctions evasion. The new text limits these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and gas.

Joining Lankford, Graham and Blumenthal in cosponsoring the legislation are Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD); Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY); Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus; and Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Katie Britt (R-AL); Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); Jim Risch (R-ID), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Chris Coons (D-DE); Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Michael Bennet (D-CO); Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Tim Scott (R-SC), Chair of the Senate Banking Committee; Angus King (I-ME); Tim Kaine (D-VA); Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee; Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Mark Kelly (D-AZ); Thom Tillis (R-NC); Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY); Joni Ernst (R-IA); Jacky Rosen (D-NV); Pete Ricketts (R-NE); Brian Schatz (D-HI); John Cornyn (R-TX); Adam Schiff (D-CA); Tim Sheehy (R-MT); Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); John Curtis (R-UT); John Fetterman (D-PA); Dan Sullivan (R-AK); Tammy Duckworth (D-IL); Gary Peters (D-MI); John Hickenlooper (D-CO); Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS); Martin Heinrich (D-NM); Marsha Blackburn (R-TN); Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD); John Boozman (R-AR); Chris Van Hollen (D-MD); Kevin Cramer (R-ND); Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV); Jon Husted (R-OH); John Hoeven (R-ND); Deb Fischer (R-NE); Jim Justice (R-WV); Mike Rounds (R-SD); Ted Cruz (R-TX); John Kennedy (R-LA); Cynthia Lummis (R-WY); Lisa Murkowski (R-AK); Rick Scott (R-FL); Ted Budd (R-NC); Jerry Moran (R-KS); Tommy Tuberville (R-AL); Dave McCormick (R-PA); Alan Armstrong (R-OK); and Steve Daines (R-MT).

You can read the one-pager on the legislation HERE. You can also read the full bill text HERE.

###",1,2026-07-18T06:58:50Z,2026-07-18T07:00:34Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-questions-dni-nominee-jay-clayton-on-iran-threats-terror-financing-and-odni-reform/,"Lankford Questions DNI Nominee Jay Clayton on Iran Threats, Terror Financing, and ODNI Reform",2026-07-15,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, today questioned Jay Clayton, President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, on the growing terror threat from Iran and how his experience prosecuting terrorists, spies, and money launderers in the Southern District of New York prepares him to lead the intelligence community.

You can watch Lankford’s full remarks at the hearing HERE. You can download it HERE.

Excerpts:

On Serving Policymakers with Clear Intelligence:

Lankford: “You have served the nation in multiple different roles, before and leading SEC, and did a very good job there, in the Southern District of New York in the US Attorney’s office. You’ve got a very unique experience and background walking in on intelligence. You’ve handled money laundering, drug kingpins. You’ve handled international terrorists, foreign terrorist organizations, counterespionage cases. You’ve handled a lot of things as a prosecutor in this. My question to you is, how does that experience, in knowing what is needed to actually prosecute individuals, affect how you approach this task in helping the intelligence community trying to be able to gather information?”

Clayton: “[…] The intelligence community is about providing information and analysis, not setting policy or making decisions. I look forward to playing that role as ODNI. I think that my experience as a consumer of that type of information will help me provide the information in the way that is best for the consumers I serve. […] The women and men of the intelligence community are incredible. I look forward to working with them, learning from them, and figuring out how to provide that best possible intelligence product.”

On Streamlining the Office of the Director of National Intelligence:

Lankford: “ODNI started out as a very small entity after the 9/11 attacks, as you know well. It has grown to a multi-thousand-person organization. […] We have a lot of people that are detailed from a lot of our intelligence agencies to the Director of National Intelligence office. […] You’ve led a lot of large organizations. Tell me, process wise, how you walk in to be able to look at, are we right size, right task? Do we have people here that need to actually be there? How do you make those decisions?”

Clayton: “[…] What is our mission? The safety and security of the American people. How do we deal with that every day? We provide decision makers with the best possible intelligence product. What is the structure over the intelligence community with the role that we have, which is supposed to be oversight and integration, not operations? What is the structure that best serves that? That’s how I intend to look at it. […] The analogy that is in my mind is a board of directors that oversees a number of subsidiaries. In most cases, that board of directors is fairly lean and relies on reporting from the subsidiaries. […] One thing you don’t want to do as a member of a board of directors, whether you’re in oversight or empowerment or both, is get into the day-to-day of management. You lose perspective.”

On the Threat from Iran:

Lankford: “You have handled terrorism cases coming straight out of Iran and threats that have come to us. For 47 years, the United States and American citizens all around the world have faced terrorism threats from Iran and the growth of the proxy terror organizations. What can you tell us at this point, based on your experience in the Southern District of New York and your prosecution side of things, and then also some of the work that you had done in the past just dealing with money laundering and the movement of money, the most effective way to be able to deal with the threats that we’re facing right now from Iran?”

Clayton: “The threat’s real. It’s not hypothetical. Look, all you need to do is look at the people who we have arrested in the last year and what they have done. They intend to do our citizens harm. They are well funded, and they are well funded through channels that we need to do a better job of monitoring. Our traditional banking channels I think are fairly well monitored. There are new channels, I would say digital asset platforms, other channels where funding takes place that we need to do a better job on.”

###",1,2026-07-16T07:21:44Z,2026-07-16T07:23:13Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-leads-bipartisan-bicameral-lawmakers-urging-hhs-and-cms-to-monitor-dangers-of-physician-assisted-suicide/,"Lankford Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Lawmakers Urging HHS and CMS to Monitor Dangers of Physician-Assisted Suicide",2026-07-09,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. urging HHS and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish reporting requirements in the hospice program to monitor physician-assisted suicide for discrimination against individuals with disabilities, older adults, and other vulnerable populations.

The Members warned that physician-assisted suicide “raises significant informed consent issues as well as concerns about disability and age discrimination” and noted that the vast majority of patients receiving physician-assisted suicide are enrolled in hospice.

The Members wrote in their letter, “We urge HHS and CMS to establish reporting requirements to monitor physician-assisted suicide for discriminatory practices and oversee compliance with federal funding restrictions within hospice programs. All hospice patients—regardless of disability, age or financial means—deserve compassionate end-of-life care that is free of coercion and discrimination.”

Lankford and Kaine were joined by US Representatives Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC-03) and Lou Correa (D-CA-46), who led the letter in the House.

“Every person has inherent worth and dignity, including those facing their final days,” said Lankford. “Hospice should be a place of compassion, comfort, and care, where the suffering are surrounded by loved ones and quality health care, not a place where they feel quietly pressured to end their lives through assisted suicide. Federal law is clear that taxpayer dollars cannot pay for assisted suicide, and discrimination against the aged and disabled is prohibited. HHS and CMS have a responsibility to make sure vulnerable people are protected. We’re simply asking them to do that job.”

“Everyone deserves to make their own decisions regarding end-of-life care,” said Kaine. “Where patients are making these choices, they should be free of discrimination and coercion. That is why my colleagues and I are calling on HHS and CMS to exercise oversight to make sure all patients are treated with dignity, including and especially at the end of their lives.”

“As a practicing physician of 35 years, I have dedicated my career to saving lives and comforting my patients, said Murphy. “The oath all physicians take is ‘to do no harm’. Physicians who take part in assisting suicide are breaking that oath. It is a great tragedy that people feel that life offers them no recourse other than to end their lives. Rather than suicide we should invest more in palliative care and hospice which are much more acceptable forms of medical care. Sadly abuses, such as the lack of informed consent and discriminatory practices, have occurred and patients and their families have been wronged. The House of Medicine should not participate in assisted suicide when we have other humane alternatives to offer.”

“All Americans deserve access to quality care, free from discrimination, and that’s why I’m joining my colleagues in urging HHS and CMS to protect patients from discrimination based on age, disability, diagnosis, or other factors when pursuing physician-assisted suicide,” said Rep. Correa. “We must have guardrails to make sure everyone receives compassionate end-of-life care regardless of their circumstances.”

In 1997, Congress passed the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997, which prohibits the use of Federal funds to provide or pay for any health care item or service or health benefit coverage for the purpose of causing, or assisting to cause, the death of any individual, including “mercy killing, euthanasia, or assisted suicide.” Congress has made clear that no Medicare funds, including hospice payments, may be used to facilitate physician-assisted suicide, including physician consultation services, prescribing or dispensing of medications used for the purpose of causing death, or assistance with the ingestion of such medications.

Congress also spoke to this issue when it passed the Affordable Care Act, which also provides anti-discrimination protections for an individual or institutional health care entity that does not participate in “assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing.”

Disability Rights groups have filed lawsuits in 5 states (CA, CO, DE, NY and IL) alleging that physician-assisted suicide laws unconstitutionally discriminate against people with life-threatening disabilities because it treats them differently from non-disabled patients who report suicidal ideation to a medical provider.

Many medical organizations and disability rights groups are opposed to assisted suicide, including but not limited to the World Medical Association, American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, National Council on Independent Living, United Spinal Association, Not Dead Yet, Access Living, Patients’ Rights Action Fund, and Aging With Dignity.

The National Council on Disability, an independent, bipartisan federal agency, warns in its 2019 report, “The Danger of Assisted Suicide Laws”, that under physician-assisted suicide laws, “some people’s lives, particularly those of people with disabilities, will be ended without their fully informed and free consent, through mistakes, abuse, insufficient knowledge, and the unjust lack of better options.”

You can read more about the letter in The Hill HERE.

You can read the full letter HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

We write to you as bipartisan, bicameral Members of Congress in response to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) request for information regarding medical aid in dying (MAID), 91 Fed. Reg. 17338, also medically termed physician-assisted suicide. Physician-assisted suicide raises significant informed consent issues as well as concerns about disability and age discrimination. The vast majority of patients receiving physician-assisted suicide are enrolled in hospice—90% in Washington. This poses challenges for HHS and CMS’ regulation of patient health and safety within the hospice program. We urge HHS and CMS to implement reporting requirements in the hospice program to monitor physician-assisted suicide for discriminatory practices against vulnerable populations, as well as to ensure compliance with the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act.

In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld Washington’s and New York’s bans on physician-assisted suicide in Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacco v. Quill. The majority opinions found that there is no right to physician-assisted suicide under the Due Process or Equal Protection Clauses. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor concurred, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Stephen Breyer, expressing concern about “the risk that a dying patient’s request for assistance in ending his or her life might not be truly voluntary.”‍ Nearly thirty years of physician-assisted suicide in the United States has not alleviated that concern.

Currently, thirteen states plus the District of Columbia permit physician-assisted suicide. These laws permit certain medical practitioners to prescribe drugs at lethal dosages to a patient that is, among other criteria, eighteen years or older and “terminally ill” with a six month or less prognosis, with or without care, so that the patient may self-administer the drugs. Yet, as the National Council on Disability, an independent, bi-partisan federal agency, warns, under physician-assisted suicide laws, “some people’s lives, particularly those of people with disabilities, will be ended without their fully informed and free consent, through mistakes, abuse, insufficient knowledge, and the unjust lack of better options.”‍

There are grave informed consent issues within physician-assisted suicide. Patients spend little time with the physician providing physician-assisted suicide relative to the course of their disease. Only 0.5% of patients received mental health referrals, even though many physician-assisted suicide patients show signs of depression, which can impair the decision-making process. On top of this, “it is common for medical prognoses of a short life expectancy to be wrong,” and under the definition of terminal illness in physician-assisted suicide laws, “[t]here is no requirement that the doctors consider the likely impact of medical treatment, counseling, and other supports on survival.”

Physician-assisted suicide drugs are not approved for the purpose of ending human life. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved drugs indicated for physician-assisted suicide. These drugs would not meet the criteria as “safe” for purposes of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Instead, medical practitioners prescribe drugs approved for other indications to be used “off-label” for physician-assisted suicide. As The Atlantic reported in 2019, “[i]n states where the practice is legal, state governments provide guidance about which patients qualify but say nothing about which drugs to prescribe.”‍ With “no government-approved clinical drug trial, and no Institutional Review Board oversight,” physician-assisted suicide drug prescribers are left with little oversight in assisting end-of-life patients.

Disability issues also arise in physician-assisted suicide. An individual with terminal illness meets the definition of a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In fact, individuals with disabilities and disability civil rights groups have raised this argument and alleged physician-assisted suicide laws violate federal disability rights laws in litigation across the country. Annual state reports have shown that patients seeking assistance in ending their lives commonly do so, not due to pain or concerns about future pain, but for disability-related reasons, citing concerns about “loss of autonomy,” being “less able to engage in activities,” and “loss of dignity.”‍ 18 Consequently, many individuals with disabilities warn that states legalizing physician-assisted suicide send the message that the lives of persons with disabilities are less valued in society.

Age discrimination and elder abuse are also concerns within physician-assisted suicide practices. Most physician-assisted suicide patients are age 65 or older (86.2% in Washington). Although physician-assisted suicide laws require two witnesses to the lethal drug request, most states only require one witness to be disinterested, meaning, one of these witnesses may be a beneficiary to the patient’s will or life insurance policy or a disaffected caregiver 20 Physician-assisted suicide laws do not require a prescriber or any witnesses to be present when the patient self-administers the drugs. These circumstances enable the possibility of financial exploitation.

Physician-assisted suicide undermines America’s national posture of suicide prevention. America is facing an epidemic of suicide. In 2024, we lost more than 50,000 Americans to suicide and over 1.5 million Americans attempted suicide. Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in America and around 135 suicides occur every day on average. Additionally, over 14 million adults reported seriously considering suicide in 2024. Peer-reviewed data shows that where physician-assisted suicide is legalized, rates of suicide increase. Additionally, each year the U.S. government, states, and localities invest millions of taxpayer dollars in suicide prevention services. A 2024 National Institutes of Health report shows that the economic cost of suicide/self-harm is estimated at $510 billion annually. New data shows that people living with serious and potentially

life-limiting health conditions are more than twice as likely to die by suicide compared with the general population. Physician-assisted suicide undermines suicide prevention services, normalizes premature death for vulnerable populations, and pushes society away from robust care, support, and the protection of life.

Congress has restricted federal funding for physician-assisted suicide and protected conscientious objections to the practice. The Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act broadly limits federal funds from “paying (directly or indirectly)” for the provision of “any health care item or service furnished for the purpose of causing, or for the purpose of assisting in causing, the death of any individual, such as by assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing.”‍ This prohibition extends to a “pay[ment] . . . for such an item or service” and a “pay[ment] (in whole or in part) for health benefit coverage” related to the coverage or expenses of “such an item or service.”‍ The Affordable Care Act also provides anti-discrimination protections for an individual

or institutional health care entity that does not participate in “assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy

killing.”‍ We request that you establish reporting requirements within hospice programs regarding

physician-assisted suicide. In doing so, please consider monitoring physician-assisted suicide practices for the following:

· Discrimination against individuals with disabilities, older adults, and other vulnerable populations;

· Proper disposal of unused medication and prevention of drug diversion;

· Insurance denials of life-sustaining medical care that offer to cover physician-assisted suicide drugs instead;

· Drug complications;

· Consistency of drugs prescribed “off-label” for use in physician-assisted suicide;

· Compliance with federal restrictions on using funds, directly or indirectly, for health care items or services for physician-assisted suicide.

As bipartisan, bicameral Members of Congress who are committed to the health and safety of hospice patients, especially those in vulnerable populations, we are grateful to see HHS and CMS consider how physician-assisted suicide practices may pose discrimination and informed consent issues. We urge HHS and CMS to establish reporting requirements to monitor physician-assisted suicide for discriminatory practices and oversee compliance with federal funding restrictions within hospice programs. All hospice patients—regardless of disability, age or financial means—deserve compassionate end-of-life care that is free of coercion and discrimination.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-07-10T08:20:04Z,2026-07-10T08:21:18Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-walberg-lead-amicus-brief-defending-religious-liberty-in-supreme-court-school-choice-case/,"Lankford, Walberg Lead Amicus Brief Defending Religious Liberty in Supreme Court School Choice Case",2026-07-07,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI-05) led 43 Members of Congress–35 Representatives and eight Senators–in filing an amicus brief in St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton, CO, et al. v. Lisa Roy, et al., a case the US Supreme Court will hear during its October 2026 Term.

The brief urges the Court to protect the constitutional rights of faith-based schools participating in school choice programs and warns that allowing the 10th Circuit’s decision to stand could undermine Congress’s tax credit scholarship program established under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

“In Oklahoma, we believe parents know what’s best for their kids, including what school fits their family’s faith,” said Lankford. “Colorado decided Catholic preschools didn’t get the same shot as everyone else, just because of their beliefs. That’s not religious liberty, that’s discrimination. I’m proud to join this brief and ask the Court to protect every family’s right to choose a school that reflects who they are.”

“Every family deserves the freedom to choose the school that’s right for their child, including a faith-based school,” said Walberg. “When parents have more educational options, students have a better chance to learn in an environment where they can thrive. That’s exactly what Congress worked to expand through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. States shouldn’t be able to shut faith-based schools out of school choice programs. That’s not religious liberty, and it’s not what the Constitution requires. We urge the Supreme Court to reverse the 10th Circuit’s decision.”

Background

Colorado’s universal preschool program gives families funding to send their children to the public or private preschool of their choice. But while the state made exceptions for some secular schools, it excluded Catholic preschools from participating because those schools ask families to support Catholic teachings on sex and gender.

In September 2025, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Colorado could exclude Catholic preschools from its universal preschool program. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case next term.

The Members’ brief argues that if the 10th Circuit’s decision is allowed to stand, states could adopt similar policies that effectively exclude faith-based schools from participating in the federal tax credit scholarship program established under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which Congress enacted in 2025, undermining the religious freedom protected by the First Amendment.

Joining Lankford and Walberg are US Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Jim Justice (R-WV), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE); and Representatives Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-04), Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12), Tom Barrett (R-MI-07), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA-05), Aaron Bean (R-FL-04), Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), Sheri Biggs (R-SC-03), Mike Bost (R-IL-12), Jeff Crank (R-CO-05), Byron Donalds (R-FL-19), Gabe Evans (R-CO-08), Randy Fine (R-FL-06), Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05), H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Glenn Grothman (R-WI-06), Mark Harris (R-NC-08), Clay Higgins (R-LA-03), Julia Letlow (R-LA-05), John McGuire (R-VA-05), Mark Messmer (R-IN-08), Mary Miller (R-IL-15), John Moolenaar (R-MI-02), Riley M. Moore (R-WV-02), Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), Bob Onder (R-MO-03), Burgess Owens (R-UT-04), August Pfluger (R-TX-11), John Rose (R-TN-06), Michael A. Rulli (R-OH-06), John Rutherford (R-FL-05), Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), Chris Smith (R-NJ-04), Daniel Webster (R-FL-11), and Joe Wilson (R-SC-02).

You can find the full text of the brief HERE.

###",1,2026-07-08T07:27:19Z,2026-07-08T07:28:28Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ahead-of-americas-250th-birthday-lankford-celebrates-the-american-experiment/,"Ahead of America’s 250th Birthday, Lankford Celebrates the American Experiment",2026-07-02,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) is marking America’s 250th birthday by telling the story of our founding, honoring the sacrifices that built the nation, and reminding Oklahomans that the American experiment in freedom is still alive today.

Ahead of the semiquincentennial, Lankford launched a video series from the halls of the US Capitol, sharing the moments and people behind the Declaration of Independence. Lankford told the story of June 11, 1776, the day Thomas Jefferson sat down to write the Declaration, the life of John Peter Muhlenberg, the pastor who carried his faith from the pulpit into battle, and June 28, 1776, when Jefferson and the Committee of Five presented their draft to the Continental Congress. The series continues through the Fourth of July weekend with the story of Benjamin Franklin.

Lankford also recorded a video tribute celebrating America’s freedom of faith, calling it a radical concept 250 years ago that no one thought would work, but one that Americans make work every day. Earlier this summer, he joined Americans from across the country at the Rededicate 250 prayer gathering on the National Mall. Last week, he penned a column in the Washington Examiner reflecting on 250 years of the Declaration’s promise that all men are created equal and calling on the nation to extend that promise to the unborn.

