| Dear Oklahoma friends and neighbors, In this edition of the Lankford Letter: Funding for the Department of Homeland Security Protecting Us from Terrorism Military Operations in Iran Okies in Washington, DC Keeping You in the Loop Spring in Oklahoma usually means severe weather. So far, every part of the state has had“ one of those days.” So far, Enid and the surrounding area have been hit the hardest, but southeast Oklahoma has also been hit several times. I spent some time in Enid praying with local families as we stood in the debris of their home and meeting with the base leadership at Vance Air Force Base. Vance took some damage on the south end of the base, but the professionals on base quickly helped them recover. They are already back to flight training. Unfortunately, many of the homes to the east of Vance cannot be recovered. They were totally destroyed. Please continue to pray for those impacted and to find practical ways to help demonstrate the Oklahoma Standard once again. We know how to take care of each other. Speaking of taking care of each other, make sure you remember to celebrate your Mom next weekend for Mother’s Day. Thank you to all the Moms who have sacrificed so much for their family. As many of you know, I lost my Mom to Parkinson’s disease four years ago, but I am still so grateful for the love and legacy she left me. Give your Mom a big hug. You can never give too many. Funding the Department of Homeland Security and Ending Government Shutdowns The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is FINALLY open. After 75 days of shutdown, the drama is finally over for every part of DHS except Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Democrats continue to block any funding for border security. However, Republicans in the Senate and House have started the long budget process called “reconciliation” to fully fund all border security for the next three years. It will take another three weeks to complete the mandatory legislative process for reconciliation, but we will get it done, despite Democrats’ opposition. Protecting our nation should not be controversial. For the past month, funds were diverted to pay salaries in DHS, but they had no program money and no way to pay the contracts and contractors that work for the agency. The lack of funding has been a huge problem for the Coast Guard, Secret Service, FEMA, TSA, Cyber Security, and many more offices. Withholding funds from our federal law enforcement and disaster relief staff is a foolish way to fight in Washington, DC. We can and must stop government shutdowns. As you may know, I have worked for years to prevent government shutdowns. Last session of congress, my bill had 57 votes, but I needed 60 votes in the Senate. Since the election last year, I have worked with my colleagues to get the necessary votes to finally pass my prevent shutdowns bill. We are very close now. CLICK HERE to read a recent op-ed I wrote about my Prevent Government Shutdowns Act to take government shutdowns off the table for good. What is a “FISA”? After September 11, 2001, the US determined we should be better at spying on foreign terrorists so we could know their plans before they attack us. Congress passed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, now called FISA, to give new authority to our spy agencies to listen to the bad guys overseas but prevent any spying on American citizens. Every few years, the FISA program is re-evaluated to make sure American civil liberties are still protected. When a problem is discovered, the FISA program has been reformed. As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I can assure you, the FISA program has stopped many terror attacks in our nation and saved countless lives over the past few years. We are debating the FISA authority again right now in Congress. There are additional penalties that we want to add to anyone caught using the FISA database for anything other than terror investigations. We also want additional requirements to view any information in the database, just to make sure no one abuses it. UPDATE: Iran The conflict in Iran has continued for two months. Our US military has performed exceptionally in each part of the operation. We have targeted thousands of military sites, sunk most of their navy, and destroyed thousands of attack drones, missiles, and missile launchers. Special Forces also carried out a heroic rescue of one of our downed airmen off a mountaintop in Iran. While most Americans worry about higher prices at the pump, they are putting their lives on the line to protect us and our children. During the current ceasefire, negotiators continue to work to resolve the current conflict by ending the Iranian nuclear weapons program, stopping their support of global terrorism, and reopening international shipping lanes. For almost five decades, Iran has attacked Americans who live and work in the Middle East. President Trump is focused on bringing peace to the region and security for all Americans, whereever they live and work. We all pray for a quick resolution. I continue to receive regular briefings on Iran. This is a battle no one wanted to fight, but we cannot just ignore the threats we could face from a nuclear-armed terror regime. We need to complete our mission and come home. I will stay focused on the critical goals and work to end the conflict as soon as possible. Nominations The Senate is almost through another large group of President Trump’s nominees (50) who will be confirmed soon. We have recently confirmed more judges, agency heads, and many US Attorneys. Okies in DC And the Okie Back Home The Enid Chamber of Commerce members were in Washington, DC, in the days preceding the tornado. They visited with the staff at the Pentagon to make sure they are aware of our community support and engagement. Tulsa and Oklahoma City Chambers combined to meet with key leaders in Washington, DC, as well as our entire federal delegation. I also hosted groups from the South OKC, Moore, and Norman Chambers, the Owasso Chamber, the McAlester “Stampede,” the Oklahoma Cattlemen, Hunger Free Oklahoma, Oklahoma Community Bankers, tribal leaders, Leadership Durant and so many more. When I cannot be home, it’s always good to see so many from home in Washington, DC. When I was back in Oklahoma the days around Easter, I welcomed Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and FBI Director Kash Patel to OKC, Tulsa, and Muskogee. I traveled for meetings in Walters, Lawton, Tulsa, Jenks, and Norman. I also spoke to a great group of Oklahoma attorneys at an Oklahoma Bar Institute symposium on civility and ethics with my Democrat friend, Mike Turpen. He and I sat on a panel to talk about civility in disagreement. We don’t vote or think alike, but we both know how to treat people with respect. I think we could use a little more of that in our nation right now. |
| Requiring Citizenship Status to be Shown on REAL IDs I 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. Currently, REAL IDs do not show if you are an American citizen, but they could. That simple change could make a huge difference for voter verification, employment, and highway safety. Oklahomans have seen the painful consequences of individuals who are here unlawfully behind the wheel of large commercial vehicles. CLICK HERE to read more about my CDL bill. |
| Filling Vacancies on Our US Military Installations I sent a letter to the Secretaries of the US Air Force, Army, and Navy highlighting a policy I secured in the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Bill, which expanded the Department of War’s ability to utilize “direct hire authority” to fill critical positions at depots, arsenals, shipyards, and industrial facilities. CLICK HERE to read more about this important bill to make sure our military installations have the personnel they need. |
| Addressing the High Cost of Rx Drugs Most Oklahomans assume a generic drug will be cheaper at the pharmacy counter, but that’s not always the case because of the pricing games played by insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers. I introduced a bill that makes sure lower-cost generics and “biosimilars” are actually sold cheaper than brand-name drugs. CLICK HERE to read my bill to stop this gimmick from forcing Oklahomans to pay more for Rx drugs. |
| Protecting Federal Retirement Benefits I 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 settlement agreements dividing their annuity. This is something we can and should address. CLICK HERE to read more about this bill to help federal retirees. |
| Speaking Out for Life I had the honor of speaking at the national gathering of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America event in Washington, DC. It was an incredible dinner full of optimistic people who are committed to the value of every human life, no matter how young. Thank you to all the volunteers and advocates for the most vulnerable in our nation: the unborn. |
Oklahoma has a strong ag community, and we are doing our part to raise the next generation of farmers, ranchers, and producers to help feed and clothe America and the entire world. This is our next generation of Oklahoma leaders. |
Folks from McAlester are proud of the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant and the community they’ve built there. They proudly fly into Washington, DC, each year to make sure everyone remembers the great story of McAlester and the hard work they do to support the Army’s mission as well as the Oklahoma business community. |
