James Lankford

Electoral integrity

Criminal justice

Fiscal policy

Healthcare

Education

Economy and labor

Environment and energy

Immigration

National security and foreign policy

Civil rights and liberties

Social policy

Technology and data

Civil liberties and government power

Government accountability and transparency

Infrastructure and public investment

Lankford spoke about the history of government shutdowns since 1977, noted that the most recent shutdown lasted 76 days and affected the Department of Homeland Security, and described a bipartisan proposal he has worked on with Senator Maggie Hassan since 2019 that would require Congress to remain in session until appropriations bills are completed while protecting federal workers and programs from shutdown effects.

Lankford requested that the name of Senator Hassan from New Hampshire be added as a cosponsor of S. 75, a bill to modify the governmentwide financial management plan, and for other purposes.

Lankford welcomed Alan Armstrong to the Senate and praised his business experience leading the Williams Companies, a major natural gas and midstream company, while noting that Armstrong would serve as Oklahoma's interim Senator following Markwayne Mullin's departure to become Secretary of Homeland Security.

Lankford escorted Senator-designate Alan Armstrong to the desk of the President pro tempore to administer the oath of office.

Lankford asked for the yeas and nays on the Mullin nomination vote.

Lankford spoke in support of Markwayne Mullin's nomination as Secretary of Homeland Security, describing Mullin's background, qualifications, and personal character.

Lankford asked unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to immediate consideration of S. 921, a bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments.

Lankford spoke in support of the SAVE Act, explaining that it requires American citizens to verify their citizenship when voting through a "trust and verify" approach, and cited examples from Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Hampshire where citizenship verification is already required for voter registration.

Lankford co-sponsored Senate Resolution 642 celebrating the 175th anniversary of the Young Men's Christian Association.

Lankford stated that Democratic colleagues' efforts to defund ICE through cutting Department of Homeland Security funding was actually defunding multiple agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, FEMA, the Secret Service, and TSA, and expressed concern that TSA agents were losing paychecks as a result.

Lankford joined as a co-sponsor of S. 3863, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to terminate the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate.

Lankford cosponsored S. 3863, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to terminate the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate.

Paul Amdt. No. 4272

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4236

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4234

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4286

Sanders Amdt. No. 4290

Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: Merkley Amdt. No. 4287

H.R. 7148, as Amended

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to H.R. 7148

Lankford requested that the name of Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky be added as a cosponsor of S. 6, a bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a health care practitioner from failing to exercise the proper degree of care in the case of a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion.

Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 3627

Motion to Invoke Cloture: H.R. 6938

H.R. 6938

Is the Point of Order Well Taken Re: To the Privilege Status of S.J. Res. 98

Motion to Proceed to S.J. Res. 84

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to H.R. 6938

Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 98

Confirmation: Alexander C. Van Hook, of Louisiana, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana

Lankford requested that the names of the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) and the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar) be added as cosponsors of S. 121, a bill to extend the statute of limitations for violations relating to pandemic-era programs to be 10 years.

Motion to Proceed to S.J.Res. 86

Confirmation: Joshua Simmons, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency

Confirmation: Sara Bailey, of Texas, to be Director of National Drug Control Policy

Confirmation: Keith Bass, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

Lankford spoke about healthcare cost increases in the ObamaCare Marketplace, describing how premium tax credit subsidies set to expire would cause significant increases for individuals, particularly those aged 50 to 64, and explained the historical context of healthcare insurance costs before and after the Affordable Care Act's passage.

Lankford was listed as a co-sponsor of S. 3381, a bill to require coordination of depot-level maintenance in multinational exercises conducted by the Air Force.

Lankford discussed the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, the subsequent 731-day war, the 48 remaining hostages, his visits to Israeli kibbutzim and the Nova music festival site, and President Trump's 21-point plan to end the conflict with the condition that Hamas cannot lead Gaza.

Lankford requested that the name of Senator Moody from Florida be added as a cosponsor of S. 6, a bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a health care practitioner from failing to exercise the proper degree of care in the case of a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion.

Lankford stated he knew of no further debate on the Cao nomination and asked for the yeas and nays on the Senate's advice and consent.

Lankford spoke on the Senate floor to describe Tina Pierce's qualifications for Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Energy and noted that she had been waiting for a floor vote since passing committee in May while Democrats filibustered her nomination.

Lankford co-sponsored an amendment to S. 2296 intended to establish pharmaceutical supply chain mapping requirements for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Lankford requested that the names of the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Hoeven) be added as cosponsors of S. 317, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify and extend the deduction for charitable contributions for individuals not itemizing deductions.

Lankford asked for the yeas and nays on the Eisenberg nomination.

Lankford reported to fellow Senators that he traveled during Memorial Day week to Baghdad, Erbil, Beirut, Oman, and Jerusalem with Senator Angus King to meet with regional leaders and discuss the situation in Syria and economic opportunities in Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government.

Lankford explained the Congressional Review Act, describing its purpose as a mechanism for Congress to review and overturn regulations issued by executive agencies, and detailed the criteria used to determine what constitutes a "rule" under the act.

Lankford spoke on the passage by unanimous consent of a national monument designation for the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, discussing the 1921 race massacre, the district's history as Black Wall Street, and its recovery and current status.

Lankford rose to discuss nationwide injunctions, explaining how the three branches of government function and describing how district courts have begun issuing injunctions that apply nationwide rather than only to cases filed before them.

Lankford requested unanimous consent to discharge the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources from further consideration of S. 1051 and to proceed to its immediate consideration, passage, and final disposition.

Lankford requested that the names of the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Hoeven) and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Husted) be added as cosponsors of S. 224.

Lankford spoke on the Senate floor about National Police Week, describing his experience witnessing honor guards at DCA airport escorting the family of a fallen police officer and discussing the dangers and sacrifices of law enforcement officers.

Lankford asked for the yeas and nays on the Rubinstein nomination.

Lankford described his recent visit to the San Diego-Tijuana border area where he observed increased morale among Customs and Border Protection officers and decreased illegal immigration crossings under the current administration's policies.

Lankford asked for the yeas and nays on the Edgar nomination.

Lankford spoke on the Senate floor about government spending waste, citing specific examples including a $32,000 USAID grant for a comic book about transgenders in Peru, a $2.5 million grant to Vietnam for electric vehicle charging stations, $10 million in food aid diverted to a terrorist group linked with al-Qaida, and nearly $1 million sent to a Hamas-linked group before October 7.

Lankford spoke on the Senate floor about the lack of appropriations bills brought to a vote and described a proposal he and Senator Maggie Hassan have developed that would require members of Congress to remain in session until appropriations work is completed rather than allowing government shutdowns.