###",1,2026-07-03T08:00:00Z,2026-07-03T08:01:30Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-lankford-celebrates-launch-of-prison-fellowship-academy-at-fci-el-reno-marking-years-of-work-to-expand-faith-based-rehabilitation-in-federal-prisons/,"ICYMI: Lankford Celebrates Launch of Prison Fellowship Academy at FCI El Reno, Marking Years of Work to Expand Faith-Based Rehabilitation in Federal Prisons",2026-07-02,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) recently celebrated the launch of the first federal Prison Fellowship Academy at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in El Reno, Oklahoma, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony held earlier this month. Prison Fellowship is the first nonprofit to have a program designated as an evidence-based recidivism reduction program under the First Step Act by the US Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The designation marks a milestone in a decades-long effort by Lankford to ensure faith-based organizations have a seat at the table in federal rehabilitation efforts.

“This ribbon-cutting ceremony represents a breakthrough for religious liberty behind bars and a victory for all who affirm the principles of human dignity, accountability and fairness, both inside prison and upon reentry,” said Lankford.

“This partnership with the BOP not only represents major progress in bringing transformational programming to more people in federal prisons, but it also highlights the belief that no person is beyond redemption,” said Heather Rice-Minus, Prison Fellowship president and CEO. “The Prison Fellowship Academy is designed to help participants prepare for a successful future, both inside and outside prison walls. We are honored to work with the BOP to expand its impact nationwide.”

You can view Lankford’s remarks ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony HERE.

Background

For years, Senator Lankford has championed the role of faith-based organizations in federal prisons, fighting to ensure they have equal access to rehabilitation work and are not sidelined by federal bureaucracy. His efforts have been instrumental in building the legal and policy framework that made today’s announcement possible.

In 2018, Lankford voted in favor of the First Step Act, a landmark bipartisan legislation that expanded rehabilitative programming in federal prisons and created the framework for faith-based organizations like Prison Fellowship to partner with the BOP.

Lankford successfully amended the First Step Act to explicitly allow faith-based groups to provide job training, social development, and family programming on equal footing with non-faith-based organizations. Prior to this amendment, the Bureau of Prisons had largely shut faith-based groups out of recidivism reduction work in federal facilities. That change directly paved the way for Prison Fellowship’s historic designation as the first nonprofit evidence-based recidivism reduction program under the First Step Act.

Lankford co-authored the bipartisan MERCY Act with Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), which was incorporated into the First Step Act and limits the use of solitary confinement for juveniles in federal custody, ensuring young people retain access to rehabilitative and educational programming while incarcerated.

Lankford is a cosponsor of the Safer Supervision Act, bipartisan legislation supported by Prison Fellowship that modernizes federal supervised release by tailoring conditions to individual circumstances and reducing barriers to successful reentry.

###",1,2026-07-03T08:00:00Z,2026-07-03T08:01:30Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/fema-announces-over-12-3-million-in-disaster-recovery-grants-to-oklahoma-communities/,FEMA Announces Over $12.3 Million in Disaster Recovery Grants to Oklahoma Communities,2026-07-01,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded four Public Assistance grants to Oklahoma communities totaling more than $12.3 million. The grants will reimburse local entities for the cost of repairs to electrical infrastructure, roads, and public buildings damaged by severe storms, tornadoes, and winter weather.

“From restoring power in Northwestern Oklahoma to rebuilding county roads and public buildings in Eastern Oklahoma, these FEMA awards will help Oklahoma communities recover from the tornadoes, ice storms, and flooding that impacted our state,” said Lankford. “We have stayed in close contact with FEMA leadership to help finalize these grants, and I’m glad to see these federal resources supporting the agencies and local governments that stepped up to respond when Oklahomans needed them most.”

In addition to public assistance grants, FEMA also announced more than one million dollars in fire management assistance grants awarded to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management to partially reimburse firefighting costs from five 2025 wildfires.

###",1,2026-07-02T06:20:02Z,2026-07-02T06:21:32Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-one-year-later-the-working-families-tax-cuts-are-delivering-for-oklahomans/,"Lankford: One Year Later, the Working Families Tax Cuts Are Delivering for Oklahomans",2026-07-01,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK —US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today marked one year since the Senate passed the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, reflecting on the law’s impact on Oklahoma families, businesses, and communities.

“One year later, we’re seeing the Working Families Tax Cuts Act deliver real results for Oklahomans,” said Lankford. “Families are keeping more of what they earn, businesses have the certainty to invest and create jobs, energy producers are no longer burdened by an unfair tax penalty, and more Americans are able to support the charities and houses of worship that strengthen their communities. These policies are strengthening Oklahoma’s economy and supporting the people who make our state strong. We’re already seeing these policies make a real difference for families, strengthen our economy, secure our border, support American energy, and give businesses the confidence to invest and grow.”

Background

One year ago today, the Senate passed the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, preventing the largest tax hike in American history while delivering tax relief, securing the border, strengthening Medicaid program integrity, rebuilding the military, and cutting out-of-control spending.

Lankford secured several key priorities in the legislation, including authoring the permanent full, immediate expensing provision, allowing businesses to deduct the full cost of equipment and technology up front; securing the charitable deduction for non-itemizers, allowing couples to deduct up to $2,000 in donations; and leading the repeal of the Biden administration’s tax penalty on oil and gas producers by restoring key investment deductions.

For Oklahoma, the legislation prevented an average $2,013 tax increase for families, protected more than 233,000 small businesses from higher taxes, preserved the child tax credit for nearly 449,000 households, and maintained the standard deduction for more than 1.5 million Oklahoma families.

Lankford recently visited B&H Construction to hear firsthand how the permanent full expensing provision he authored is helping Oklahoma businesses invest and grow. You can watch the videoHERE and download itHERE.

For a full breakdown of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, including how it helps families, seniors, farmers and ranchers, energy producers, small businesses, strengthens our national defense, and secures the border, you can find more information HERE and HERE.

###",1,2026-07-02T06:20:02Z,2026-07-02T06:21:32Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-statement-on-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-decision/,Lankford Statement on Supreme Court Birthright Citizenship Decision,2026-06-30,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK —US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued the following statement after the US Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Barbara involving birthright citizenship.

“Americans are proud of our country, and we are committed to upholding our laws. Oklahomans are rightly frustrated when someone breaks into our country to force us to give their children American citizenship. Other than salvation, American citizenship is the greatest gift on Earth, and it should never be obtained through fraud or illegal actions.

“This same court, four years ago, passed the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which I strongly supported, but today I do not agree with the 5-4 split decision to give American citizenship to individuals whose families intentionally violated the law. The divided decision in the court reminds us again of the division in our nation. However, Americans honor our courts even when we disagree.

“President Trump has done extraordinary work to keep our borders safe and secure, but we need to pass stronger laws that will prevent a future administration from opening the border again. We need to make it unconstitutional to obtain citizenship through fraud or illegal actions.”

Background

Following today’s Supreme Court decisions, Lankford joined News 9 to discuss the rulings. Watch the interview HERE or download the video HERE .

###",1,2026-07-01T06:34:07Z,2026-07-01T06:35:35Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-in-washington-examiner-two-hundred-fifty-years-of-all-men-created-equal-when-will-the-unborn-count/,Lankford in Washington Examiner: “Two hundred fifty years of ‘all men created equal’ — When will the unborn count?”,2026-06-29,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK —US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) recently penned an op-ed in the Washington Examiner reflecting on America’s 250th anniversary and the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. You can read the full piece below or in the Washington Examiner HERE.

Two hundred fifty years of ‘all men created equal’ — When will the unborn count?

By: James Lankford

Two hundred fifty years ago, a small group of colonists challenged the most powerful empire on Earth. They had no standing army, no navy, and no certainty of survival. What they had was conviction. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

That sentence set a standard for this nation we have spent two and a half centuries trying to live up to. The semiquincentennial gives us a chance to reflect on our standard again and ask the honest question: Are we living up to it?

At the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the promise that all men are created equal did not yet reach everyone in this country. We have had to confront that gap more than once. Two hundred years ago, we enslaved people because of the color of their skin. One hundred and eight years ago, my mother, my wife, and my daughters could not vote. Eighty-five years ago, we interned Japanese American families because we were afraid of them. In each case, we eventually recognized our wrong and corrected it, though our failure had a real cost to the people who lived through it.

Our Constitution states its purpose in its opening lines: to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. Posterity means future generations, Americans not yet born. The word “posterity” carries particular weight.

I believe future generations will look back at this era and ask how this generation justified ending the lives of unborn children simply because they were inconvenient.

Last week marked four years since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned Roe v. Wade. Since 1973, more than 60 million unborn children have lost their lives to abortion in this country. Dobbs did not settle the question of abortion. It returned that question “to the people and their elected representatives,” where it belongs. We need to still resolve as a people if we believe that all children are precious and valuable or if certain children are disposable and worthless.

As we celebrate 250 years of America and mark four years since Dobbs, we have an opportunity to return to our first principles. Our founding documents were never meant to be obstacles to progress. They are a framework for pursuing justice, one that recognizes the equal dignity of every human being, born and unborn.

###",1,2026-06-30T06:29:10Z,2026-06-30T06:30:42Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/four-years-after-dobbs-lankford-leads-senate-floor-effort-to-protect-life-as-democrats-block-every-bill/,"Four Years After Dobbs, Lankford Leads Senate Floor Effort to Protect Life as Democrats Block Every Bill",2026-06-25,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), chair of the Senate Values Action Team, led his colleagues on the floor this week on the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision to ask for unanimous consent to pass commonsense pro-life, pro-family legislation, from protecting unborn children with Down syndrome to safeguarding the conscience rights of doctors and nurses who refuse to perform abortions. Senate Democrats objected to every single bill.

Among the bills raised, Lankford called up his own Conscience Protection Act, legislation that ensures no doctor, nurse, or health care provider can be forced to perform an abortion against their religious beliefs or moral convictions and gives them the legal standing to defend those rights if their employer or the government tries to strip them away.

“Today I rise to be able to mark the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision, a decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the issue of abortion, and when life begins and who we’re going to be as a people on this issue of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, back to the elected representatives from states and to the people,” said Lankford on the Senate floor. “Today we’re remembering 60 million children who died under the 49-year time period under Roe v. Wade. And the conversation that’s still happening all over the country. We the people are still having a dialog about the value of every human person and whether life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness still applies to everyone.”

“I’m one of those crazy people that actually believe that children are valuable. All of them. And I know it’s much maligned in our culture currently, and it’s very vogue to be able to say, ‘some children are valuable and some children are disposable, and those children that are disposable, we shouldn’t even discuss.’ But honestly, I think we should continue the conversation, the dialog that’s been going on for 250 years to determine does life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness apply to all of us. Are all people created equal, or are some people more equal than others? Just because a child cannot defend themself, just because a child doesn’t weigh very much yet, doesn’t mean it’s not a child. Science would say that life begins at conception when the cell division happens,” Lankford continued on the floor. “Every single cell in the woman’s body has the exact same DNA except when she’s pregnant. Then there are certain cells in the womb that have different DNA. Do you know why? Because it’s a different person. And there’s cell division happening in the woman’s body because she’s alive, and there’s cell division happening in that child’s body because so are they. And they’re uniquely different, God created person. They’re not inconvenient. They’re a child.”

Lankford was joined on the floor by his colleagues in raising the following legislation:

Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT): Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA): Protect Funding for Women’s Health Care Act

Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC): Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act

Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL): Pregnant Students’ Rights Act

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS): SAVE Moms and Babies Act of 2026

You can watch Lankford’s full remarks on the Senate floor HERE and download his remarks HERE.

Background

Lankford has spent his entire Senate career fighting for life, earning an “A+” rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America along the way. He has pushed to protect babies born alive after botched abortions, ban late-term dismemberment procedures, stop taxpayer dollars from flowing to Planned Parenthood, and ensure doctors and nurses are never forced to participate in abortions against their beliefs. This is the third time he has led a Dobbs anniversary floor effort, and the third time Democrats have blocked every bill he and his colleagues brought forward.

###",1,2026-06-26T06:29:35Z,2026-06-26T06:31:46Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-budd-lead-bill-to-codify-trump-admin-policy-eliminating-us-foreign-aid-funding-for-abortion-dei-gender-ideology/,"Lankford, Budd Lead Bill to Codify Trump Admin Policy Eliminating US Foreign Aid Funding for Abortion, DEI & Gender Ideology",2026-06-23,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act today to codify the Trump Administration’s Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance (PHFFA) Policy. This legislation would reinstate and expand Mexico City Policy by preventing US foreign assistance from being used to fund abortion or the promotion of abortion, discriminatory equity ideology, and radical gender ideology.

“American taxpayers should never be forced to fund abortions or radical gender ideology, whether in the United States or abroad,” said Lankford. “I’ve consistently highlighted this kind of wasteful spending, and this bill codifies the Trump administration’s Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance policy, so these protections endure beyond any single administration. US foreign assistance should reflect American values, not undermine them.”

“US foreign assistance programs have been exploited as a loophole to promote far-left, radical ideology on the dime of American taxpayers for far too long. Future administrations must not be permitted to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on programs funding abortion, DEI, and gender ideology abroad. Our country’s foreign assistance priorities should benefit our national security and strengthen our relationship with allies and partners—not advance a politically driven checklist of radical agenda items,” said Budd.

US Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Roger Wicker (R-MS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Jim Justice (R-WV) joined Lankford and Budd in introducing the legislation.

The Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act is supported by Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Pro-Life America, Concerned Women for America (CWA), National Right to Life, Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), Eagle Forum, and American Principles Project (APP).

You can read the full bill text HERE.

Background

Under PHFFA (Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance, Combating Gender Ideology in Foreign Assistance, Combating Discriminatory Equity Ideology in Foreign Assistance), the Trump Administration has already identified many US foreign assistance programs, paid for with taxpayer dollars, that are funding abortion, DEI, and gender ideology through global health, humanitarian, and development aid. These so-called “democracy promotion activities” undermine American values and weaken the perception of America abroad.

Illegal use of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to pay for abortions in Mozambique.

Funding for the New Alliance for Global Equality to advance “global LGBTQI+ awareness.”

Funding to promote “democracy” for LGBTQI+ populations in the Western Balkans.

Funding to an organization in Guatemala to, among other things, “strengthen trans-led organizations to deliver gender-affirming health care.”

The Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act would close loopholes in previous iterations of the Mexico City Policy by:

Expanding Covered Entities: Covers US NGOs, international organizations, and foreign governments and parastatals in addition to foreign NGOs.

Expanding Covered Activities: Covers the promotion of DEI and gender ideology in addition to abortion and the promotion of abortion.

Expanding Covered Foreign Assistance: Covers most non-military foreign assistance, not just global health assistance.

Providing for a Waiver: Permits the Secretary of State to waive provisions of this bill in certain circumstances.

###",1,2026-06-24T06:25:30Z,2026-06-24T06:26:49Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-applauds-senate-passage-of-bipartisan-bill-to-expand-housing-supply-and-lower-costs/,Lankford Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Expand Housing Supply and Lower Costs,2026-06-22,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Senate Republican Conference Vice Chair today released the following statement after the Senate passed the bipartisan, bicameral21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, legislation aimed at increasing housing supply, cutting federal red tape, and lowering housing costs for American families.

“The dream of homeownership is slipping further out of reach for too many Oklahomans,” said Lankford. “Home prices are at an all-time high, and Washington’s red tape has made it worse by making it harder and more expensive to build. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a straightforward solution: cut the federal bureaucracy that is slowing down construction, free up more land to build on, and bring costs down without adding a dime to the deficit. Oklahomans do not need Washington to spend more money; they need Washington to get out of the way.”

You can read the full bill text HERE, and a section-by-section HERE.

###",1,2026-06-24T06:25:30Z,2026-06-24T06:26:49Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-on-senate-floor-ahead-of-fathers-day-if-dads-back-away-from-their-families-the-nation-gets-weaker/,"Lankford on Senate Floor Ahead of Father’s Day: “If Dads Back Away From Their Families, The Nation Gets Weaker”",2026-06-18,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today delivered remarks on the Senate floor ahead of Father’s Day, making the case that fatherlessness is at the root of America’s biggest social crises and that engaged dads are the most powerful force for a stronger nation.

“Healthy families make healthy communities make a healthy nation,” said Lankford on the floor. “If dads back away from their families, families get weaker, communities get weaker, the nation gets weaker. If dads are engaged with their kids and with their families, the nation gets stronger. Communities get stronger.”

While sounding the alarm on fatherlessness, Lankford also pointed to a promising cultural shift: today’s dads are three times more likely to spend time with their kids than fathers in the 1960s. He called on that momentum to continue, and outlined several policy efforts to back it up, including fixing marriage penalties in the tax code and Trump administration actions that pull passports from dads who skip out on child support and withhold tax refunds from those who fall behind on payments.

There is no vote that we will take in this body today that will make the nation stronger than just dads loving their kids, and spending time with them, and helping them know how to be able to walk with God, live a patriotic life, and to serve their family and community,” Lankford concluded. “There is no vote that will help our nation more than that.”

You can watch his full remarks on the Senate floor HERE, and can download it HERE.

Background

Lankford has long championed faith, family, and pro-life policy throughout his tenure in the Senate. He has fought to eliminate marriage penalties in the tax code, introduced legislation to extend child support to unborn children, and has been recognized as the Senate’s leading pro-life voice. Americans looking for fatherhood resources can visit fatherhood.gov and fatherhood.org.

###",1,2026-06-19T06:50:32Z,2026-06-19T06:53:40Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-unanimously-passes-lankford-ernst-led-bipartisan-bill-to-stop-secret-spending/,"Senate Unanimously Passes Lankford, Ernst-led Bipartisan Bill to Stop Secret Spending",2026-06-18,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — Recently, the US Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan bill authored by Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Gary Peters (D-MI), requiring public disclosure of tens of billions of dollars in secret spending deals.

Current law requires government expenditures to be listed on the public website USAspending.gov, so Americans can see who is receiving their tax dollars, along with details about where, why, and how the money is being spent. Bureaucrats have been circumventing the law by withholding thousands of spending arrangements, known as Other Transactions Agreements (OTAs). Over the past two years, the Pentagon alone has awarded $25.5 billion worth of OTAs and committed to spending another $44 billion on the agreements.

“You can’t cut waste you can’t see,” said Lankford. “The Stop Secret Spending Act shines a light on billions of dollars in government spending that has been deliberately kept from taxpayers. Transparency is the first step toward accountability, and accountability is how we stop Washington from wasting the money Americans work hard to earn.”

“Bureaucrats have been playing hide and seek with tax dollars for far too long,” said Ernst. “It’s time to end the games and stop the secret spending. The American people will now have a full picture of how Washington spends their money, so we can identify and cut waste and stop fraud and abuse.”

“This commonsense legislation will increase transparency around how the federal government is using taxpayer resources and will cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Peters. “Americans deserve to know how their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being spent, and I’m pleased to see this bipartisan bill is one step closer to becoming law.”

Background

The Stop Secret Spending Act requires OTAs to be disclosed in the same manner as grants, contracts, loans, and other government expenditures. The bill also requires a summary of the total amount of spending that is not publicly disclosed, along with a justification, so taxpayers are provided with a more complete accounting of Washington’s $7.4 trillion annual budget.

This effort builds on Lankford’s long-running push for federal spending transparency through the Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act, which he has championed since 2011. That law directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to compile a public inventory of every federal program, including its cost and performance, so taxpayers and Congress can identify duplication, inefficiency, and waste government-wide.

###",1,2026-06-19T06:50:32Z,2026-06-19T06:53:40Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-highlights-more-than-2-8-million-in-fema-assistance-for-oklahoma/,Lankford Highlights More Than $2.8 Million in FEMA Assistance for Oklahoma,2026-06-10,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today highlighted $2.8 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance awarded to Oklahoma to support recovery efforts following severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, and wildfires across the state.

“From repairing damaged public buildings to reimbursing emergency protective measures and wildfire suppression costs, these FEMA awards will help Oklahoma communities recover from the tornadoes, severe weather, and wildfires that impacted our state,” said Lankford. “We have stayed in contact with FEMA leadership to get these grants finalized. I’m glad to see these federal resources supporting the agencies and local governments that responded when Oklahomans needed them most.”

The federal funding will help Oklahoma communities recover and respond to recent disasters through the following projects:

$848,284 to the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services for building exterior and interior repair or replacement as a result of severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding.

$614,620 to the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services for emergency protective measures to lessen the immediate threat to public health, safety, and property as a result of severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding.

$147,121 to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry for firefighting activities associated with the Euchee Creek Fire.

$407,619 to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry for firefighting activities associated with the 840 Road Fire.

