Dear Oklahoma friends and neighbors:
It’s almost August—that means back-to-school time is almost here! Even if you don’t have young kids in school, everyone can help the families around you through the many nonprofits assisting with school supplies, backpacks, school clean-up projects and more. Back to school is a great time of year (especially for parents).
In the end of the summer heat, don’t forget to keep checking on elderly or vulnerable neighbors to make sure they have what they need in the dog days of summer. If you find yourself in need, feel free to dial 2-1-1 to find out about local options for help in the heat.
Thank you for always doing what Oklahomans do: take care of one another.
August is the one month of the year that the Senate does not meet, which allows me to spend more time around Oklahoma listening. I am looking forward to connecting with many Oklahomans in the coming weeks as I drive around the state (with my air conditioner on).
Supporting Oklahoma Military Installations in the Defense Bill
Thankfully, yesterday, the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, known as the defense bill or the NDAA. This bill sets our defense policy for every military mission and training for the next fiscal year.
Many of my amendments were included in this year’s NDAA, which were designed to make sure our warfighters, their families, and Oklahoma’s military and National Guard installations have what they need. We provided another pay raise to our military as they face Biden’s inflation. I worked to hold military contractors accountable for dilapidated or dangerous military housing in Oklahoma. I fought for and won the additional funding and authority needed to rebuild L. Mendel Rivers Elementary School on Altus Air Force Base, which is in desperate need of repairs to provide a safe learning environment for children on the base.
Some of my specific amendments updated the anti-competitive procurement processes in DOD contracting, created a process for military spouses to have and build a career working remotely with federal agencies as they move around the country with their spouse, and I increased access to critical minerals from friendly nations instead of China. I even won an overtime pay increase for our Border Patrol since they work every day for our national security as well.
The final bill includes many other aspects that directly support Oklahoma defense, including:
- 5.2-percent pay raise for our service members and Department of Defense civilian workforce along with payroll increases for Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve military technician civilians
- Counter-drone technology research and development in our state, which is spearheaded by OSU
- KC-46 at Altus Air Force Base
- Undergraduate Pilot Training Center at Vance Air Force Base
- New power grid and backup power for Fort Sill
- Vehicle maintenance shop in Ardmore to serve our Army National Guard
- B-21, T-7, KC-46, E-7, and E-6 aircraft coming to Oklahoma
- Army ammunition for McAlester, general purpose bombs, long-range precision fires, air and missile defense
Nationally the NDAA also includes:
- Pay for pilots to get their necessary inactive duty training to stay current in their pilot rating or designations
- Funding for religious freedom training to ensure we protect our service members’ religious freedom
- Requirement that the DOD increases their work to counter fentanyl trafficking
- Limitations on the ways the communist Chinese government can interact with US military contracts that do business with Chinese or Russian institutions
CLICK HERE to read more on why I supported this year’s defense bill.
UPDATE: Passport Backlog
If you’ve tried to get a passport in the last year, you most likely had to wait much longer than you expected to get it in your hands. Calls to my office for assistance getting passports have increased five-fold this year over last year because of the poor performance of the State Department’s National Passport Information Center.
This year’s defense bill contained provisions from my bill, the Passport Act, to solve the tremendous backlog at the passport office.
My bill will improve transparency and customer service by requiring the State Department to provide detailed status updates for passport applications and add a customer service chat feature connecting applicants with the National Passport Information Center. These days, you can track a package delivery online from almost any provider—but you can’t track the progress of your passport. That is about to finally change.
I worked with Senator Ricketts from Nebraska to have my bill included in the State Department reauthorization bill, which hitched a ride on the defense bill we just passed. It will take some time for the State Department to implement my bill to get the passport delays caught up, but hopefully this will now be the last time this kind of backlog happens. Enjoy your vacation trip overseas. But please be sure to get your passport before you book your flight.
CLICK HERE to read my column to Oklahoma newspapers about the passport problems and how I’m working to solve them.
CLICK HERE to watch my interview with KOCO about the passport backlog.
UPDATE: Lowering Rx Drug Prices
This week, the Senate Finance Committee, on which I serve, took a big step forward in addressing the high cost of prescription drugs in voting to pass a bill out of the Committee with several sections I’ve worked on for years to bring down the cost of prescription drugs.
Earlier this month, I spoke on the Senate floor about the abusive practices of drug-price middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs for short. PBM’s make their money by squeezing rural and independently owned pharmacies in Oklahoma and the patients buying the prescription drugs at the counter. I have fought them for years, and I am not letting this go.
PBMs are driving up the cost of prescription drugs and limiting cost transparency for pharmacists. The worst of their abuses come in the form of what are called direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees and the manipulation of a drug’s placement on a “tier” of coverage that creates a higher price for lower cost generic drugs. Their gaming between name-brands and generics keeps prices high for patients, while making PBMs more money.
