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Republican (1854-present)

James Lankford

Before his service in Congress, James served students and families for more than 20 years in ministry, including 15 years as the Director of Student Ministry for the Baptist Convention of Oklahoma and Director of the Falls Creek Youth Camp, the largest youth camp in the United States, with more than 51,000 individuals attending each summer.

James and his staff enjoy serving people from all backgrounds across Oklahoma. As Ranking Member of the Government Operations and Border Management  Subcommittee, which covers border security, management, and operations; regulatory reform; and the federal workforce. He demands we have a secure, more fiscally responsible, and transparent federal government, and our nation remains the world leader. He believes that the federal government has an important role in our nation, but empowered families, individual people, and private businesses grow our economy and pass down our values.

Vaccine Mandates

Senator Lankford is continuing to stand up to the Biden Administration and raise his voice in full opposition to any federal vaccine requirements for anyone in our nation. He and his family have received the COVID-19 vaccine and have encouraged others to do so, but no one should be forced to take the vaccine, especially if they have religious or moral objections, personal medical issues, or other needs that might prevent them from taking on the additional risks associated with the vaccines.

Senator Lankford has already taken action to try to stop or modify the Biden Administration’s decision to force everyone to receive a COVID-19 vaccine because he’s lost his “patience.”

  • Senator Lankford introduced the Stop Vaccine Mandates Act to repeal President Biden’s Executive Order which mandates vaccines for federal employees and federal contractors. 
  • Senator Lankford led more than 39 Senators to formally move to disapprove and nullify President Biden’s vaccine mandate on private companies and their employees under the Congressional Review Act, the official process for Congress to eliminate an Executive Branch rule.
  • Lankford took to the Senate floor to share his opposition to Biden’s vaccine mandate and to support the resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) before the Senate to stop the vaccine mandate on private employers. The CRA passed by a vote of 52 to 48.
  • For members of the military, Senator Lankford introduced the COVID-19 Vaccine Dishonorable Discharge Prevention Act to prohibit the Department of Defense (DOD) from giving service members a dishonorable discharge for choosing not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Senator Lankford also directly called on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to protect the First Amendment rights of our Armed Forces who cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to their sincerely held religious beliefs in accordance with the Constitution, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and existing Department policy.
  • Lankford stood firmly with the Oklahoma National Guard and Guard members around the nation twice last week to offer his bill on the Senate floor. Late last night, Lankford offered the legislation as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to prohibit the Department of Defense from discharging or withholding pay or benefits from members of the National Guard because of their COVID–19 vaccination status. Lankford also worked to secure a provision in this year’s NDAA to ensure service members are not dishonorably or less-than-honorably discharged if they choose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • For employees, Senator Lankford sent a letter to President Biden outlining his concerns with the Administration’s vaccine mandates and asking specific questions on protections for employees who request religious and medical accommodations as well as on the impact of employees with natural immunity.
  • Senator Lankford spoke on the Senate floor to stand firmly with Oklahoma service members, health care workers, federal employees, and private-sector workers who have chosen so far not to be vaccinated but face a federal requirement from the Biden Administration.
  • For essential workers Senator Lankford joined Senator Marsha Blackburn to introduce the Keeping our COVID-19 Heroes Employed Act, which would protect essential workers from being fired due to COVID vaccination requirements.
  • Rumor: People who don’t get the COVID-19 vaccine will lose their Medicare or Medicaid benefits
    • This is False: Individuals won’t lose Medicare or Medicaid benefits if they choose not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, the Biden Administration is threatening that health facilities will lose funding if their employees don’t abide by the vaccine mandate. Oklahoma is currently involved in a lawsuit with 11 other states against this requirement for health care workers. The US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, whose lawsuit Oklahoma joined, has issued a temporary federal halt to that mandate pending further court action.