$502,573 to Roger Mills County for firefighting activities associated with the 840 Road Fire.

$105,647 to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry for firefighting activities associated with the Little Salt Creek Fire.

$182,767 to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry for firefighting activities associated with the 328 Fire.

###",1,2026-06-11T06:38:38Z,2026-06-11T06:41:07Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-praises-chickasaw-nation-governor-anoatubby-on-retirement-after-four-decades-of-leadership/,Lankford Praises Chickasaw Nation Governor Anoatubby on Retirement After Four Decades of Leadership,2026-06-08,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released the following statement following Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby’s announcement of his retirement.

“Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Nation are both better today because of the service of Bill Anoatubby,” said Lankford. “For over four decades, he has led with honor, integrity, and the mantra of ‘what is good for the state of Oklahoma is good for the Chickasaw Nation and what is good for the Chickasaw Nation is good for the state of Oklahoma’. During Governor Anoatubby’s time in office, the Chickasaw Nation has utilized its sovereign authority to put in place countless health, educational, and economic resources benefiting not only the Chickasaw people but all Oklahomans. I’m grateful that during my time in office, I have been able to count Governor Anoatubby as a friend and someone I could call upon to talk through important issues impacting our state. He and Janice have more than earned this retirement together, and I know they look forward to many happy days together with the grandkids.”

###",1,2026-06-09T06:27:37Z,2026-06-09T06:30:10Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-following-overnight-vote-a-rama-lankford-votes-for-secure-america-act/,"ICYMI: Following Overnight Vote-a-Rama, Lankford Votes for Secure America Act",2026-06-05,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Senate Republican Conference Vice Chair and member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), voted in favor of the budget reconciliation legislation that fully funds Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through the end of President Trump’s term.

“For 19 hours, I joined my Senate Republican colleagues to vote down amendment after amendment from Democrats who wanted to defund federal immigration enforcement entirely,” said Lankford. “Democrats withheld pay from federal law enforcement officers for 76 days. Most Americans simply want to see the law enforced. That is not extreme. That is normal. Today, Republicans voted to provide certainty and security by fully funding ICE and Border Patrol for the next three years. As a side note, if my Prevent Government Shutdowns Act had been in place, we would have never been in this position to begin with.”

Background

Throughout the overnight Vote-a-Rama, Lankford kept Oklahomans updated on social media HERE. Following the vote, he joined CNBC’s Squawk Box, Newsmax, and Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio to discuss the outcome.

Lankford took to the Senate floor to speak against an amendment that sought to rescind approximately $100 billion in unspent funds from the Homeland and Judiciary titles of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, effectively stripping funding from ICE and Border Patrol. The amendment failed 46-53. You can watch Lankford’s floor remarks HERE.

###",1,2026-06-06T06:16:30Z,2026-06-06T06:17:47Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-in-fox-news-congress-should-suffer-shutdown-pain-not-the-american-people/,"Lankford in Fox News: “Congress Should Suffer Shutdown Pain, Not the American People”",2026-06-05,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC —US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) penned a column today in Fox News on their Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026. You can read it below or find it in Fox News HERE.

Congress Should Suffer Shutdown Pain, Not the American People

By: James Lankford and Maggie Hassan

For the past decade, Americans have watched a wasteful Washington drama unfold each year: government shutdowns that threaten our economy, jeopardize our security and hurt families all across our country.

Each time there is a shutdown, the American people are caught in the middle. Make no mistake, government shutdowns are not a theoretical or a procedural exercise, they have real consequences all across the country. The last shutdown cost our country more than $11 billion.

In recent shutdowns, we’ve seen long lines, up to six hours, just to get through airport security because TSA went unfunded. Air traffic controllers — the people who keep the skies safe for us to fly — went without pay. Veterans and seniors had a harder time accessing the benefits they’ve earned because those services ground to a halt. The Small Business Administration was hamstrung in its ability to support entrepreneurs trying to keep their small businesses afloat.

Families were faced with the prospect of having their SNAP benefits dry up as they tried to feed their children. Government shutdowns in the past have even threatened our ability to pay service members who help keep our country free. Government shutdowns show the world, America’s friends and foes, that the world’s greatest democracy and largest economy can be held hostage by politics.

For some of the loudest voices in our politics, government shutdowns may sometimes look like an appealing way to later score political points in a cable news hit, on social media, or on the campaign trail, but let’s be clear: The American people always pay a very real price.

Americans have had enough of this destructive, chaotic style of politics. Both political parties have caused government shutdowns in the past, so we believe both parties should find a way to make them stop.

We have worked together, a Senate Republican and a Senate Democrat, to propose a simple principle: No matter how much we argue about our national budget, the American people shouldn’t pay the price for Congress failing to do its job on time. That commitment helped us write, the “Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026,” which takes shutdowns off the table and pushes Congress to fulfill its responsibility to negotiate and pass full-year funding bills.

Here’s how it works: If Congress fails to pass any of the 12 appropriation bills on time, an automatic Continuing Resolution (CR) kicks in to keep paying federal workers and programs at the current year’s spending level. However, Members of Congress and our staff would be required by law to remain in Washington, D.C., voting seven days a week, until we solved our budget impasse. The House and the Senate would be restricted to only debating the appropriation bills until they were completed. It is as simple as staying after school to finish your unfinished classwork.

It may sound simple, but it is a radical change from the status quo. Congress would feel the pressure and pain of a shutdown, instead of the American people and federal workers. Air traffic controllers, service members, federal law enforcement, healthcare professionals, researchers, scientists and thousands of others would be able to continue serving the American people and would no longer be pawns in political standoffs. Because holding federal employees’ paychecks and critical federal services hostage doesn’t solve policy disagreements; they just hurts families.

We brought our bill to the Senate last session and earned strong bipartisan support, but we fell just short. We were only three votes away from never having a government shutdown again. Since that time, we have experienced the longest shutdown in American history. A growing group in the Senate and House has expressed its desire to finally end the chaos. We also have the strong support of multiple partisan and nonpartisan organizations, along with the American Federation of Government Employees.

We all understand that changing any of the status quo in Washington is never easy, even if the status quo is failing. But it is painfully obvious that the current system isn’t working, and we need a new path to settle our disagreements.

Americans disagree on many issues; in fact, the two of us disagree on many issues, but we strongly agree that it’s time to take shutdowns off the table for good.

###",1,2026-06-05T06:35:23Z,2026-06-05T06:36:42Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-raises-concerns-with-treasury-on-marijuana-tax-relief-following-federal-rescheduling/,Lankford Raises Concerns with Treasury on Marijuana Tax Relief Following Federal Rescheduling,2026-06-03,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) today sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent raising questions about the tax implications of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent decision to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, and seeking clarity on how the US Department of the Treasury intends to handle potential retroactive tax relief for marijuana businesses.

Under Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, businesses trafficking in Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances are prohibited from claiming ordinary business deductions or credits. This reflects Congress’s determination that operations engaged with federally prohibited substances should not claim the same tax advantages as lawful businesses. Movement to Schedule III could allow marijuana businesses to claim federal tax benefits previously unavailable under federal law.

Read the full letter text HERE or below:

Dear Secretary Bessent,

The Department of Justice’s April 23, 2026, final rule rescheduling certain marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III carries significant implications for the federal tax treatment of marijuana businesses.

Under Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, businesses trafficking in Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances are prohibited from claiming ordinary business deductions or credits. This reflects Congress’s determination that operations engaged with federally prohibited substances should not claim the same tax advantages as lawful businesses. Movement to Schedule III could allow marijuana businesses to claim federal tax benefits previously unavailable under federal law.

We have long been concerned about the potential fiscal and societal consequences of rescheduling, which is why we introduced the No Deductions for Marijuana Businesses Act to prohibit marijuana businesses from receiving federal tax deductions or credits regardless of the drug’s classification.

In addition, we were particularly troubled that the final rule encouraged the Secretary of the Treasury to consider providing retrospective tax relief to marijuana businesses. The rule states that such relief would only apply to businesses that provide FDA-approved drug products or hold state-issued licenses. However, many state-licensed marijuana operators participate in both medical and recreational markets, making it unclear how Treasury would distinguish business activities that qualify or do not qualify for federal tax treatment.

The shortcomings of relying on inconsistent state licensure are already evident. For example, having a state license to grow or sell marijuana in Oklahoma does not mean that the business acts lawfully. At the height of its medical marijuana program, Oklahoma had 9,178 licensed marijuana growing operations. While law enforcement has worked diligently to close down many of these operations that violated the law, they were all at one point state licensed marijuana businesses. There are documented instances where licensed operations funneled marijuana to the black market and engaged in other crimes, like money laundering and human trafficking. Many of these operations have also been owned and operated by Chinese nationals who have exploited state marijuana laws to commit crimes.

Similar concerns have been observed in states like California and Maine, highlighting systemic issues with state-level licensing and regulation of marijuana markets. Across the country, businesses follow a patchwork of laws to become a licensed marijuana business. Some may be more stringent than others, but it remains the case that state licensure alone does not guarantee legal compliance or justify eligibility for federal tax benefits.

Accordingly, we request answers to the following questions by June 29th:

Can you further clarify the definition of “retrospective tax relief” in this context? How many prior tax years is the Treasury Department planning to consider for tax relief for marijuana businesses?

How will the Treasury Department ensure that marijuana businesses that are potential candidates for tax relief have not violated any law, including the diversion of marijuana to the black market, human trafficking, and money laundering?

What is the estimated reduction in federal revenue associated with providing marijuana businesses access to ordinary business deductions and credits?

How would providing retrospective tax relief to marijuana businesses help American families?

What would be the impact on annual federal deficits and the national debt to give certain marijuana business owners a newly created retroactive tax benefit?

What statutory authority permits the federal government to give business owners who sold or manufactured a product against federal law a tax benefit?

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to our continued engagement with you on this important issue.

Sincerely,

[X]

Background

Lankford has long held that marijuana businesses selling a federally illegal product should not receive federal tax breaks. He introduced the No Deductions for Marijuana Businesses Act to ensure rescheduling does not trigger a federal tax windfall for the industry. Under the Biden Administration, he led Senate opposition to the rescheduling push itself, arguing the proposal was driven by politics rather than science. Oklahoma’s experience with its medical marijuana program, marked by thousands of licensed operations later tied to black market activity, money laundering, and human trafficking, has been central to his concerns.

###",1,2026-06-04T06:38:12Z,2026-06-04T06:39:44Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-armstrong-applaud-nominations-of-us-attorneys-for-oklahoma/,"Lankford, Armstrong Applaud Nominations of US Attorneys for Oklahoma",2026-06-02,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Alan Armstrong (R-OK) today applauded President Trump’s nominations of Christopher Nassar to serve as US Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Robert Troester to serve as US Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

“Bob Troester has led the Western District with distinction for years, and Chris Nassar has spent his career going after some the worst criminals in northern Oklahoma. Oklahomans deserve strong, experienced leadership in both districts, and these nominations deliver exactly that. We look forward to their swift confirmation in the Senate.”

###",1,2026-06-03T06:40:39Z,2026-06-03T06:42:22Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-remembers-1921-tulsa-race-massacre-2/,Lankford Remembers 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre,2026-06-01,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) released the following statement on the 105th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that took hundreds of lives and left almost all of North Tulsa in ashes:

“The 31st of May and the 1st of June mark a time of solemn remembrance in our state and nation. One hundred and five years ago, the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre left a community in ruins and a nation with a wound that still demands honest reckoning. The residents of Greenwood did not allow that event to define them, and their resilience continues to inspire. North Tulsa, our state, and our nation lost much during those fateful days, but the work of turning tragedy into triumph continues. I remain grateful to the community leaders, churches, and families who press forward every day to restore North Tulsa as a beacon of culture, opportunity, and prosperity. True reconciliation requires that we never stop remembering, never stop listening, and never stop working toward a brighter future together.”

###",1,2026-06-02T06:40:38Z,2026-06-02T06:42:17Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/what-they-are-saying-lankfords-prevent-government-shutdowns-act-gains-broad-support-from-federal-workers-groups/,What They Are Saying: Lankford’s Prevent Government Shutdowns Act Gains Broad Support from Federal Workers’ Groups,2026-05-23,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) recently introduced the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026, legislation supported by a broad coalition of federal workers’ groups and policy advocates that would take government shutdowns off the table and require Congress to remain in Washington until their work is done.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Americans for Prosperity (AFP), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), Partnership for Public Service (PPS), Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) are supporting the legislation.

“Government shutdowns are not an appropriate tool to resolve political disputes, and they ultimately fail to put the needs of our country and its people first. Reasonable solutions, like the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, would help end this cycle of mismanagement and ensure that federal agencies can deliver the services the public depends on. I applaud Senators Lankford and Hassan for their leadership on this issue and urge Congress to move swiftly to make shutdowns a relic of the past.” said Max Stier, President and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service (PPS).

“Congress never meant for shutdowns to be possible: they came from an executive branch decision in 1980 about a 19th century law. Today, the shutdown threat pushes members to vote for bills they didn’t get to read or have the chance to amend. Keeping programs going while Congress finishes up funding bills would help involve more members in the process and truly earn their support. We commend Senators Lankford and Hassan for building a stronger, more effective Congress through the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act,” said Kurt Couchman, Senior Fellow in Fiscal Policy, Americans for Prosperity.

“AFGE is proud to support the bipartisan Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, introduced by Senators Hassan and Lankford. If government funding runs out, this bill forces Congress to burn the midnight oil until a deal is reached – and meanwhile keep the lights on in federal agencies. During the last shutdown, Congress had several lengthy recesses back home while tens of thousands of hardworking employees worked without the guarantee of a paycheck. This legislation is a commonsense approach to the all-too-frequent government shutdowns that disrupt public services, threaten employee livelihoods, and drive talented employees out of government. Congress should pass this legislation without delay,” said Dr. Everett Kelley, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE).

“Government shutdowns are completely avoidable. One of the most basic functions of lawmakers is to keep the government funded. Failing to do so is a waste of taxpayer dollars, harms the economy, and distracts from the far bigger challenge of addressing our unsustainable debt. The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act is a commonsense reform that would help fix a broken budget process by automatically maintaining funding when appropriations deadlines are missed,” said Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CFRB).

“When government shutdowns occur, federal workers are the ones who bear the brunt. Employees are left to wonder whether they’ll be able to pay their mortgage or buy groceries while Congress fails to act. NTEU applauds Senators Hassan and Lankford for working together on this bill that would prevent future shutdowns and ensure that federal employees can continue to do their work serving the American people,” said Doreen Greenwald, President of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)

“When critical aviation and transportation security workers are forced to work without pay or face uncertainty about their livelihoods, government shutdowns are a direct threat to aviation safety by undermining the safety infrastructure that the traveling public depends on every day. The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act would end the dysfunction that puts our national airspace at risk by ensuring federal agencies can continue operating while Congress does its job. ALPA applauds Senator Hassan and her colleagues for taking this commonsense step to protect workers and the flying public,” said President Capt. Jason Ambrosi, of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).

Background

Introduced initially in February 2019, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act requires that if appropriations work is not done on time, all Members of Congress must stay in Washington, DC, and work until the spending bills are completed. This will prevent a government-wide shutdown, continue critical services and operations for Americans, and hold federal workers harmless while Congress completes appropriations.

Joining Lankford and Hassan in introducing the bipartisan legislation are Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Kennedy (R-LA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tim Scott (R-SC), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19) and Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19).

Upon a lapse in government funding, the bill would implement an automatic continuing resolution (CR) on rolling 14-day periods, based on the most current spending levels enacted in the previous fiscal year. This would prevent a shutdown and continue critical services and operations.

During the covered period of an automatic CR, the following restrictions are put in place:

No taxpayer-funded travel allowances for official business (except one flight to return to Washington, DC) for the following:

White House OMB staff and leadership

Members of the House and Senate

Committee and personal staff of the House and Senate

No official funds may be used for CODEL or STAFFDEL travel

No use of campaign funds by congressional offices to supplement official duties or travel expenses

No motions to recess or adjourn in the House/Senate for a period of more than 23 hours

In addition, under the bill, no other votes would be in order in the House and Senate unless they pertain to passage of the appropriations bills or mandatory quorum calls in the Senate. However, after 30 days under the automatic CR, certain expiring authorization bills and executive calendar nominations would be eligible for consideration on the Senate floor, including a nomination for a Justice of the Supreme Court or a Cabinet Secretary, and narrow reauthorization legislation for programs operating under an authorization that has already expired or will expire within the next 30 days. These restrictions can be waived by a two-thirds vote in either chamber, but not for longer than seven days.

You can view the full text of the bill HERE, and learn more about it in Fox News HERE.

###",1,2026-05-23T06:08:46Z,2026-05-23T06:10:20Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-hassan-team-up-to-end-government-shutdowns-and-hold-congress-accountable/,"Lankford, Hassan Team Up to End Government Shutdowns and Hold Congress Accountable",2026-05-22,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) reintroduced the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026, which would take government shutdowns off the table and force Congress to stay in town until their work is done.

“Americans are tired of worthless government shutdown drama and Congress using federal workers and government services as pawns in political standoffs,” said Lankford. “The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act ends government shutdowns forever with a simple idea: if Congress doesn’t do its job, Congress doesn’t get to go home. We shift the pressure off the American people and onto the people they elected. We came within three votes of passing this before, and it is time to finish the job.”

“Government shutdowns are costly, avoidable, and make people in New Hampshire and across the country pay the price for the failures of Congress,” said Hassan. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill incentivizes Congress to fund the government on time and ensures that there is a plan in place to protect families and our economy if Congress cannot come to an agreement.”

Joining Lankford and Hassan in introducing the bipartisan legislation are Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Kennedy (R-LA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tim Scott (R-SC), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19) and Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19).

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Americans for Prosperity (AFP), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), Partnership for Public Service (PPS), Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) are supporting the legislation.

Background

Introduced initially in February 2019, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act requires that if appropriations work is not done on time, all Members of Congress must stay in Washington, DC, and work until the spending bills are completed. This will prevent a government-wide shutdown, continue critical services and operations for Americans, and hold federal workers harmless while Congress completes appropriations.

Upon a lapse in government funding, the bill would implement an automatic continuing resolution (CR) on rolling 14-day periods, based on the most current spending levels enacted in the previous fiscal year. This would prevent a shutdown and continue critical services and operations.

During the covered period of an automatic CR, the following restrictions are put in place:

No taxpayer-funded travel allowances for official business (except one flight to return to Washington, DC) for the following:

White House OMB staff and leadership

Members of the House and Senate

Committee and personal staff of the House and Senate

No official funds may be used for CODEL or STAFFDEL travel

No use of campaign funds by congressional offices to supplement official duties or travel expenses

No motions to recess or adjourn in the House/Senate for a period of more than 23 hours

In addition, under the bill, no other votes would be in order in the House and Senate unless they pertain to passage of the appropriations bills or mandatory quorum calls in the Senate. However, after 30 days under the automatic CR, certain expiring authorization bills and executive calendar nominations would be eligible for consideration on the Senate floor, including a nomination for a Justice of the Supreme Court or a Cabinet Secretary, and narrow reauthorization legislation for programs operating under an authorization that has already expired or will expire within the next 30 days. These restrictions can be waived by a two-thirds vote in either chamber, but not for longer than seven days.

You can view the full text of the bill HERE, and learn more about it in Fox News HERE.

###",1,2026-05-22T06:27:39Z,2026-05-22T06:29:18Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-cotton-colleagues-to-trump-eliminate-un-agency-that-employs-hamas-terrorists-2/,"Lankford, Cotton, Colleagues to Trump: Eliminate UN Agency that Employs Hamas-Terrorists",2026-05-19,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), joined by 23 colleagues, sent a letter to President Trump requesting that his administration work with the United Nations (UN) to fully dismantle and eliminate the budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Numerous UNRWA employees have ties to Hamas and other terrorist groups, yet they continue to receive millions of dollars annually from the UN.

Joining Lankford and Cotton in sending the letter are Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

In part, the Senators wrote, “We strongly urge your administration to take decisive action to fully dismantle UNRWA and eliminate it from the UN budget. Any aid organization in Gaza or otherwise must be demonstrably free of ties to terrorism and committed to transparency, accountability, and peace. We must ensure this failed system doesn’t continue reinforcing the conditions that have fueled terrorism for generations. The time to act is now.”

Read the full letter text HERE or below:

Dear President Trump,

We strongly support your administration’s efforts to preserve Israel’s long-term security and ensure that Gaza has a future free of Hamas’s terrorist influence. Your strong leadership has been instrumental in advancing a comprehensive 20-point peace plan that demands Hamas disarm and play no role in Gaza governance. Achieving stability in Gaza requires ridding Gaza of the military, social, and political infrastructure that fed Hamas’s power. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is one such structure that must be dismantled, not just in Gaza but across the region.

Established in 1949 as a temporary relief agency, UNRWA operates across Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. In defiance of its mission, extensive reports, investigations, and intelligence assessments have confirmed UNRWA’s systemic infiltration by Hamas and other U.S.-designated terrorist organizations. Yet America continued to fund UNRWA.

Israel found that at least twelve UNRWA employees participated in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, and that roughly ten percent of the agency’s employees in Gaza have ties to terrorist groups. Recently, a USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation identified three additional UNRWA employees who participated in the attacks as well as 14 others affiliated with Hamas. The USAID OIG is expanding its probe to examine more than 100 UNRWA employees for potential ties to Hamas and involvement in the attacks.

Since October 7, Hamas has repeatedly diverted UNRWA’s supplies, used its facilities to hide weapons stockpiles and tunnel infrastructure, and even used its buildings to hold hostages. UNRWA’s educational curriculum glorifies terrorism and antisemitism. Yet while the United States has suspended direct funding and Israel has banned the agency from operating on its territory, UNRWA remains active in Gaza. UNRWA continues to receive $70 million annually from the United Nations regular budget – of which the United States provides roughly a quarter.

We strongly urge your administration to take decisive action to fully dismantle UNRWA and eliminate it from the UN budget. Any aid organization in Gaza or otherwise must be demonstrably free of ties to terrorism and committed to transparency, accountability, and peace. We must ensure this failed system doesn’t continue reinforcing the conditions that have fueled terrorism for generations. The time to act is now.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We stand prepared to assist.

Sincerely,

(X)

###",1,2026-05-20T06:27:31Z,2026-05-20T06:28:54Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-rosen-introduce-comprehensive-bipartisan-bill-to-fight-antisemitism-2/,"Lankford, Rosen Introduce Comprehensive Bipartisan Bill to Fight Antisemitism",2026-05-19,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — Today, US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-founders and co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, introduced the Jewish American Security Act, a comprehensive bill to strengthen federal efforts to fight antisemitism – including in US academic settings, at Jewish communal institutions, and online. The bipartisan legislation would require the Department of Education to develop and implement a comprehensive Title VI framework to combat antisemitism on college campuses, make available additional funding for security resources for at-risk houses of worship and other nonprofit institutions, and hold large social media platforms accountable by requiring transparency regarding their handling of antisemitic content online.

“Since October 7th, Jews in America have faced an unprecedented surge in antisemitism. These are not just numbers, these are real stories impacting real people,” said Lankford. “Jewish students being targeted on campuses. Synagogues being vandalized. People being attacked in the streets simply because of their faith and heritage. That is not who we are as a nation, and we unequivocally condemn antisemitism in all its forms. Every American deserves to live their faith freely. That is worth fighting for.”

“Our nation is facing an epidemic of antisemitism – year after year we are seeing unprecedented levels of antisemitic violence and harassment. Jewish Americans are being targeted, attacked, and killed simply because of who they are. This alarming trend demands a comprehensive, bipartisan approach that addresses both the seeds and the impacts of this vile hatred,” said Rosen. “From social media to college campuses, we’ve seen how this bigotry manifests into real-world violence against Jews. That’s why we must take concrete steps to understand the extent of antisemitism – both online and offline – and ensure that Jewish communities have access to robust security resources and government protections. I’m proud to introduce the Jewish American Security Act with Senator Lankford to strengthen efforts to fight antisemitism at the federal level and keep Jewish Americans safe.”

You can find the full text of the legislation HERE.

Background

This legislation is supported by the American Jewish Committee, ADL, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (“Orthodox Union”), Jewish Federations of North America, Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, Secure Community Network, The Rabbinical Assembly, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Jewish Women International, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, JCC Association of North America, the Nexus Project, Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and Agudath Israel of America.

Below are the statements from organizations endorsing this legislation:

“The data is unambiguous: Jewish Americans are under threat in their communities, on their campuses and online, and the federal government must act,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of ADL. “ADL’s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents recorded 6,274 incidents in 2025 alone, including 203 physical assaults, the most we have ever recorded, and three murders. The Jewish American Security Act meets this moment with the seriousness it demands. By strengthening the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, bolstering protections for Jewish students, and increasing accountability for online platforms, this bill equips law enforcement, educators, and communities with the tools they need to respond. We commend Senators Rosen and Lankford, for their bipartisan commitment to combating antisemitism and standing up for Jewish Americans, and we urge Congress to pass this legislation without delay.”

“No American should need a security perimeter to pray. No American should be afraid to leave their home or visit a cultural center of their choosing. Yet, that is exactly what Jews in this country are experiencing every day,” said American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch. “We are at an inflection point. Surging antisemitism is not just a threat to the Jewish community; it is a crisis for our democracy and the values we cherish as Americans – pluralism, religious freedom, and the promise of equal protection. We thank Senators Rosen and Lankford for their leadership and demonstrating that confronting this hatred is not a political issue, but a moral obligation.”

“Jewish communities across the United States are facing a real and growing security crisis, and the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that all Americans can gather, worship, and live openly and safely as who they are. Jewish Federations of North America and the communities we represent are deeply grateful to Senators Rosen and Lankford for co-leading and introducing this landmark security package at a moment when threats, fear, and violence have become part of daily life for far too many Jewish families and institutions,” said Hon. Eric D. Fingerhut, President and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America. “This legislation represents one of the strongest congressional responses we have seen to the alarming rise in antisemitism and targeted violence against the Jewish community. It sends a clear and unmistakable message: protecting Jewish Americans is not optional — it is an urgent national priority. We are proud to support this effort and urge Congress to act swiftly, because no American should have to live in fear simply for being Jewish.”

“The Secure Community Network proudly supports the Jewish American Security Act and is grateful for the bipartisan leadership of Senators Rosen and Lankford in advancing this critical legislation. In recent weeks alone, we have seen targeted attacks on Jewish schools, children, and synagogues, and the arrest of an individual directing violence against Jewish communities from abroad. These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a coordinated and escalating threat environment that demands a sustained federal response,” said Michael Masters, National Director & CEO of Secure Community Network (SCN). “This bill reflects long-standing priorities SCN has raised through expert testimony and engagement with policymakers and law enforcement partners. It meets the urgency of this moment by strengthening information sharing, assessing emerging threats, and breaking down silos. We are grateful for the bipartisan effort that brought this forward. It is a matter of safety, security, and the enduring promise of a nation where faith-based life can flourish without fear.”

“The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America strongly supports the Jewish American Security Act (“JASA”). Sadly, the American Jewish community is facing an unprecedented wave of antisemitism and that demands an unprecedented response by our government. The JASA is part of such a response and Congress ought to pass it as soon as possible. It will authorize essential funding for NSGP grants to Jewish synagogues and schools, direct the Justice Department to allocate funds to local police to better protect our communities and provide long-overdue, but sensible, protections for Jewish students on college campuses by demanding that their rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act are protected as much as the rights of other students,” said Nathan Diament, Executive Director of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. “We thank Senators Lankford and Rosen for their leadership and partnership on this legislation and look forward to working with them and other allies to have it enacted into law.”

“Antisemitism has reached crisis proportions in the US, demanding a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach,” said Carol Ann Schwartz, National President of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America. “Hadassah is proud to support the Jewish American Security Act, critical legislation that would fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, strengthen civil rights protections for Jewish students and study the correlation between online antisemitism and violence against Jews. We thank Senators Rosen and Lankford for their bipartisan leadership and urge Congress to act swiftly to safeguard Jewish communities across the country.”

“Jewish Americans face antisemitism wherever they turn: at school, at synagogue and even at home thanks to the cesspool of unabashed antisemitism that is growing exponentially online,” said Rabbi A.D. Motzen, Agudath Israel of America’s National Director of Government Affairs. “The bipartisan Jewish American Security Act addresses all of these forms of hate in one comprehensive bill and deserves to be enacted by Congress as soon as possible.

“At a moment of rising, increasingly-violent antisemitism, it’s vital that we invest in whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches that will keep Jewish and all communities safe. The Jewish American Security Act takes important steps forward, like strengthening the Education Department, supporting equal and unbiased Title VI enforcement, helping protect Nonprofit Security Grants from political interference, countering online extremism and hate, and recognizing the inextricable link between Jewish safety and our democracy,” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. “Make no mistake: there is no truly inclusive, pluralistic democracy unless antisemitism is addressed and Jews are safe. So too does Jewish safety require protecting the democratic norms and values that have long protected us — and we will continue to reject the false choice we’re too often offered between countering antisemitism and protecting our democracy and our rights.”

“Jewish Women International applauds Senators Rosen and Lankford for introducing the Jewish American Security Act, which addresses the growing antisemitic violence, vandalism and threats American Jewish communities have faced over the last few years,” said Meredith Jacobs, CEO of Jewish Women International. “While no one should have to fear being targeted because they’re Jewish, as JWI, we are particularly aware of how young, Jewish women are experiencing this moment and the threats they feel both in person and online. This bill would strengthen protections in schools, expand security support for communal institutions and require greater transparency around antisemitism on major online platforms. We’re proud to endorse it.”

“We are grateful for the bipartisan leadership behind the ‘Jewish American Security Act,’ a serious and necessary response to the rise in antisemitism,” said William C. Daroff, CEO of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. “We commend Senators Rosen and Lankford for advancing this comprehensive legislation that strengthens protections for Jewish students, secures synagogues and communal institutions, and addresses the spread of antisemitism online. This legislation meets the moment. Congress should move it forward without delay.”

“College campuses are one of the last remaining places where young adults of different backgrounds and belief systems can engage face-to-face to break down walls and bridge divides,” said Adam Katz, President of the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate. “At the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, we’ve leveraged this opportunity and taken our work to campuses across the country, standing up programming to foster healthy, respectful dialogue, and to ultimately engage students in the fight against antisemitism and all forms of hate. We are proud to support the bipartisan Jewish American Security Act, which will provide the resources and infrastructure required to protect Jewish students and to turn the tide on rising antisemitism. Defeating hate requires partnership and investment from both the public and private sectors. This legislation represents an incredible step forward in the fight to defeat hate and brings us closer to our shared goal of creating welcoming campus communities where all students can unlock their full potential.”

“At this perilous moment of violent antisemitism experienced by congregants, clergy, and congregations in our own Reform Jewish community and beyond, the need for meaningful steps to bolster security and the fight against hate is vital. The Jewish American Security Act strengthens the government tools and funding that will be available to help us meet this moment and uphold the American commitment to religious freedom,” said Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

###",1,2026-05-20T06:27:31Z,2026-05-20T06:28:54Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-introduces-bill-to-protect-the-privacy-of-charitable-donors-2/,Lankford Introduces Bill to Protect the Privacy of Charitable Donors,2026-05-14,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the Protecting Charitable Giving Act to address the unlawful disclosure of data identifying donors who contribute to nonprofit organizations. This legislation would help nonprofit organizations better protect the identities of their donors by reinforcing existing privacy protections and increasing the penalties for disclosure of sensitive taxpayer data.

“Nonprofits and their donors are an essential safety net for our communities—providing food, housing, and care to those who need it most. Oklahomans shouldn’t worry about their identities being made public after they provide a donation to a charitable organization. Millions of donors want to do something good without being recognized. We should honor their privacy as they care for others,” said Lankford.

“Anonymous giving has long been a way for Americans to support philanthropic organizations that rely on generous charitable contributions. In recent years, donor privacy has been threatened on too many occasions,” said Young. “This legislation will address the disclosure of donor data to better protect both charitable organizations and their donors.”

In an effort to verify the legitimacy of tax-exempt organizations, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires these organizations to collect the names and addresses of all major donors. While the IRS collection form is public, the identities of the donors are considered sensitive information and are not subject to disclosure. States like California and New York have tried to force tax-exempt organizations to disclose donor information. The Supreme Court, however, has ruled that these efforts infringe upon First Amendment rights.

The Protecting Charitable Giving Act would modify penalties relating to the disclosure of donor information to better ensure donor privacy and protection. More specifically, this legislation would:

Increase the penalty for willful disclosure of the identities of donors to tax-exempt organizations from no more than $5,000 to between $10,000 and $250,000.

Expand the jurisdiction of prosecution to include the judicial district in which the victim of the offense resides to ensure all cases are subject to a fair trial.

“Philanthropy Roundtable is deeply grateful to Senators Young and Lankford for their unwavering leadership protecting donor privacy. The right to give how, when and where donors choose, free from the fear of persecution and retaliation, is essential to safeguarding the free association that strengthens our society. The Protecting Charitable Giving Act strengthens federal law to substantially increase the penalties for leaking private donor information and make it easier for victims to pursue justice. Donor privacy has been under fire for years. This law is needed more than ever to protect every American’s right to privately contribute to the causes and communities they care about most,” said Christie Herrera, President and CEO, Philanthropy Roundtable.

“American charities are the lifeblood of this country and protecting the privacy of Americans, so that they can give to those charities without fear, is crucially important. The Protecting Charitable Giving Act is commonsense legislation that protects the First Amendment rights of citizens, no matter which charities they choose to support. It sends a clear message to bureaucrats that they cannot invade American’s privacy without serious consequences,” said Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer, Americans for Prosperity.

Background

The Protecting Charitable Giving Act is supported by Philanthropy Roundtable and Americans for Prosperity. Lankford and Young previously introduced this legislation in May of 2024. You can read the full bill text HERE.

###",1,2026-05-15T06:17:41Z,2026-05-15T06:18:51Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-fetterman-celebrate-public-service-recognition-week/,"Lankford, Fetterman Celebrate Public Service Recognition Week",2026-05-04,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"Oklahoma City, OK – Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and John Fetterman (D-PA) introduced a resolution ahead of Public Service Recognition Week, May 3rd through 9th, to honor employees of federal, state, and local governments and members of the uniformed services. The resolution commends public servants for their dedication, professionalism, and patriotism, recognizes their indispensable role in strengthening the economy, protecting public safety, and sustaining democratic self-governance, and calls upon the people of the United States to observe Public Service Recognition Week with appropriate programs and activities.

“Public Service Recognition Week gives our country an opportunity to pause and thank the many government workers across Oklahoma and the nation for their commitment to serving others,” said Lankford. “Civil servants support our military, provide essential care for veterans, keep our airports safe and running smoothly, along with many other important jobs that help our nation function daily. Today and every day we are grateful for the way they serve each and every one of us.”

“Public servants keep this country running in many different ways—all contributing significantly to the greatest country in the world. It’s more important than ever that we show up for them,” said Senator Fetterman. “I’m proud to join Senator Lankford in introducing this resolution for Public Service Recognition Week. No matter what level of government they serve at or what uniform they wear, I commend and am grateful for these men and women, their dedication, and their patriotism—not just this week, but always.”

As Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Border Management, Federal Workforce and Regulatory Affairs, Lankford leads efforts to make the federal government more efficient and effective. This includes supporting the federal workforce. The resolution recognizes that “public service is a noble calling involving a variety of challenging and rewarding professions and highly skilled and trained individuals offering their knowledge, effort, and skills in support of the public.”

Lankford has served as chairman of the HSGAC subcommittee since 2015. During his time as chairman, he has focused on improving the federal workforce, reducing government waste and duplication, and removing regulatory burdens to encourage economic growth. The resolution calls upon the people of the United States to “observe Public Service Recognition Week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that honor and acknowledge the service of those who work on their behalf.”

Read the full resolution HERE.

###",1,2026-05-05T05:58:12Z,2026-05-05T05:59:44Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-colleagues-call-for-passage-of-anti-fraud-package-2/,"Lankford, Colleagues Call for Passage of Anti-Fraud Package",2026-04-29,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) recently highlighted the inclusion of his Recover Fraudulent COVID Funds Act in a comprehensive, anti-fraud legislative package led by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) that brings together 17 commonsense bills to recover stolen funds, protect taxpayer dollars, and stop fraudsters.

Following widespread fraud in Minnesota and across the country that exposed an estimated $1.4 billion stolen from taxpayers each day, Lankford and his colleagues are working to hold bad actors accountable and safeguard public funds.

“Making the government more efficient isn’t a partisan issue, it’s an American issue,” said Lankford. “Loopholes in the law let fraudsters get away with billions in COVID recovery payouts while forcing taxpayers to foot the bill. The Protecting American Taxpayers Act closes those loopholes, by clawing back more than $65 billion in unspent COVID funds to make sure COVID criminals do not escape accountability simply because the clock ran out. I have spent years documenting Washington’s Federal Fumbles, and I am proud my Recover Fraudulent COVID Funds Act is included in this package. The decades of government waste must come to an end.”

“The fraud stops here, folks! After massive schemes in Minnesota and beyond were exposed, I’m putting an end to scammers treating the federal government like a personal piggy bank,” said Ernst. “Many politicians and lenient, liberal judges look the other way while criminals steal more than $1 billion from taxpayers every day. I’m stepping up to the plate and bringing my colleagues together to end this theft. The Protecting American Taxpayers Act not only stops fraud before it happens and holds those responsible accountable, but it returns stolen dollars to taxpayers. This overdue legislation will soon be brought to a vote to put every senator on the record on whether they stand with swindlers or taxpayers.”

Background

Lankford’s Recover Fraudulent COVID Funds Act would extend the statute of limitations for all pandemic-era programs. Currently, all of the pandemic-era programs meant to combat fraud ended in 2025, so extending the statute of limitations from 5 years to 10 years would allow law enforcement to combat fraud at all levels.

You can read the bill text for the Protecting American Taxpayers Act HERE. And can also learn more about the package HERE.

###",1,2026-04-30T06:05:15Z,2026-04-30T06:07:09Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-introduces-bill-to-verify-citizenship-on-real-ids-strengthen-election-integrity-and-ensure-road-safety/,"Lankford Introduces Bill to Verify Citizenship on REAL IDs, Strengthen Election Integrity, and Ensure Road Safety",2026-04-27,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) Subcommittee on Border Management, Federal Workforce, and Regulatory Affairs, today introduced the Citizenship Documented License (CDL) Act to strengthen federally recognized identification, reinforce confidence in elections, and establish clear national standards for commercial driver’s licenses.

“States already verify citizenship or lawful presence when issuing REAL IDs, but it is not shown on the ID card,” said Lankford. “This bill makes certain that citizenship status is shown on every REAL ID. Across the country, we have seen the painful consequences of individuals who are here unlawfully behind the wheel of large commercial vehicles. Families in Oklahoma and nationwide want a clear standard for citizenship verification for safer highways, election integrity, and stronger confidence in the systems people rely on every day.”

The bill requires states to indicate on the face of a REAL ID whether the holder is a United States citizen or not, reflecting information already verified during issuance. It also establishes uniform standards for REAL ID compliant Commercial Driver’s Licenses.

Background:

Federal law already requires states to verify an individual’s citizenship or lawful presence before issuing a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card. However, that determination is not displayed on the credential. The CDL Act makes that information visible, providing a clear and consistent tool for identity verification.

The legislation also addresses inconsistent standards for Commercial Driver’s Licenses across states. By setting uniform eligibility requirements, the bill aligns licensing with lawful status, strengthens accountability, and promotes safer roadways nationwide.

You can read the full bill text HERE, and can learn more in Breitbart HERE.

###",1,2026-04-28T06:05:12Z,2026-04-28T06:07:17Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-moore-lead-bipartisan-bicameral-letter-to-department-of-war-on-expanding-hiring-at-military-depots/,"Lankford, Moore Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter to Department of War on Expanding Hiring at Military Depots",2026-04-22,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Congressman Blake Moore (R-UT-01) led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the Secretaries of the US Air Force, Army, and Navy highlighting a policy they secured in the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which expanded theDepartment of War’s ability to utilize “direct hire authority” to fill critical positions at depots, arsenals, shipyards, and industrial facilities.

The letter requests that each secretary submit a written strategy for how they plan to use the expanded definition of ‘defense industrial base’ for the purposes of direct hire authority. It also requests a written response on how each service has used direct hire authority to manage workforce attrition and recruitment needs for depot-level maintenance and support positions, how many positions have been filled via direct hire authority this year compared to the previous two fiscal years, and how many positions each service plans to fill with direct hire authority in the upcoming fiscal year.

“By expanding direct-hire authority to include all supporting units at installations like Tinker Air Force Base, we are cutting the bureaucratic red tape that has slowed our military readiness,” said Lankford. “For too long, narrow interpretations left thousands of critical support roles stuck in an excruciatingly slow hiring process. This change will help us bring veterans and skilled technicians on board faster, strengthen our defense industrial base, and ensure we are fully using the tools available to support our national security.”

“Our depots desperately need talent, and a slow bureaucratic hiring process prevents depots from hiring the best of the best. I was proud to work with Senator Lankford last year to secure a critical policy change in the FY26 NDAA, which will make it easier for the Ogden Air Logistics Complex to quickly hire skilled workers,” said Moore. “I am especially thrilled that this policy effectively eliminates the 180 Day Rule for most of our civilian positions in Ogden, something I have long advocated to abolish while in Congress.”

This amendment enables key depots such as Tinker Air Force Base and Hill Air Force Base to use direct hire authority to quickly hire new staff, manage attrition, recruit for increased workload, and reduce reliance on private contractors. It also helps facilities quickly hire veterans after they depart from the military, rather than forcing them to wait six months to enter civilian employment at the Department of War (colloquially known as the “180 Day Rule”). The military frequently loses valuable and skilled veterans to the private sector, where they can start a new civilian career much faster than on the inside of the fence.

The expanded definition, secured in Sec. 1108, includes a wider array of “supporting unit” jobs staffed at depots, such as program and management analysts, software technicians, facilities mechanics, training instructors, and workers involved in safety and occupational health roles.

Background:

After extensive engagement with military facilities, the signers of this letter found that key supportive maintenance and sustainment roles at these installations were not being filled via direct hire authority.

Rather, military services were narrowly interpreting the law to only hire engineers doing hands-on repair work on weapons systems through this fast-track system. This left thousands of open positions related to software sustainment, avionics overhaul, spare engine maintenance, commodities groups, and propulsion engineers across the organic industrial base outside the perimeters of direct hire authority, and subject to a slow competitive hiring process.

For example, current authority covers approximately 28,000 positions across Tinker, Hill, and Robins Air Force Bases. The expanded authority would cover approximately 8,000 additional positions at these installations.

You can read the full letter HERE.

###",1,2026-04-23T05:48:52Z,2026-04-23T05:50:10Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-recognizes-31st-anniversary-of-oklahoma-city-bombing/,Lankford Recognizes 31st Anniversary of Oklahoma City Bombing,2026-04-19,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released the following statement marking the 31st anniversary of the tragic bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.

“On April 19, 1995, our nation experienced the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in American history at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. What began as a normal day was shattered by violence, forever changing our community, the families who lost loved ones, and those who survived,” said Lankford. “Today, we gather to remember those who were lost, those who survived, and those who were changed forever. Thirty-one years later, we have not forgotten, and we will not forget. As Oklahomans, we understand the damage caused by violence and anger. We also know our responsibility to set the example, to speak out, to reject violence, and to choose hope and healing. I encourage every American to take time to reflect, to pray for the families and first responders, and to honor the 168 lives lost.”

You can watch his remarks HERE and view his video with Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK-05) in front of the seedling from the Survivor Tree planted last year on the US Capitol Grounds HERE.

###",1,2026-04-20T05:56:11Z,2026-04-20T05:57:41Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-tackles-high-prescription-drug-costs-for-seniors/,Lankford Tackles High Prescription Drug Costs for Seniors,2026-04-16,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) to address a key driver of high prescription drug costs, especially for seniors on Medicare.

The legislation ensures patients benefit from lower-cost options instead of unnecessarily paying more due to pricing practices by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the drug pricing middlemen. It establishes clear pricing tiers separating low-cost generics and biosimilars from higher-cost brand-name drugs to lower out-of-pocket costs, increase competition, and incentivize investment in the generic and biosimilar markets.

“Most Oklahomans and Americans assume a generic drug will be cheaper at the pharmacy counter, but that’s not always the case because of broken pricing practices. That’s not right,” said Lankford. “My bill makes sure lower-cost generics and biosimilars are actually cheaper than brand-name drugs at the pharmacy counter. It’s a simple, commonsense fix to put patients first and end these pricing gimmicks.”

The Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act requires:

Medicare Part D to cover a generic drug or biosimilar if it costs less than its name-brand counterpart.

Generic drugs or biosimilars to be placed on a generic and biosimilar-only formulary pricing tier and name-brand drugs to be placed on a brand-only tier, with the generic tier having a lower insurance cost-sharing requirement for patients than the name-brand tier.

The creation of a new tier for specialty generics or biosimilars that would also have a lower insurance cost-sharing requirement for patients.

Background

Lankford has led efforts to remove barriers in the prescription drug market and hold pharmacy benefit managers accountable. Earlier this year, provisions he championed targeting PBMs were signed into law to lower costs and increase transparency.

He also led colleagues in urging HHS and CMS to protect seniors’ access to affordable medications, pressed for PBM accountability in Senate Finance Committee hearings, and called on Senate leadership to act to lower drug costs and protect rural pharmacies.

###",1,2026-04-17T05:47:03Z,2026-04-17T05:48:33Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-leads-congressional-effort-to-expose-federal-subsidies-for-obamacare-plans-covering-elective-abortions/,Lankford Leads Congressional Effort to Expose Federal Subsidies for Obamacare Plans Covering Elective Abortions,2026-04-16,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"GAO Report: Taxpayers bankrolled Obamacare health insurance plans covering elective abortions for 4.4 million individuals in 2026

WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), chairman of the Senate Values Action Team, led the congressional effort to request a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found 1,719 Obamacare plans covering an estimated 4.4 million individuals include elective abortion coverage in 2026, renewing calls to reissue the Separate Payment Rule. The report comes as Congress marks the 50th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment on September 30, highlighting the need to ensure its longstanding protections against federal taxpayer funding of elective abortion apply to Obamacare plans.

“As suspected, we now know that millions of Americans are forced each year to pay for elective abortion coverage that they do not want or agree with,” said Lankford. “The GAO findings confirm concerns we have raised for years about Obamacare and the Hyde Amendment. The accounting gimmick used in Obamacare does not protect Americans who have a moral objection to paying for the taking of a child’s life through elective abortion. As we approach 50 years of Hyde, this Administration should make sure its protections apply to Obamacare plans and restore the Separate Payment Rule so Americans know what their health plan covers.”

The GAO report was requested by Lankford and House and Senate majority leadership, the co-chairs of the House and Senate Congressional Pro-Life Caucuses and Values Action Teams, and the chairmen of the House and Senate committees of jurisdiction. The report found that 1,719 Affordable Care Act (ACA) Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) covering non-excepted abortion services were available in 2026 to an estimated 4.4 million individuals. The report also found that 683 more abortion-covering QHPs were available through the ACA than when GAO issued a similar brief in 2014.

Joining Lankford in signing the GAO request letter: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-04); Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD); House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA-01); Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, M.D. (R-WY); House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN-06); House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI-09); House Pro-Life Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-04), Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (R-MD-01), Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07), Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), and Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO-03); Senate Pro-Life Caucus Chairwoman Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS); House Values Action Team Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04); Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID); Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA); House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY-02); and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO-08).

Background

Lankford has led efforts in Congress to prevent taxpayer dollars from supporting abortion and to enforce the Affordable Care Act’s separate payment requirements. In 2021, Lankford led a group of senators in urging the Biden Administration to withdraw its proposed rule that would have eliminated the Trump Administration’s separate billing requirements for abortion coverage in ACA exchange plans. In 2022, Lankford and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to block the Administration’s final rule allowing combined payments for abortion coverage and health care.

The Separate Payment Rule, issued in 2019, requires insurers to collect separate payments for elective abortion coverage and the rest of an ACA plan’s premium, implementing the separate payment requirement established by Congress in Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act. Lankford has continued to call for enforcement of the rule to ensure transparency and prevent taxpayer dollars from supporting abortion coverage.

Lankford, who chairs the Senate Values Action Team, has made protecting life, preventing taxpayer funding of abortion, and protecting conscience rights central to his work in the Senate. In 2026, he has continued to lead Senate efforts on pro-life legislation and has highlighted the importance of the Hyde Amendment and its prohibition on federal funding for abortions.

###",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-fetterman-want-to-bring-clarity-to-federal-retirement-pension-for-federal-law-enforcement/,"Lankford, Fetterman Want to Bring Clarity to Federal Retirement Pension for Federal Law Enforcement",2026-04-14,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), John Fetterman (D-PA), Chair and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Border Management, Federal Workforce and Regulatory Affairs reintroduced the Retirement Annuity Supplement Clarity Act, which addresses the way the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) calculates retirement annuity settlements for federal employees, primarily for federal law enforcement personnel, who have a settlement agreements dividing their annuity.

“Law enforcement officers are protecting us at the southern border and around the country and should be able to focus on their mission, not on bureaucratic decisions complicating their retirement calculations,” said Lankford. “Our commonsense proposal solves a long-standing discrepancy with how annuities are calculated for some of our law enforcement personnel and gives OPM maximum clarity for how Congress wants them to handle these payments. This ensures courts’ explicit orders are followed when dividing annuity supplement payments, so retirees and the courts decide how settlements are carried out, not OPM.”

“I’ve always been proud to support those who put their life on the line every day—they represent the very best of us,” said Fetterman. “This bill is about playing it fair and making sure our federal law enforcement officers get the retirement benefits they worked hard for. I’m proud to join Senator Lankford in doing right by those who served our communities to keep us all safe.”

“For nearly a decade, federal retirees were subjected to OPM’s unlawful reinterpretation of the law regarding the division of a Retirement Annuity Supplement that jeopardized their financial security and ignored settled court orders,” said National President Mat Silverman of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. “Last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit made clear that OPM overstepped its authority—but court rulings alone are not enough. That is why FLEOA is grateful for the leadership of Sens. Lankford and Fetterman in reintroducing the ‘Retirement Annuity Supplement Clarity Act’ to permanently protect retirees, restore what was wrongly taken, and ensure that no future OPM can again rewrite the law at the expense of those who served.”

Background

The Retirement Annuity Supplement Clarity Act clarifies that OPM has the flexibility to comply with a court order that divides the annuity supplement. The bill repays annuitants who were retired on or before June 30, 2016, and entitled to an annuity supplement subject to a court order that was silent on division of the supplement or expressly excluded the supplement from division, and whose annuity supplement was recomputed retroactively. Additionally, the bill clarifies that any collection of overpayments to former spouses due to this recalculation is waived.

###",1,2026-04-15T05:46:42Z,2026-04-15T05:48:27Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-budd-kaine-lead-bipartisan-letter-urging-president-trump-to-advocate-for-pastor-ezra-jins-release-ahead-of-us-china-summit-2/,"Lankford, Budd, Kaine Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging President Trump to Advocate for Pastor Ezra Jin’s Release Ahead of US-China Summit",2026-03-26,2026,2026-03,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Ted Budd (R-NC), and Tim Kaine (D-VA), alongside US Representatives Riley Moore (R-WV-02) and Thomas Suozzi (D-NY-03), led their colleagues in sending a bipartisan, bicameral letter to President Trump advocating for the release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, lead pastor of Zion Church, ahead of the President’s upcoming meeting with Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Lawmakers also called President Trump’s attention to the many other Christian leaders imprisoned in China due to the PRC’s violent crackdown on unsanctioned churches. Additionally, the lawmakers urged the Administration to use authorities under the International Religious Freedom Act to impose targeted sanctions and visa restrictions to address severe violations of religious freedom in China.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “We encourage you to advocate for their release and request the PRC to allow Mr. Jin to leave China, in addition to raising concerns regarding the ongoing unjust imprisonment and persecution of Christians, Tibetans, and Uyghurs, among other religious and ethnic minority groups across China. …

“These abuses include arbitrary detentions, lengthy prison sentences, forced closures of places of worship, destruction of religious property, and surveillance and intimidation of clergy and congregants. …

“Through the International Religious Freedom Act, the Administration is empowered to use targeted sanctions and increase reporting and diplomatic engagement to support your efforts to address severe violations of individuals’ right to freedom of religion.”

Joining Lankford, Budd, and Kaine in signing the letter are Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jim Justice (R-WV), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Tim Scott (R-SC), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Josh Hawley (R-MO).

Read the full letter text HERE or below:

Dear President Trump,

As you prepare to meet with President Xi Jinping next month, we urge you to seek resolution of the case of Ezra Jin Mingri, a pastor and family member of American citizens, who was arbitrarily detained on October 10, 2025, alongside other leaders of the Zion Church by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We encourage you to advocate for their release and request the PRC to allow Mr. Jin to leave China, in addition to raising concerns regarding the ongoing unjust imprisonment and persecution of Christians, Tibetans, and Uyghurs, among other religious and ethnic minority groups across China.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the U.S. Department of State, and religious freedom and human rights organizations have long documented violations of religious freedom targeting Christian communities and other religious groups across China. These abuses include arbitrary detentions, lengthy prison sentences, forced closures of places of worship, destruction of religious property, and surveillance and intimidation of clergy and congregants.

The United States has made important strides in advancing international religious freedom. Through the International Religious Freedom Act, the Administration is empowered to use targeted sanctions and increase reporting and diplomatic engagement to support your efforts to address severe violations of individuals’ right to freedom of religion.

Accordingly, we urge you to:

Seek resolution of the case of Ezra Jin Mingri and other leaders of the Zion Church, Yayang Church, Light of Zion Church, and Early Rain Covenant Church while advocating for the release of all Christians and other religious groups unjustly imprisoned or detained for their religious beliefs with President Xi next month.

Utilize existing authorities, including targeted sanctions and visa restrictions, against individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom.

Continue to champion international religious freedom, including in US–China policy.

We appreciate your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

/X/

###",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-cassidy-colleagues-launch-investigation-into-abortion-drug-manufacturers-urge-fda-to-crack-down-on-illegal-online-sellers/,"Lankford, Cassidy, Colleagues Launch Investigation into Abortion Drug Manufacturers, Urge FDA to Crack Down on Illegal Online Sellers",2026-03-25,2026,2026-03,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Chair of the Senate Values Action Team, Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Steve Daines (R-MT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) began an investigation into chemical abortion drug manufacturer compliance with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-mandated safeguards associated with marketing their drugs. The senators also urged the FDA to leverage its authorities to combat the illegal sale of unapproved and misbranded chemical abortion drugs into the US by online entities.

“Chemical abortion drugs are being sold online with little oversight, putting women at risk and ending innocent lives,” said Lankford. “The FDA must enforce the law, hold manufacturers accountable and crack down on illegal distribution. Basic safeguards exist for a reason and should be reinstated.”

“Chemical abortion drug makers profit off killing innocent children while putting mothers’ lives at risk,” said Dr. Cassidy. “These manufacturers and websites have facilitated the explosion in online sales of these harmful drugs without regard for women’s health and safety while opening the door for coercion and abuse. FDA should act within its existing authorities to curb this abuse and immediately reinstate safeguards such as the in-person dispensing requirement.”

Background

Previous Democrat administrations recklessly removed the Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program requirements for reporting non-fatal adverse events and in-person dispensing to receive the chemical abortion drugs, among other important safeguards. Ending these requirements has led to horrific instances of coerced abortions and serious adverse events going untreated and undetected.

Despite these dangers, it is unclear how the three FDA-approved chemical abortion drug manufacturers, Danco, GenBioPro, and Evita, ensure that prescribers and pharmacies comply with the few remaining REMS requirements, especially when pills are sold online and without the in-person oversight of a medical professional.

Additionally, various types of domestic and international websites appear to illegally sell unapproved and misbranded chemical abortion drugs directly to U.S. consumers, often with no prescription, no medical oversight, and no assurances on whether the drug is actually what the seller claims it is. As it did under the first Trump administration, FDA must use all of the tools at its disposal to protect women and children.

You can read the full letter to Danco HERE.

You can read the full letter to GenBioPro HERE.

You can read the full letter to Evita HERE.

You can read the full letter to FDA HERE.

###",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-releases-statement-on-alan-armstrongs-appointment-to-the-us-senate/,Lankford Releases Statement on Alan Armstrong’s Appointment to the US Senate,2026-03-24,2026,2026-03,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), senior senator for Oklahoma, released the following statement after Governor Kevin Stitt appointed Oklahoma businessman Alan Armstrong to fill the vacancy created by Senator Markwayne Mullin’s resignation and confirmation to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security, and serve the remainder of the term through the 119th Congress.

“Congratulations to my friend Alan Armstrong on his appointment to serve our state in the United States Senate,” said Lankford. “I am grateful he and his family are willing to sacrifice their time to serve. Markwayne leaves large boots to fill, but with Alan’s strong background in energy and an understanding of what powers our economy, he brings real-world experience at a critical time for the American economy. I look forward to working with him to support Oklahoma workers, strengthen our energy independence, and keep costs low for families.”

###",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-releases-statement-on-confirmation-of-mullin-as-secretary-of-homeland-security/,Lankford Releases Statement on Confirmation of Mullin as Secretary of Homeland Security,2026-03-24,2026,2026-03,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Chairman of the Border Management, Federal Workforce, and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to serve as Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security.

“Markwayne Mullin grew up in Westville, OK, built a business from the ground up, and has spent his life stepping up when it matters most,” said Lankford. “He knows how to lead and how to get results. He’ll bring that same focus to DHS he had in his over decade of service to Oklahomans in Congress to keep Americans safe. I will be praying for now Secretary Mullin and his family as he makes this transition to lead in this new role.”

Background

Prior to the confirmation vote, Lankford spoke on the Senate floor in support of Sen. Mullin’s nomination. You can watch his remarks HERE. You can download it HERE.

You can view Lankford’s introduction of Sen. Mullin at the HSGAC hearing last week HERE. You can download it HERE.

###",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-says-democrats-are-more-afraid-of-ice-than-iran-as-dhs-shutdown-continues-senate-works-through-weekend-on-save-america-act/,"Lankford Says Democrats Are “More Afraid of ICE Than Iran” as DHS Shutdown Continues, Senate Works Through Weekend on SAVE America Act",2026-03-21,2026,2026-03,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Senate Republican Conference Vice Chair, joined Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), Republican Policy Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), and Senator Jon Husted (R-OH) at a press conference Saturday morning as the Senate continues working through the weekend on the SAVE America Act and efforts to restore Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding.

Lankford’s remarks (as delivered):

“So this is the challenge that we face today. We have the Department of Homeland Security closed right now because apparently my Democratic colleagues are more afraid of ICE than they are of Iran. And the challenges that we face now in the conflict internationally, that we know that we have threats back to the homeland. But my Democratic colleagues in the Senate just refused to even pay attention to that at all.

“Stacked on top of that is the issue we’ve been talking about for weeks, and we’re still working through this weekend to be able to negotiate. And that is the most basic thing in American life: voting. The 1965 Voting Rights Act begins with ‘All citizens.’ This should not be controversial. It is already federal law that requires only citizens vote in the United States.

“We trust that they sign up as only citizens, but we’re not verifying except in a few states. About nine states actually do verification of citizenship all over the country. And you know what? They still have people show up to vote. Thirty-six states require voter ID to be able to show up to vote, including my own state. My own state requires voter ID.

“Whether you do mail-in voting or in-person voting, you have to have voter ID in that. This is not complicated. This is simple and straightforward. It’s not even controversial, except in Washington, DC. Across the country, if you were to ask anyone, ‘Should you show an ID to be able to vote?’ They would say, ‘Well, yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem on that.’

“Should you ask the simple question, ‘Should only American citizens vote?’ And they would say, ‘Of course that should be so.’ But for some reason that’s controversial among Democrats in Washington, DC. This is simple. This is straightforward. It’s why we continue to be able to push this commonsense legislation that the American people want us to get done.”

Background

Lankford has remained a vocal supporter of both the SAVE America Act as a cosponsor and of its predecessor, S.128, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The SAVE America Act sets requirements for states to verify US citizenship in order to register to vote and require photo ID to vote. Additionally, the bill compels states to purge non-citizens from voter rolls and establishes federal penalties for intentionally registering non-citizens.

Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution states that elections are governed by state law, allowing state legislatures to prescribe the time, place, and manner of elections held within their states. However, it is also federal law that no one can vote in an American election who is not a United States citizen.

You can watch his remarks HERE. You can download it HERE.

###",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-lankford-raises-concerns-on-ai-scams-fentanyl-and-terror-financing-at-worldwide-threats-hearing/,"ICYMI: Lankford Raises Concerns on AI Scams, Fentanyl, and Terror Financing at Worldwide Threats Hearing",2026-03-20,2026,2026-03,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,page_html,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, questioned intelligence community officials during the Committee’s annual Worldwide Threat Assessment hearing, raising concerns about the rise in international scams targeting Americans, coordination with state and local law enforcement to combat narcotics trafficking, and terrorist networks, including the Muslim Brotherhood.

Excerpts:

On international scams and AI-enabled fraud:

Lankford: “A lot of Oklahomans I talk to, and quite frankly folks even outside the state, when they think about threats… they think about the threat to their family… a lot of it is international scammers that are now reaching into the United States to be able to gather data or to be able to steal money from them.”

“FBI had noted that in 2024, it was almost $17 billion that was assumed lost to scammers… some estimates are as high as $50 billion on it.”

“This is accelerating at a pace that’s pretty dramatic with the use of AI on this.”

FBI Director Patel: “What we’re doing on the homeland is going out into the streets of America, on the online platforms in America, and shutting down those networks and shutting down the capability of AI to interfere.”

“The scam center compounds are largely located in Cambodia and Burma and on the Thai border… we’ve… eliminated and scuttled… numerous compounds… and… go into those countries and shut down every single scam center compound.”

On counter-narcotics and law enforcement partnerships:

Lankford: “The counter-narcotics work has been phenomenal… What I’m interested in is how are you partnering with local law enforcement to continue to accelerate this process?”

FBI Director Patel: “The counter-narcotics mission can’t be complete without state and local law enforcement. We are embedding more task force officers across the country… and… stood up… the Southern Border Intelligence Center…”

“We seized enough fentanyl in 2025 to kill 178 million Americans… Opioid overdose deaths… dropped 20 points… and in Oklahoma… enough fentanyl to kill 500,000 Oklahomans.”

On terrorist financing and the Muslim Brotherhood:

Lankford: “The annual threat assessment highlights this year the Muslim Brotherhood in particular… How is the Muslim Brotherhood financing itself… and is there something that we need to do here to… protect Americans?”

CIA Director Ratcliffe: “With regard to the Muslim Brotherhood… the CIA is very focused on the counterterrorism front…”

“We’ve accomplished more in the last year than in the four years of the prior administration combined.”

You can watch Lankford’s full exchange HERE. You can download it HERE.

###",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-in-the-hill-congress-can-end-government-shutdowns-and-partisan-brinksmanship/,Lankford in The Hill: “Congress Can End Government Shutdowns and Partisan Brinksmanship”,2025-04-23,2025,2025-04,Republican,Senate,OK,James Lankford,L000575,www.lankford.senate.gov,lankford,https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) recently wrote a column in The Hill about his Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2025. Read it below or find it in The Hill HERE.

By: James Lankford and Will Burger, senior federal affairs liaison at Americans for Prosperity

Increasingly, Americans are forced to watch the same avoidable drama unfold in Washington: a government shutdown, partisan brinkmanship, and last-minute deals that satisfy almost no one. Federal workers are frustrated with furloughs and missed paychecks. Small businesses that rely on government contracts face constant uncertainty. Federal services are delayed. Markets wobble. Public trust erodes a little more each shutdown.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Congress should pass the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act. Ending shutdown politics is not a partisan victory; it’s a structural reform that serves the long-term interests of the country. It would help restore a functional appropriations process, strengthen Congress’s constitutional role over federal spending and end the stupidity of shutdowns.

Right now, the Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for more than 40 days. TSA officers, Coast Guard personnel, cybersecurity professionals, FEMA staff, customs officials, and federal investigators responsible for fighting drug cartels, human trafficking networks, and child exploitation have been either working without pay or unable to work at all. These are the professionals protecting Americans at airports, ports of entry, and online from cyber threats, they should be supported, not ignored.

The Department of Homeland Security was created after the 9/11 attacks, to ensure the United States never again misses the warning signs that could prevent a tragedy. Yet today, at a time of heightened global tensions and evolving cyber threats, the very department tasked with protecting the homeland is unfunded. That is incompetent governance and irresponsible national security.

Government shutdowns are often described as leverage — tools one party can use to extract concessions from the other. In practice, they harm ordinary Americans far more than political adversaries. The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act addresses this structural flaw directly.

If Congress fails to pass appropriations bills on time, the bill automatically continues government funding at current levels through a temporary continuing resolution and it keeps the congressional negotiations going until they are solved. Under the new law, members of Congress would be required to remain in Washington and continue working seven days a week, until the spending bills are finished. Official travel, recesses and consideration of other legislation would be restricted until the appropriation bills are done. It is as simple as the reality at school of staying after class, if you don’t finish your work.

If the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act passed, federal workers would not suffer the cost of congressional gridlock, members of Congress would suffer the cost. Critical services, from national security operations to airport screening to disaster response, would continue as normal, even as Congress works to complete the appropriations process. This would make a big difference, since the last year all 12 appropriations bills were passed on time was 1997.

Removing the shutdown threat would restore the focus to policy rather than crisis management.

The U.S. faces serious challenges: rising debt, global instability, cyber threats, and growing demands on federal agencies. Addressing those challenges requires a government that can function predictably and responsibly.

The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act will not eliminate partisan disagreement. Nor should it. Robust debate over spending priorities is healthy in a democracy. But manufactured crises damage our republic. We should have serious, even heated, debates to solve our debt and deficit, but federal workers and the American people should be held harmless during the fight.

At a moment when Americans are hungry for evidence that their leaders can still govern responsibly, passing the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act would be a meaningful place to start.

###",1,2026-04-23T05:48:52Z,2026-04-23T05:50:10Z
https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns/delivering-safe-and-effective-vaccines,Delivering Safe and Effective Vaccines,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"While 2020 has certainly been one of the most challenging years in modern history and recent memory, there is hope on the horizon that better days are ahead. Although the world is still reeling from the destruction caused by the coronavirus pandemic, glimmers of hope are brightening more each day with the discovery, development and delivery of safe and effective vaccines to save lives and eliminate COVID-19's stranglehold on society. Indeed, this scientific achievement is coming faster than any other time in human history, and for that, we can and should be exceedingly grateful.
As you might know, vaccines to fight infectious diseases normally take several years to develop and distribute. However, thanks to Operation Warp Speed (OWS), the United States has miraculously been able to race toward discovery of lifesaving vaccines, treatments and therapeutics for COVID-19 in a matter of months. Initiated by the Trump Administration in mid-May, OWS established a public-private partnership between relevant federal agencies  including the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense  and pharmaceutical companies. Since it was created, OWS has not only supported some of the scientific research but it has enabled more rapid development and testing of vaccine candidates, allowing promising candidates to undergo clinical trials at essentially the same time as regulatory approval and preparation for mass production.
Delivering a vaccine in record time has led some to have concerns about safety. However, I want to assure you that the accelerated turnaround is not the result of cutting corners or ignoring the existing safety standards required by statute. Indeed, from research and development to clinical trials to emergency use authorization (EUA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has remained closely involved every step of the way. In fact, clinical trials on promising vaccine candidates cannot even proceed without the FDA's clearance to do so. Moreover, a Data Safety Monitoring Board advises pharmaceutical companies and oversees results throughout clinical trials. If testing reveals that a vaccine candidate is effective by the end of phase three, a company can then request an EUA from the FDA.
Before an EUA for a vaccine can be granted, an FDA advisory committee must undergo a rigorous and fully transparent review of research and testing data in a public setting before making a recommendation. Moreover, for a vaccine candidate or any other unapproved medical product to receive an EUA from the FDA, it must meet certain conditions required by law under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act. First, a life-threatening illness must exist. Second, it must be reasonable to believe that the illness can be prevented, diagnosed or treated by using the product. Third, the known and potential benefits of using the product must outweigh the known and potential risks. Fourth, there must be no adequate, approved and available alternative to the product.
While there are vaccine candidates for COVID-19 still in development or undergoing clinical trials, two have already received FDA's authorization for emergency use in the United States. And since the federal government contracted with pharmaceutical companies to pre-purchase hundreds of millions of doses of promising candidates through OWS, vaccines could be manufactured at the same time as clinical trials and made ready to distribute immediately  but only if approved by the FDA. The vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was the first one approved and deployed nationwide, and Moderna's followed about a week later. During testing with thousands of volunteers, the results were remarkable, with vaccines proving at least 94 percent effective in preventing sickness from exposure to COVID-19. In fact, this data is even better than the efficacy of annual vaccines to protect against influenza. Neither COVID-19 vaccine has live coronavirus in it. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains on their website, these messenger RNA vaccines trigger an immune response, which produces antibodies and then protects against infection if the real virus enters the body.
At the recommendation of the Office of the Attending Physician and to demonstrate my total confidence in our nation's vaccine efforts, I recently received my first dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine. While vaccinations are a personal decision, defeating this terrible coronavirus is a war we must fight and win together. We can all do our part by taking the free-of-charge vaccine as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, please continue taking the same practical precautions we have learned this year to slow the spread of COVID-19. Please continue to wear a mask, social distance and frequently wash your hands.
For details and ongoing updates on Oklahoma's four-phase vaccine distribution plan, please visit oklahoma.gov/covid19/vaccine-information.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-supports-presidential-request-to-increase-stimulus-checks,Cole Supports Presidents Request to Increase Stimulus Checks,2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.  Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after he supported the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help Act of 2020, which would increase the amount on the coming stimulus checks to be received by most Americans to $2,000 per adult along with $600 per child.
The wrath of the coronavirus pandemic has caused unprecedented hardships for many Americans, and I applaud President Trump for urging Congress to deliver more targeted relief to individuals and families in the form of stimulus checks. I am proud to support the president's request to increase the amount on checks soon to reach most Americans, providing additional help as we continue to grapple with the uncertainties and challenges facing our communities.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-votes-to-override-ndaa-veto,Cole Votes to Override Veto of NDAA,2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.  Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to override the recent presidential veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2021. With Cole's support, the House voted 322-87 to override the veto.
I am disappointed by the president's decision to veto the National Defense Authorization Act, which is vitally important to supporting and strengthening our common defense and ensuring our service members have the resources they need to keep us safe. As the representative for the Fourth Congressional District of Oklahoma, which includes Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City and Fort Sill in Lawton, I could not vote to sustain the president's veto. If Congress does not enact the NDAA for fiscal year 2021, it will cost military families their extra combat and flight pay, effectively giving them an undeserved pay cut for Christmas and shamefully disregarding the selfless sacrifices they daily make to ensure our shared safety and security.
While I understand the president's concerns with certain provisions, I believe that this NDAA, in its entirety, makes essential progress in meeting our national security objectives. To be clear, we can and should address the president's valid concerns in other legislation, but I will certainly not jeopardize the important missions at Tinker and Fort Sill or the brave men and women who carry them out.
Following passage of the NDAA Conference Report in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, Cole penned a column here about the importance of enacting the legislation.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lucas.house.gov/news/press-releases/lucas-votes-enact-ndaa-law-applauds-inhofe-s-leadership,"Lucas Votes to Enact NDAA Into Law, Applauds Inhofes Leadership",2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to enact theWilliam M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year2021into law. The bipartisan, bicameralNational Defense Authorization Act(NDAA) authorizes funding for our nation's armed services and retirees as well as a number of Oklahoma's military installations.
				The enactment of the Mac Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act into law is the 60th consecutive time Congress has passed and ensured the National Defense Authorization Act has become law. Our nation's defense and those who serve within its ranks are well-supported by this critical piece of legislation,said Congressman Lucas.While Congress shares President Trump's concerns regarding Section 230, a provision which deserves its fair share of congressional scrutiny, Congress must not miss the opportunity to pass such a strong bill that provides for our Armed Service members, supports military families, and includes meaningful measures that counters aggression shown by Russia and China.
				I would also like to express my appreciation for Senator Inhofe's work in negotiating this agreement, which stretches over 1200 pages and took months to put together. His role as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee was critical in crafting legislation that reflects our nation's values and makes our country safer. There is no doubt that Oklahoma is fortunate to have his strong support while leading the Armed Services Committee, and I am proud to support his efforts to make sure our military has the resources it needs to protect our country.
				Notable Provisions Related to Military Personnel, Bases in Oklahoma's Third District
				The Conference Report includes language which protects the KC-135 tanker until technical issues are fixed during the production of the KC-46, which benefits Altus Air Force base's fleet of KC 135's. The measure includes over $86 million dollars to support KC-46 Tanker Squadrons based both domestically and abroad, and Altus is programmed to receive eight aircraft.
				The Conference Report also fully funds the research and development of the Air Force's Next generation of advanced pilot training aircraft, the T-7 Red Hawk. The T-7 will replace the aging T-38 Talon training aircraft at Vance Airforce Base.
				The Conference Report includes a 3% pay raise for all service members.
				
				###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lucas.house.gov/news/press-releases/lucas-votes-favor-cash-act-supports-president-s-request-increasing-direct,"Lucas Votes in Favor of CASH Act, Supports Presidents Request Increasing Direct Stimulus",2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 9051- theCaring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act.Lucas supported the legislation.
				The coronavirus pandemic has caused tremendous societal and economic hardships across Oklahoma and the United States. While a number of our communities have begun to recover, many Oklahomans and families are falling even further behind and are now faced with the consequences of delaying bill payments in order to purchase necessities for their families. Our recovery will depend significantly on the course of the virus in our communities, but during times of need, Congress must provide stability and a bridge for individuals and families until we are fully on the path of recovery,said Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03).Joining with President Trump, I'm hopeful the aid the House voted on tonight will further assist Oklahomans during this historic pandemic and economic crisis.
				TheCASH Actincreases the value of the economic impact payments (EIPs) proved in the end-of-year relief package so that each eligible family member receives $2,000, up from $600.
				
				###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lucas.house.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-lucas-priorities-included-covid-relief-federal-funding-package,"ICYMI: Lucas Priorities Included in COVID Relief, Federal Funding Package",2020-12-23,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Cheyenne, OK  Earlier this week, Congress passed H.R. 133- theConsolidated Appropriations Act, providing coronavirus relief and federal appropriations until September 30, 2021. The bipartisan, bicameral package included a number of important priorities supported by Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03), benefiting individuals, families, workers, and businesses across Oklahoma.
				Key priorities included in theConsolidated Appropriations Actinclude:
				RAMP-UP ACT:
				The coronavirus pandemic led to significant disruptions and temporarily reduced meat production, leading to challenges in the meat supply chain for both producers and consumers. In July, Congressman Lucas introduced theRAMP-UP Actwith Congressman Collin Peterson (MN-07), to establish a grant program to help small meat processors make improvements necessary to meet federal food safety standards and bolster the meat supply chain.
				Included in theConsolidated Appropriations Actis an amended version of theRAMP-UP Act, establishing a $60 million grant program for small meat and poultry processors to upgrade operations in order to move to federal inspection or a state inspection program that allows for the sale of produces across state lines. Grants may be used for modernizing or expanding facilities, modernizing equipment, and implementing other processes to ensure food safety.
				PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM STREAMLINED FORGIVENESS:
				In March, Congressman Lucas supported theCoronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security(CARES)Act, which created the Paycheck Protection Program. In July, Lucas introduced thePaycheck Protection Small Business Forgiveness Act, which would expedite the forgiveness of Paycheck Protection Program loans of $150,000 or less.
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actcreates a simplified Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness application for loans under $150,000 whereby the borrower signs and submits a one-page certification that requires the borrower to list the loan amount, the number of employees retained, and the estimated total amount of the loan spent on payroll costs.
				CFAP PAYMENT FOR CATTLE PRODUCERS:
				The coronavirus pandemic negatively impacted Oklahoma's agriculture producers, including Oklahoma's cattlemen and women. In May, USDA announced the details of theCoronavirus Food Assistance Program(CFAP), which created significant disparities for cattle producers, particularly those who sold their animals after April 15.
				Lucas, following USDA's announcement,penned a letterurging USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to allow cattle producers that sold cattle after April 15, 2020 to be made eligible for CFAP payments for sales. Included in theConsolidated Appropriations Actis a provision that provides an inventory top-up payment to cattle producers to address a portion of the gap in support provided by both CFAP 1 and CFAP 2 to producers who sold cattle before April 15 and those who sold cattle after April 15.
				ENERGY ACT:
				During the 116thCongress, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has been focused on providing competitive and innovative clean energy solutions driven by basic and early-stage research. Ranking Member Lucas has led a number of efforts to provide innovative clean energy solutions driven by basic research, including introducing and/or cosponsoring theAdvanced Geothermal Research and Development Act, which authorizes enhanced early-stage geothermal research programs at the U.S. Department of Energy; theAmerican Critical Mineral Exploration and Innovation Act, which reduces America's dependence on foreign sources of critical minerals; theARPA-E Reauthorization Act,which responsibly invests in the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E program to support the discovery and development of next generation clean energy technologies; theDepartment of Energy's Veterans' Health Initiative Act, which establishes U.S. Department of Energy research programs leveraging AI and high-performance computing to develop tools that solve the big-data challenges in providing effective healthcare to our Nation's veterans; theLaunching Energy Advancement and Development through Innovations for Natural Gas Act, which funds research into more efficient and cleaner uses of fossil fuels, adding to a comprehensive approach to clean energy advancement that keeps prices low for American families and businesses; theResearch and Water Research Integration Act, which directs the U.S. Department of Energy to create strategic plan that energy and energy efficiency technologies to minimize freshwater withdrawal and consumption, seismic impacts, and deleterious impacts on water bodies, groundwater, and waterways; increase water use efficiency; and utilize nontraditional water sources; and theSecuring American Leadership in Science and Technology Act, which creates a long-term strategy for investment in basic research and infrastructure to protect the economic and national security of the United States.
				Included in theConsolidated Appropriations Actis theEnergy Act of 2020, which includes more than a dozen bills from the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and a number of Ranking Member Lucas'priorities. TheEnergy Act of 2020advancesfundamental research and development activities in support of grid modernization, critical mineral security, and high-risk, high-reward next-generation energy technologies. It also takes an all-of-the-above approach to clean energy that not only considers a wide range of renewable energy sources, but also essential technologies like advanced nuclear, energy storage, carbon capture, and research into cleaner and more efficient use of fossil fuels.
				PAYROLL SUPPORT PROGRAM:
				Established by theCoronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security(CARES)Act, the Payroll Support Program provided funding to support the nation's aviation industry, including jobs in Oklahoma, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In September, Lucas joined his fellow House colleagues and U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe and James Lankford in penning letters urging the importance of extending thePayroll Support Program.
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actprovides a $15 billion extension of the Payroll Support Program, supporting employees of passenger air carriers. The Act also provides $1 billion in grants to employees of airline contractors.
				SAVE OUR STAGES ACT:
				The coronavirus pandemic impacted a number of businesses and industries across Oklahoma, including local entertainment venues. In August, Congressman Lucas signed on as a cosponsor to theSave Our Stages Act, which would create a grant program within the U.S. Small Business Administration to aid independent, local entertainment venues impacted by restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
				Included in theConsolidated Appropriations Actis the establishment of a U.S. Small Business Administration $15 billion grant program for eligible venues, theaters, museums, and zoos.
				PROVIDER RELIEF FUND:
				Established to support American families, workers, and the heroic healthcare providers in the battle against COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services'Provider Relief Fundhas provided more than $1.1 billion to Oklahoma healthcare providers. Lucas supports HHS' efforts through the Provider Relief Fund, having recently written a letter with the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation advocating the importance of the Fund to HHS Secretary Alex Azar.
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actprovides an additional $3 billion for the Provider Relief Fund, further providing critical funds for hospitals and healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
				COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS:
				Community Health Centers serve over 29 million patients in all 50 states across nearly 12,000 medically underserved rural and urban communities. During coronavirus pandemic, Community Health Centers provided essential care to rural communities across Oklahoma. In March, Lucas led a letter to Labor-HHS Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro and Ranking Member Tom Cole urging the House Committee on Appropriations to provide robust funding to theHealth Center Programat the Health and Resources Services Administration, which provides funding to Community Health Centers.
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actreauthorized the Health Center Fund for an additional three years and provided $1.7 billion in funding for Community Health Centers.
				RURAL COMMUNITY HOSPITAL DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM:
				Authorized by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, theRural Community Hospital Demonstration Programallows hospitals to receive higher inpatient reimbursements from Medicare, which is critical to keep rural hospitals serving patients. Of 28 hospitals that participate in the Program nationwide, Great Plains Regional Medical Center in Elk City, Oklahoma is the only hospital in Oklahoma that is enrolled in the Program.
				Included in theConsolidated Appropriations Actis language similar to that of theRural Community Hospital Demonstration Extension Act, Lucas being a cosponsor, which extends the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program for five years. The extension of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program ensures that the Great Plains Regional Medical Center has the flexibility it needs to serve rural communities in Oklahoma.
				FEDERAL PELL GRANTS:
				The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant program offered to undergraduates and is designed to assist students from low-income households. In June, Lucas cosponsored theREAL Act, which would expand educational opportunities for incarcerated students and strengthen successful reentry efforts.
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actincluded a provision from theREAL Act, restoring access to Pell Grants for incarcerated students, providing a significant step to reform prison education programs.
				
				###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-supports-full-fy-2021-funding-coronavirus-relief,Cole Supports Full-Year Funding and Coronavirus Relief,2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.  Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after the United States Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. The legislative package passed yesterday provides full-year funding for the annual operations across the entirety of the federal government as well as $900 billion of coronavirus pandemic relief. Cole supported the legislation.
Although I wish Congress had acted sooner, I am grateful that lawmakers ultimately fulfilled one of their most fundamental responsibilities by passing legislation to fully fund the government for fiscal year 2021 and also deliver desperately needed and long-awaited pandemic aid, said Cole. While the resulting bill is massive and far from perfect, at the end of the day, it reflects the priorities and best interests of the American people for the months to come. Moreover, it prevents the added pain of a government shutdown amid the ongoing hardships our country and people have faced this year.
In completing the annual appropriations for the whole of government, I am encouraged by the increased funding devoted to the National Institutes of Health to further support vital biomedical research and pandemic preparedness, which must remain at the forefront for years to come. I am also proud that it provides the funding and resources for our nation's defense to tackle the evolving challenges of our day.
After months of needless stalling by Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats, I am relieved that targeted coronavirus relief will finally be able to make its way to Americans struggling because of the pandemic. This includes finally extending the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses keep their employees on the payroll, renewing unemployment insurance for unemployed workers and providing a second round of economic impact payments to most Americans. And rightly so, the coronavirus aid supports vaccine distribution as more start to become available.
Cole also made remarks during consideration of the rule for the legislation on the House floor yesterday. Video is available here and transcript here. 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4392,Mullin Bill Increasing Resources for Urban Indian Health Organizations Heads to President Trumps Desk,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, legislation sponsored by Congressmen Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Tina Smith (D-MN) increasing resources for Urban Indian Health Organizations (UIHOs) heads to President Trump's desk after passing both the House and Senate. H.R. 6535 will expand Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) coverage to UIHOs, redirecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in liability costs to patient care.
The Indian Health System, commonly referred to as the ITU system, is made up of the Indian Health Service (IHS), Tribal health programs, and UIHOs. UIHOs provide culturally competent care for the more than 70 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives who live in urban centers. H.R. 6535 would create parity within the ITU system by extending FTCA coverage to UIHOs, who currently are forced to divert precious financial resources away from health care in order to foot exorbitant liability costs.
Urban Indian Health Organizations play a critical role in providing health care to Native Americans, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mullin said. Our bill ensures they are covered by the FTCA so they won't have to use their limited resources to cover costly liability insurance. I want to thank Congressman Gallego and Senators Lankford and Smith for working with me on this bipartisan legislation to improve health care for Native Americans.
The Coverage for Urban Indian Health Providers Act not only undoes the unfair and impractical disparate treatment of urban Indian organizations under FTCA, but it provides a much-needed infusion of resources to these programs, including Native Heath in my District, that are on the front lines of this pandemic, said Gallego. We cannot afford to leave urban Indians without access to care during and beyond this public health crisis. I am grateful to my colleagues for their support of this bill.
Urban Indian health providers should not have to pay more for their liability insurance simply because they are in an urban area. This bill will ensure Tribal health providers can focus funds on care, not court costs, said Lankford. This bill helps clear up disparities in the law that unfairly limit Urban Indian Health Organizations because they cannot currently access liability protection available to other health entities. That omission takes healthcare dollars away from Tribal members. I'm glad we can fix this error of omission for our Tribal members in Oklahoma and nationwide.
This bipartisan legislation will create parity within the Indian Health System so urban Indian health organizations can spend their money on efforts to provide care rather than on legal fees, said Smith. This legislation is especially important during the pandemic, which has hit Minnesota's urban Indigenous communities hard and has forced urban Indian health organizations to experience financial hardship or even close operations. I'm glad to have worked in a bipartisan way to bring some relief to urban Indian health organizations.
Having Congressman Mullin introduce and push for FTCA coverage for Urban Indian Organizations like the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic is a game changer, said Robyn Sunday-Allen, Chief Executive Officer of the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic. Because of his work, we will no longer spend upwards of $250,000 to insure our providers. If enacted, we will be able to use those valuable resources for direct patient care. The parity this bill provides only strengthens Indian Country and those lives that are dependent on our care. Congressman Mullin is commended for his unwavering support of UIHOs and the patients we serve.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-receives-covid-19-vaccine,Cole Receives COVID-19 Vaccine,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.  Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after receiving the first of two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech over the weekend. As part of continuity of government protocols, the Office of the Attending Physician has made available and recommended administration of the vaccine to all members of Congress.
	The fact that the United States has deployed a vaccine to fight COVID-19 within less than a year is not only a scientific marvel but a testament to American brilliance and ingenuity. This achievement would not have been possible without Operation Warp Speed, which envisioned and forged a way to rapidly discover and deliver a safe and effective vaccine to save lives  without cutting any corners. At the recommendation of the Office of the Attending Physician and to demonstrate my total confidence in this vaccine, I received my first dose over the weekend. While vaccinations are a personal decision, defeating this terrible coronavirus is a war we must fight and win together. We can all do our part by taking the vaccine as soon as it becomes available to us all.
	Cole is Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, which provides annual funding for the Department of Health and Human Services.
	###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns/a-vaccine-in-record-time,A Vaccine in Record Time,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"When this year began, none of us expected to face a global pandemic that would steal hundreds of thousands of American lives, inflict unprecedented damage on our economy, disrupt business as usual and uproot life as we know it. But although the United States certainly did not create the coronavirus crisis, our country has led in the mission to eliminate the virus and restore our way of life by seeking to deliver a vaccine in record time. As we celebrate Christmas this week and look toward 2021, I am grateful that vaccines are already beginning to reach frontline health care workers and the most vulnerable in our communities, providing hope for better days ahead.
I urge you not to miss how remarkable this achievement is for our country and for humanity. Historically, delivery of a vaccine has never been completed in less than a year. In fact, while the fastest a vaccine has been discovered and deployed is four years, the vaccine development process usually takes as long as 10-15 years. But thanks to Operation Warp Speed (OWS), two vaccines are now ready to aid in the fight against COVID-19, with more likely to be approved for emergency use in the coming days and months.
As you might know, OWS was initiated by the Trump Administration in mid-May and established a public-private partnership between relevant federal agencies  including the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense  and pharmaceutical companies. Since it was created, OWS has not only supported some of the scientific vaccine research but it has enabled more rapid development and testing of vaccine candidates. This accelerated timeline is not from cutting corners or sacrificing safety. It is made possible by smart adaptations to the usual process. Notably, OWS has allowed promising vaccine candidates to undergo clinical trials at essentially the same time as regulatory approval and preparation for mass production. Moreover, OWS has led to the pre-purchase of hundreds of millions of doses. That means that once a vaccine candidate is deemed safe and effective and approved for emergency use, it can be distributed almost immediately.
Indeed, we have already begun to see this rapid distribution happen with the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech and with Moderna's soon to follow. Because the federal government pre-purchased hundreds of millions of vaccine doses months ago, manufacturing could take place at the same time as clinical trials. Since the testing and manufacturing steps in the process were simultaneous, that enabled the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to start shipping out immediately after receiving emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The first doses arrived in Oklahoma just a few days later and reached Lawton's own Comanche County Memorial Hospital, where the ultra-cold freezer necessary is available and can serve as a safe and central storage site supporting distribution efforts in Southwest Oklahoma.
At the recommendation of the Office of the Attending Physician and to demonstrate my total confidence in our nation's vaccine efforts, I received my first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine over the weekend. While vaccinations are a personal decision, defeating this terrible coronavirus is a war we must fight and win together. We can all do our part by taking the free-of-charge vaccine as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, please continue taking the same practical precautions we have learned this year to slow the spread of COVID-19. Please continue to wear a mask, social distance and frequently wash your hands. For details and ongoing updates on Oklahoma's four-phase vaccine distribution plan, please visit oklahoma.gov/covid19/vaccine-information.
Finally, the fact that the United States has made strides in treating the virus and begun deployment of vaccines to fight COVID-19 within less than a year is not only a scientific marvel but a testament to American brilliance and ingenuity. However, it is also worth recognizing the unsung heroes of the mission  the patriotic Americans who stepped up and volunteered for the various clinical trials. Because of their willingness to participate, we have vaccines reaching communities before Christmas.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lucas.house.gov/news/press-releases/congress-renews-its-commitment-american-people-passes-covid-relief-omnibus,"Congress Renews Its Commitment to the American People, Passes COVID Relief, Omnibus Legislation",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate Amendment to H.R. 133- theConsolidated Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2021, providing COVID-19 relief to American individuals, families, and businesses as well as appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021:
				Nine months ago, Congress passed the largest rescue package in American history. The bipartisan CARES Act provided more than $2 trillion in relief for American workers and families, resources for healthcare providers and professionals, and emergency lending to lessen the economic impact of the coronavirus. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives renewed its commitment to the American people and passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, providing critical assistance again to individuals, families, and businesses as well as important funds to aid in the distribution of coronavirus vaccines.
				Oklahomans can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to the unprecedented response of scientists and doctors across the globe, Oklahoma is on the verge of receiving another safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine- produced by Moderna and just recently approved for use by the FDA. Just as science has responded so has the American economy, but unfortunately, many in our communities are still under financial strain.
				The package passed today provides Paycheck Protection Program loans helping the hardest-hit businesses, delivers additional federal unemployment aid, and gives individuals and families more direct stimulus- all a bridge through the next few months until mass immunization occurs. It also provides funding for K-12 schools to reopen safely and responsibly as well as an investment of $69 billion for the procurement and distribution of coronavirus vaccines.
				In addition to the relief for millions of Americans, the Consolidated Appropriations Act also properly and fully funds government operations until September 30, 2021. Ensuring the government is responsibly funded assures the American people that vital programs are fully operational for the next fiscal year.
				As my colleagues and I depart Washington for Christmas, I'm reminded of the responsibility we share to the people we represent: In the midst of a pandemic, Congress worked together to find a consensus to fund the government and deliver crucial COVID relief. I hope Oklahomans across the Third District have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in the coming days, and I stand ready to help those who need assistance as we continue to lift our communities up from the throes of the pandemic.
				Background:
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actsupports health care workers and hospitals; provides essential funding for vaccine procurement and distribution; allocates funding for COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and mitigation programs; and delivers resources for individuals and families affected by the mental health effects of COVID-19.
				- $20 billionfor the production of vaccines and therapeutics
					- $8.75 billionfor the distribution of vaccines
					- $3 billionfor the National Strategic Stockpile
					- $3 billionfor the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Provider Relief Fund
					- Ends surprise medical billing
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actprovides direct economic relief to individuals, families, and small businesses; expands federal unemployment benefits for self-employed individuals, gig workers, and other workers; establishes a federal rental assistance program; and offers critical relief and policy changes to help small businesses recover from the pandemic.
				- $600 stimulus checkper individual/child($1,200per married couple)
						-- Capped at $75,000 grossadjustedincome per individual ($150,000 for married couples)
							-- IRS will use 2019 tax information
						
					- $284.5 billionto reopen and strengthen the Paycheck Protection Program for first time and second time borrowers
						--Develops a process for a small business to receive a second Paycheck Protection Program loanif the small business has less than 300 employees and can demonstrate a revenue deduction of 25%
							-- Maximum loan amount for a second Paycheck Protection Program loan will be reduced to $2 million
							--Creates a simplified Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness applicationfor loans under $150,000 whereby the borrow signs and submits a one-page certification that requires the borrower to list the loan amount, the number of employees retained, and the estimated total amount of the loan spent on payroll costs
							--Expands list of eligible expensesto include covered operations (software, cloud computing, and other human resources and accounting needs); property damage costs due to public disturbances that occurred during 2020 that are not covered by insurance; covered supplier costs; and covered worker protection expenditures (PPE)
							-- Repeals the CARES Act provision that requires PPP borrowers to deduct their EIDL Advance from their PPP loan forgiveness amount
							--Codifies rules for faith-based organizations and churchesto ensure eligibility remains intact
							-- Creates a farmer and rancher calculation
						
					- Provides additional $300 per weekin federal unemployment benefits through March 14, 2021
						-- Extends unemployment benefits to self-employed individuals, gig workers, and those who have exhausted their state benefits
						
					- Provides $20 billion to restart and extend the U.S. Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan(EIDL) Advance Grant for small businesses in low-income communities
						-- Creates a process for existing EIDL Advance grantees that received less than $10,000 dollars to reapply for the difference between what they received and the maximum EIDL Advance Grant of $10,000 dollars
						
					- Creates a $15 billion dollar grant programfor eligible venues, theaters, museums, and zoos
					- $25 billion in rental assistanceand extends the CDC eviction moratorium through January 31, 2021
					- $16 billionin funding for the Payroll Support Program
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actprovides additional direct payments to America's farmers and ranchers; invests funds to increase broadband access; delivers supplementary funding for food banks and senior nutrition programs; increases food assistance benefits for children and families affected by the pandemic; and includes funds to support the food supply chain.
				- $13 billionin support to farmers, ranchers, and America's agriculture sector
						-- The Secretary of Agriculture is directed to provide assistance to specifically support specialty crop, non-specialty crop, livestock, dairy and poultry producers largely by enhancing assistance received under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)
							--Directs $1.5 billion for the purchase of food and agricultural productsfor distribution via nonprofit organizations or for the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for food processors.
						
					-Establishes a grant program for small meat and poultry processors to upgrade operations in order move to federal inspection or a state inspection program that allows for the sale of products across state lines
					-Indemnifies losses for producers who had to depopulate their animals due to insufficient processing capacity at a rate of 80% of the fair market value of the animal plus the cost to depopulate, after accounting for other support producers received under EQIP or from the states
					-Provides an inventory top-up payment to cattle producers to address a portion of the gap in support provided by both CFAP 1 and CFAP 2 to producers who sold cattle before April 15 and those who sold after
					-Supports up to 80% of lost revenue for contract growers who were affected by cancelled or delayed contracts.
					- $13 billionto bolster food stamp benefits by 15%
					- $1.9 billionfor the rip-and-replace program for communications providers with 10,000,000 subscribers or less to replace equipment in their communications networks that poses a national security threat
					- $300 millionfor broadband deployment program to support broadband infrastructure deployment to unserved areas, prioritizing unserved areas and rural areas
					- $250 millionto the FCC to carry out the temporary telehealth pilot program authorized under the CARES Act
					- Establishes a $1 billion program at NTIAto support broadband infrastructure deployment, telehealth, and broadband adoption activities for federally recognized tribal nations.
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actsupport military personnel and their families.
				-Provides a3% pay raise for all military personnel, effective January 1, 2021
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actensures childcare facilities, K-12 schools, universities have the resources they need to reopen safely and responsibly; simplifies higher education financial aid forms for students; and forgives federal loans to historically Black colleges and universities.
				- $82 billionfor Education Stabilization Fund
						-- 5% allocated to the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund for Governors to make emergency grants to education entities
							--$2.75 billionof which will be reserved for private schools to help cover costs due to the pandemic
							-- 67% allocated to the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Fund (K-12)
							-- 28% allocated to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
							-- Clarifies that personal protective equipment and other supplies used for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 are treated as eligible expenses for purposes of the educator expense deduction.
						
					-Forgives nearly $1.3 billion in federal loans to historically Black colleges and universities.
				TheConsolidated Appropriations Actprevents an unnecessary government shutdown, avoiding a wasteful continuing resolution that simply straight-lines funding until the end of the year; ensures the federal government has the proper funding and tools to provide for the nation's common defense; and protects long-standing Second Amendment and pro-life provisions.
				-For an overview of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food & Drug Administration; Commerce, Justice, and Science; Defense; Energy and Water; Financial Services and General Government; Homeland Security; Interior and Environment; Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education; Legislative Branch; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation and Housing & Urban Development appropriations provisions,click here.
				
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https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-chats/december-18-2020,Rep. Cole's Weekly Chat,2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"100 E. 13th St
Suite 213


Ada, OK 74820

  Phone: (580)436-5375  
	Fax: (580)436-5451",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lucas.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-passes-bipartisan-bicameral-legislation-preserve-apollo-landing-site,"House Passes Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Preserve Apollo Landing Site Heritage",2020-12-16,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Senate companion bill toH.R. 3766, the One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act.H.R. 3766 was introduced in July 2019 byChairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX),Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK),Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Chairwoman Kendra Horn (D-OK), andSubcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Ranking Member Brian Babin (R-TX). The Senate companion,S. 1694, that passed the House today, introduced by U.S. SenatorsGary Peters (D-MI)andTed Cruz (R-TX),enacts protections for the Apollo siteheritageby making NASA's recommendationson protecting and preserving U.S. government lunar artifactsa requirement forthe agency and its partners'future activities on the Moon. Additionally, the legislation directs NASA toinform other relevant Federal agencies of the recommendations, and honors the over 400,000 scientists, designers, and researchers who contributed to the Apollo programs, including NASA's Hidden Figures like Katherine Johnson  an African American mathematician who worked at NASA for 35 years and calculated the trajectory of the Apollo 11 flight to the moon as well the trajectories for the spaceflights of astronauts John Glenn and Alan Shepard.
				I am pleased that the House passed the One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act' today, saidChairwoman Johnson.Apollo remains a beacon of inspiration and a symbol of what we, as a nation, can accomplish. I have long advocated for the preservation of the Apollo artifacts, which hold deep cultural, historical, and scientific value for not only the United States, but for all of humanity. It is important that NASA and the United States lead the way in guiding responsible behavior in space, and this legislation to preserve our human heritage in space is, itself, one small step in practicing that leadership.
				The Apollo landing sites mark one of humanity's greatest achievements: the first time we were able to do more than look up at the sky, but actually leave our planet and visit another world, saidRanking Member Lucas.The One Small Step Act maintains these historic sites while encouraging the spirit of exploration that got us to the Moon. I'm proud to sponsor this bill to honor our historical achievements, and I look forward to the time when we can return humans to the Moon and continue the mission of discovery and learning that the Apollo astronauts began.
				Today, more actors, including other nations and commercial entities, are planning to carry out lunar activities, saidSpace and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairwoman Kendra Horn.And we, as a nation, and our partners are planning and preparing to return humans to the Moon once again as part of a deep space exploration program to send humans to Mars. In order to protect the historic artifacts that memorialize humankind's first exploration of the Moon and the advancements achieved by the Apollo program, the One Small Step Act takes timely action based on guidance from NASA.
				I'm pleased that my colleagues and I were able to pass this important legislation to maintain the Apollo landing sites' artifacts, saidSpace and Aeronautics Subcommittee Ranking Member Brian Babin.The One Small Step Act commemorates our history and encourages our future in space exploration. This will allow our nation's emerging and vibrant commercial space sector to continue to innovate, while also respecting the rich historical, scientific, and engineering accomplishments of the Apollo program. I look forward to seeing this bill become law.
				As a child, I watched the achievements of the Apollo missions with excitement about what is possible when we come together with a common goal,said Senator Peters.I was proud to author this bipartisan legislation to preserve for all of humanity the incredible achievements of the Apollo astronauts on the Moonand also to honor the 400,000 people around the world who made it possibleincluding the now famous African American Hidden Figures who were crucial in calculating trajectories that got astronauts to and from the Moon.
				As we look forward tonew expeditions to the moon and placing American boots where they have never gone before on Mars, it is crucial to safeguard the history of American exceptionalism and ingenuity in space, from Apollo 11 to the upcoming Artemis program missions,"" saidSenator Cruz.""I remember where I was when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first stepped onto the moon, a moment that no American has forgotten. As the chairman of the Aviation and Space subcommittee and as a Texan, I am honored to help preserve these historic human heritage sites, while continuing to maintain a dominant presence in low-Earth orbit and beyond.
				
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https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns/evolving-challenges,Evolving Challenges,2020-12-14,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Last week, both chambers of Congress passed the same version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2021, sending it to the president's desk. This marks the 60th consecutive year that lawmakers have delivered this bipartisan legislation. Indeed, authorizing resources to support our nation's common defense through passage of the NDAA each year is one of the most critical responsibilities of Congress. Enacting the NDAA is vital to sustaining and strengthening programs and resources to keep our nation safe while also supporting the devoted and brave individuals who make every mission possible.
This has been a particularly difficult year for us all due to the public health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and our military service members have carried and overcome new burdens in response. Along with their usual assignments and duties, many of our devoted service members have navigated new and unexpected challenges, including being called upon to serve on the front lines of the pandemic. As vaccines for COVID-19 start to become available for use in the United States, the Department of Defense (DOD), in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services, will be tasked to distribute vaccines in record time. I am pleased that the NDAA, passed by Congress, includes funding for essential missions, such as this, as our nation faces the ongoing crisis.
While many of our service members will directly aid in the ongoing fight to eliminate this terrible virus, others will continue to dutifully protect us at home and abroad. I am encouraged that the NDAA ensures our service members have the resources to stay safe and healthy, so they can continue to selflessly serve our country in other assignments. These provisions include maintaining a plentiful supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring access to diagnostic equipment and testing capabilities and providing health benefits for our National Guardsmen courageously aiding in coronavirus response efforts at home.
An alarming and emerging threat made more apparent this year comes from the cyber domain. Cyberattacks launched from increasingly aggressive adversaries like China, North Korea, Iran and Russia will be countered and responded to because of critical investments in essential technology such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.The NDAA also strengthens the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and restores funding for the Hacking for Defenseprogram, a university course supported by the DOD to teach students to work with defense and intelligence organizations and better handle the nation's emerging security challenges. Prioritizing programs similar to this one will ensure that future generations can tackle the new threats we face, as well as guarantee the United States maintains our competitive edge to deter those who wish us harm and want to destroy our way of life.
As the home to several military installations, our state certainly recognizes the importance of providing for a strong national defense, equipped for traditional and new obstacles. I am encouraged that the NDAA includes robust funding authorized to support the ongoing military presence and training efforts in Oklahoma. Specifically, in the Fourth District, this includes vital support of the Long Range Precision Fires and Air and Missile Defense initiatives at Fort Sill as well as aircraft maintenance and sustainment operations at Tinker Air Force Base.
I am very proud that the NDAA outlines the strategy and authorizes the resources needed for facing down threats around the world as well as robust funding for our bases at home to ensure we are prepared for any task our country may face. I applaud the leadership of Oklahoma's own Senator Jim Inhofe, who helped negotiate the bicameral piece of legislation. As Chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee, he understands the needs that must be fulfilled and prioritized today to build and strengthen the defense we need in the days and years to come.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4385,Mullin Signs Amicus Brief Supporting Texas Lawsuit,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Mullin Signs Amicus Brief Supporting Texas Lawsuit  
   
    
       
      
  
    
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      Yesterday, Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) signed an amicus brief supporting the Texas Attorney General's lawsuit against Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, which challenges the results of the 2020 presidential election in those states.
The American people must have faith in our election system and deserve certainty regarding the 2020 elections, Mullin said. Fair and honest elections are a pillar of our democracy and this brief asks the Supreme Court to fully consider the issues that have been seen in the states. We must all remain committed to protecting the integrity of our democracy and ensuring the will of the people succeeds.
A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.
    
  
  
  
    
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http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4390,Mullin Applauds Productive First Year of Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Mullin Applauds Productive First Year of Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women 
   
    
       
      
  
    
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      Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) released the following statement after The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, also known as Operation Lady Justice, released a report on the first year's accomplishments and outlined a strategy for the next year.
President Trump is the first president to formally recognize the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and take action to combat it, Mullin said. The first year of Operation Lady Justice has been a productive one and this is a step in the right direction to help prevent our sisters from becoming a statistic. I am proud of the work they have done so far, and I will continue to work with all parties involved to end this epidemic of violence.
The Operation Lady Justice report can be found here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/community-action-development-corporation-receives-head-start-grant,Community Action Development Corporation Receives Head Start Grant,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) and Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) this week congratulated Community Action Development Corporation (CADC), headquartered in Frederick, after it was named a grant recipient by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The grant, totaling more than $1.3 million, will support the administration of Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Beckham, Cotton, Jefferson, Kiowa, Roger Mills, Tillman and Washita counties.
Community Action Development Corporation has long provided assistance to those in need across several counties and many communities in Oklahoma. This includes fulfilling developmental, educational and nutritional needs of young children,said Congressman Tom Cole.I am delighted that this incredible agency is receiving an HHS grant to support its Head Start and Early Head Start programs serving children and families. These programs make a huge difference in the early development and well-being of children, helping provide a solid foundation for learning and thriving in school.
Through educational, employment, and health service programs, Community Action Development Corporation is improving the lives of countless Oklahomans and their families. I'm proud to join my friend, Congressman Tom Cole, in applauding the Agency for their work in Southwestern Oklahoma and announcing a recent grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), helping administer Head Start and Early Head Start programs,said Congressman Frank Lucas.Since 1965, Head Start programs have served over 36 million children from low-income families, including infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children, by helping promote school readiness, development, and well-being through an array of services. Early childhood education plays a key role in a child's life and puts them on the path to success, both in school and in the future. I thank Community Action Development Corporation for their work, and I applaud them on their recent announcement, which will allow additional counties, and young Oklahomans, in our state the opportunity to utilize these important programs and services.
On behalf of our Board of Directors, Head Start Policy Council and staff, we are very pleased to continue to offer comprehensive services to our Head Start children and families,said Brent Morey, Executive Director of Community Action Development Corporation.We have made some exciting improvements in our program this year, including a new educational curriculum, expansion of Early Head Start to 48 infants and toddlers, and extensive playground renovations at all of our thirteen Centers.We are also very pleased with our most recent collaboration with Southwestern Oklahoma State University by opening a three-year-old classroom on the Sayre campus, creating the opportunity for parents to pursue their education while their children enjoy the experience of Head Start.We continue to pursue excellence and quality in all of our endeavors at CADC Head Start and look forward to a bright future.
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https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-chats/december-11-2020,Rep. Cole's Weekly Chat,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"100 E. 13th St
Suite 213


Ada, OK 74820

  Phone: (580)436-5375  
	Fax: (580)436-5451",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://lucas.house.gov/news/press-releases/community-action-development-corporation-receives-head-start-grant,Community Action Development Corporation Receives Head Start Grant,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Frank Lucas,L000491,lucas.house.gov,,,legacy,"Cheyenne, OK Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) and Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) this week congratulated Community Action Development Corporation (CADC), headquartered in Frederick, after it was named a grant recipient by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The grant, totaling more than $1.3 million, will support the administration of Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Beckham, Cotton, Jefferson, Kiowa, Roger Mills, Tillman and Washita counties.
				Community Action Development Corporation has long provided assistance to those in need across several counties and many communities in Oklahoma. This includes fulfilling developmental, educational and nutritional needs of young children,said Congressman Tom Cole.I am delighted that this incredible agency is receiving an HHS grant to support its Head Start and Early Head Start programs serving children and families. These programs make a huge difference in the early development and well-being of children, helping provide a solid foundation for learning and thriving in school.
				Through educational, employment, and health service programs, Community Action Development Corporation is improving the lives of countless Oklahomans and their families. I'm proud to join my friend, Congressman Tom Cole, in applauding the Agency for their work in Southwestern Oklahoma and announcing a recent grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), helping administer Head Start and Early Head Start programs,said Congressman Frank Lucas.Since 1965, Head Start programs have served over 36 million children from low-income families, including infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children, by helping promote school readiness, development, and well-being through an array of services. Early childhood education plays a key role in a child's life and puts them on the path to success, both in school and in the future. I thank Community Action Development Corporation for their work, and I applaud them on their recent announcement, which will allow additional counties, and young Oklahomans, in our state the opportunity to utilize these important programs and services.
				On behalf of our Board of Directors, Head Start Policy Council and staff, we are very pleased to continue to offer comprehensive services to our Head Start children and families,said Brent Morey, Executive Director of Community Action Development Corporation.We have made some exciting improvements in our program this year, including a new educational curriculum, expansion of Early Head Start to 48 infants and toddlers, and extensive playground renovations at all of our thirteen Centers. We are also very pleased with our most recent collaboration with Southwestern Oklahoma State University by opening a three-year-old classroom on the Sayre campus, creating the opportunity for parents to pursue their education while their children enjoy the experience of Head Start. We continue to pursue excellence and quality in all of our endeavors at CADC Head Start and look forward to a bright future.
				
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http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4383,Mullin Applauds $79.8 Million Rural Broadband Investment in Eastern Oklahoma,2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Mullin Applauds $79.8 Million Rural Broadband Investment in Eastern Oklahoma 
   
    
       
      
  
    
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      Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) today applauded the Federal Communications Commission's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction, which will help rural communities receive access to broadband. 50,617 households or businesses in Oklahoma's Second Congressional District will get access to high-speed broadband in the next 10 years, with a total investment of $79,828,448. 
My district is the only congressional district in the country where broadband is available to less than half the population, Mullin said. Rural consumers need the bandwidth necessary to deliver educational opportunities for children and adults, telemedicine care for patients, news and entertainment content to consumers, and more markets for businesses' goods and services. This investment will help ensure rural Oklahomans are not left behind in the Internet economy.
More information on the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund can be found here.
    
  
  
  
    
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http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4384,Reps. Gabbard and Mullin Introduce Bill to Ensure Title IX Protections for Women and Girls in Sports,2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and Rep. Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) introduced H.R.8932, the Protect Women's Sports Act. Given the average difference in abilities conferred by biological sex, this bill would clarify Title IX protections for female athletes is based on biological sex.

Title IX was a historic provision championed by Hawaii's own Congresswoman Patsy Mink in order to provide equal opportunity for women and girls in high school and college sports. It led to a generational shift that impacted countless women, creating life-changing opportunities for girls and women that never existed before. However, Title IX is being weakened by some states who are misinterpreting Title IX, creating uncertainty, undue hardship and lost opportunities for female athletes. Our legislation protects Title IX's original intent which was based on the general biological distinction between men and women athletes based on sex,said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. It is critical that the legacy of Title IX continues to ensure women and girls in sports have the opportunity to compete and excel on a level playing field.

Title IX was designed to give women and girls an equal chance to succeed, including in sports. Allowing biological males to compete in women's sports diminishes that equality and takes away from the original intent of Title IX. As the father of three girls involved in athletics, I want them to be able to compete on a level playing field. I am proud to lead this bill that will safeguard the integrity of women's sports and ensure female athletes can compete fairly,said Rep. Markwayne Mullin.

Background:Since its creation, Title IX has been confronted by various challenges, often resulting in nuanced or situational solutions to the circumstances. This has included considering the fairness of an individual of one sex to play on a team designated for another sex when no such team is available to the individual, such as women's field hockey or men's football. This bill protects the sex-based intention of Title IX protections by reaffirming the biological sex-based distinctions between men and women in athletics.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://cole.house.gov/news-stories/washington-examiner-federally-funded-abortions-on-chopping-block-next-year,Washington Examiner: Ban on federally funded abortions on chopping block next year,2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington Examner - Susan Ferrechio
House Democrats, eyeing the arrival of President-elect Joe Biden in the White House next year, plan to ramp up efforts to repeal a law that bans abortions funded by taxpayers.
Democrats in Congress have long tried to strip Hyde Amendment language from government spending bills. The amendment, named after the late House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, has since 1980 prohibited the use of taxpayer money for most abortions.
But Democrats say that increasing abortion restrictions in states, rising economic difficulties, and a new ally in the White House have renewed calls for lawmakers to make a serious attempt at ending the law in the next Congress.
Incoming House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro held a hearing last week to highlight criticism of the Hyde Amendment and the view that it hurts women  specifically, minority women.
""The Hyde Amendment is a discriminatory policy, and for more than 40 years, it has been routinely extended every year as a legislative rider,"" said DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat. ""But the time has come in this current moment to reckon with the norm, with the status quo, and view it through the lens of how it impacts communities of color.""
The effort to eliminate the restriction received the critical endorsement last week from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat and an abortion rights advocate.
""Even before I was in Congress, as soon as that Hyde Amendment was there, I was thinking, 'How can we get rid of that?'"" Pelosi told reporters on Dec. 10. ""So it's long overdue in getting rid of it, in my view.""
Republicans are gearing up for the fight, which is likely to occur in the annual negotiations over government spending.
Democrats have in recent years tried to strip out Hyde language from spending measures but have been blocked because of Republican opposition.
But Democrats see a potential sweep of government that could make enabling taxpayer-funded abortion again a reality.
Biden, who for years backed the Hyde Amendment, announced in June of 2019 that he had reversed his position and was now in favor of eliminating the law.
""If I believe healthcare is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that makes that right dependent on someone's ZIP code,"" Biden explained during a speech to Democratic National Committee members in Atlanta.
With Biden in the White House, only a GOP-led Senate stands firmly in the way of eliminating the Hyde Amendment.
Senate Republicans have a tenuous hold on the majority and must win both seats in a rare pair of runoff elections in Georgia on Jan. 5. Democrats hope to clinch the two seats and regain the gavel, which would allow them to take up their sweeping agenda, with the Hyde Amendment on the chopping block.
The House Republican Study Committee sent a letter last week to both parties' leaders expressing opposition to undoing the law.
""As part of their pro-abortion crusade, Democrats have taken direct aim at these long-standing, bipartisan protections that generally prevent the federal government from using taxpayer dollars to support abortion procedures,"" the letter, authored by Chairman Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican, said. ""Repealing these pro-life provisions would destroy nearly half a century of bipartisan consensus.""
If Democrats manage to retake control of the Senate, there will be loud clamor on the Left to use the government's rare Democratic sweep to get rid of the Hyde Amendment.
The final hurdle for Democrats at that point will be within their party.
The anti-abortion faction of the Democratic Caucus has mostly disappeared. Still, the vulnerable remaining centrists may not be interested in risking their 2022 prospects over a bill undoing the federal ban.
Democrats lost more than a dozen seats in this year's election, while Republicans increased their numbers. The significantly reduced majority will make it harder for Democrats to pass legislation that might lose even a few votes in their caucus.
""I think now that we have a stronger number inside the House, it'll be hard to shift,"" House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, said when asked about the Hyde Amendment fight with Democrats.
During the Hyde Amendment hearing last week, Sen. Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican and a top appropriator, said the federal government, through Medicaid, had funded 300,000 abortions annually before the Hyde Amendment's enactment.
The Hyde Amendment, he said, has saved 2 million lives annually, mostly among minorities.
""Even most people who identify themselves as pro-choice on abortion issues don't want their taxpayer dollars to be used to pay for someone else's abortion,"" Cole said. ""The Hyde Amendment protects the conscience rights of the great majority of Americans who are opposed to publicly funded abortion for religious, moral, or simply fiscal reasons.""
Cole said that even if Democrats regain Senate control, the filibuster rule that some Democrats want to eliminate will likely remain in place, which would give the GOP minority an essential tool for blocking legislation that the party opposes.
""I see this as an effort that is not likely to bear fruit in the next Congress,"" Cole said.
Online: Washington Examiner",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://mullin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4382,Mullin Tribal Power Act Passes House,2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Markwayne Mullin,M001190,mullin.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, bipartisan legislation sponsored by Congressmen Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) and Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01) unanimously passed the full House of Representatives. H.R. 5541, the Tribal Power Act, will ensure tribal governments can access the federal resources and assistance they need to advance their energy development initiatives.



    
        
            
        
    


Full video of Mullin's remarks can be found here.
Below are Mullin's remarks on the Tribal Power Act:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in support of H.R. 5541, the Tribal Power Act.
As the only Native American that serves on Energy and Commerce and one who has lived in Indian Country my entire life, this bill is extremely important to Tribes and strategically help us receive capital we need to become energy efficient and enhance our energy infrastructure.
I have long been a supporter of the economic benefits American energy brings to our communities.
As sovereign nations, Tribes should have the ability to choose and deploy the kind of energy that best works for them.
I am proud to co-lead on this very important issue.
Mullin also recognized the Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader, Greg Walden, on the House floor. Leader Walden is retiring at the end of this Congress after serving for 22 years, including the past four years as the top Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-supports-ndaa-conference-report-fy-2021,Cole Supports NDAA Conference Report for FY 2021,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.  Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. With Cole's support, the conference report passed the House today by a bipartisan vote of 335-78.
Authorizing resources to support our nation's common defense through passage of the National Defense Authorization Act each year is a critical responsibility of Congress. This year is no exception, said Cole. This vital legislation rightly authorizes funding for programs and resources to keep our nation safe while also supporting the devoted and brave individuals who make every mission possible. Indeed, along with their usual assignments and duties, many of our devoted service members have navigated new and unexpected challenges, including being called upon to serve on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Whether they directly aid in the fight to eliminate this terrible virus or continue to dutifully protect us in the field at home and abroad, I am encouraged that the NDAA conference report generously delivers resources to keep our service members safe and healthy  including maintaining a sufficient Department of Defense supply of personal protective equipment, ensuring access to diagnostic equipment and testing capabilities and providing health benefits for our National Guardsmen courageously aiding in coronavirus response efforts at home.
I am encouraged that the NDAA conference report also prioritizes investments in critical emerging technology and cybersecurity, which is vital to strengthening our military force and protecting our country against increasingly aggressive adversaries like China and Russa. I applaud the leadership of Oklahoma's own Senator Jim Inhofe, who helped negotiate this bipartisan and bicameral conference report. As Chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee, he understands the needs that must be fulfilled and prioritized today to build and strengthen the defense we need in the days and years to come, which is certainly reflected in this conference report.
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https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-announces-2020-winners-congressional-app-challenge,Cole Announces Fourth District Winners of Congressional App Challenge,2020-12-07,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.  Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) today announced that Lauren Smith and Katrina Ashpaugh are the Fourth District of Oklahoma winners of the 2020 Congressional App Challenge, an annual and nationwide competition that fosters engagement and educational growth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) among middle and high school students. Smith attends Moore High School and Ashpaugh attends Norman High School. Both students also attend Moore Norman Technology Center, where they teamed up to develop their winning app.
I am delighted to congratulate Lauren Smith and Katrina Ashpaugh as the first Fourth District of Oklahoma winners of the Congressional App Challenge, said Congressman Cole. Their app is a wonderful introduction for beginners of all ages to learn basic coding and have fun in doing so. I am very impressed by their applied skills and knowledge. Certainly, they have very bright futures.
Working together, Lauren Smith and Katrina Ashpaugh created their winning app Homeward Guides, which focuses on teaching basic coding techniques through a series of games and obstacles. The app, created for Mobile Android, tells a story of guiding a snake home by using various data types used often in coding and displays different coding languages.
The Congressional App Challenge helped me learn a lot about teamwork and innovation. I had a lot of fun making an app about something important to me, said Lauren Smith.
The Congressional App Challenge has given me the opportunity to learn how to work with others virtually and helped me learn how to communicate goals while working on big programming projects, said Katrina Ashpaugh.
A video demonstration of the app can be found here.
Background on the Congressional App Challenge
Launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, the Congressional App Challenge each year invites students to create an application (app) for desktop/PC, web, tablet, mobile, raspberry Pi or other devices using any programming language  such as C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby or ""block code."" The competition is open to all students who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of their coding experience. Winning apps from congressional districts across the country are eligible for display in the U.S. Capitol and featured on the House of Representatives' website at House.gov.
This is Congressman Cole's first year hosting the competition for the Fourth District of Oklahoma.
More information is available at congressionalappchallenge.us.
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