I’m not against price competition. Protected free markets are a good solution to drug pricing issues. Competition will work if we allow the markets to actually work. But if PBMs are in the middle controlling the way pricing happens, it can’t work.
Some believe the federal government should control the price of prescription drugs, but the federal government does not—and should not—set the prices for everything. If you’d like to see how well the federal government runs and fixes things, look no further than the passport agency, which is currently roughly four months behind on something that should take weeks.
CLICK HERE to watch my speech on the Senate floor about the areas we need to address to bring down the costs of prescription drugs.
CLICK HERE to read more about my bills to address the cost of Rx drug and prescription drug supply chain issues.
CLICK HERE to read more about my bill to make the drug pricing process and requirements of pharmacies more transparent and efficient.
CLICK HERE to watch my Q&A in a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing to address the rising costs of prescription drugs.
Helping Border Law Enforcement
During the overwhelming surge of illegal crossings from Mexico, Border Patrol agents have sacrificed their family and personal time day after day to protect our nation without overtime pay. The nation is grateful for their incredible sacrifice, but it’s past time to compensate them for their hard work.
After multiple trips to the southern border as part of my work as the Republican lead on the border subcommittee of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I’m glad to let you know that my Border Patrol Enhancement Act, which would ensure Border Patrol can hire, train, and pay the highest quality law enforcement officers and agents, passed out of the Committee last week with strong support and was included in the defense bill that passed the Senate this week.
This bill finally gives Border Patrol the support they deserve. The Biden Administration has tied the hands of our Border Patrol and worked them long hours without extra pay, which has directly affected morale, recruiting, and retention.
CLICK HERE to read more about the bill to be sure we can retain and hire the best law enforcement personnel for our national security at the southern border.
I also introduced the Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act of 2023, which would further support border law enforcement by providing additional personnel to scan cargo for illegal drugs and guns or human smuggling.
Border law enforcement told me directly that addressing this issue would help them better enforce the law at our ports of entry.
Successfully inspecting cargo at our ports of entry helps stop dangerous drugs like fentanyl from coming into the US. Border law enforcement need support to analyze cargo images in real time, so they can focus on the person-to-person contact that enables them to catch criminals. Adding these positions to our border law enforcement makes sure cargo can be thoroughly inspected for illegal drugs, guns, and human smuggling at our border. This is a nonpartisan, straight-forward solution to support our hard-working border law enforcement.
CLICK HERE to read more about my bill.
I have many other bills and ideas to secure our border that are working through the Senate right now. Every American should support securing our borders and legal immigration. Stopping illegal immigration should not be a controversial issue.
Standing with Israel
Last week, I was joined by Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada and a small group of Senate and House Abraham Accords Caucus members to greet Israeli President Isaac Herzog after his address to a Joint Meeting of Congress. We celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel and the success of the ongoing Abraham Accords.
CLICK HERE to read more about our meeting with Israeli President Herzog after his address to Congress.
The US and Israel have several international agreements for cooperation in science, agriculture, and cybersecurity. We should build on our successful relationship and collaboration with Israel with the rest of the Abraham Accords countries.
In fact, I introduced a big milestone bill for Middle East peace, the Regional Integration and Normalization Act, to bolster efforts to normalize relations between Israel and her neighbors in the Arab and Islamic world.
CLICK HERE to read more about my bill to improve Middle East peace and cooperation.
Keeping You in the Loop
- Moving Oklahoma’s Disaster Aid Application to the Finish Line – I led the Oklahoma delegation in a letter of support to President Biden to formally request disaster relief funding after the June 17 storm throughout the state. Last week we were informed that the relief was extended to Beaver, Cimarron, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Harper, Jefferson, Love, Major, Mayes, McCurtain, Payne, Pushmataha, Rogers, Stephens, Tulsa, and Woodward counties. This will bring much-needed relief to Oklahoma.
- Standing Against Bidenomics – As inflation and prices, for just about everything, remain at a 21st Century high, I continue to stand up to President Biden’s unworkable Green New Deal progressive energy requirements that are hurting Oklahoma energy and driving up costs. I’m working to access the critical minerals we need for technology from the US and friendly nations and allies, instead of depending on China.
- Congratulations OU Softball on a Threepeat! – The OU Women’s Softball team continues to show the state and nation what leadership on and off the field looks like. Our state is proud of your continued success on the field and the role models you are off the field. Last week, the US Senate finally officially congratulated each member of the team on the third-consecutive national NCAA Women’s College World Series title. We also recognized the exemplary standard that has been set by Coach Patty Gasso and staff. CLICK HERE to read more about how we honored this great team, their staff, and coaches in the US Senate. “Eyes up” Sooners.
- Supporting Kidney Transplant Recipients – Last week in the Finance Committee we held a hearing on how to improve the process of organ transplants in our nation. The hearing focused on kidney transplant recipients in a long line for a kidney and on how we can increase the number of organ transplants and get accurate information to the people waiting for the transplant. CLICK HERE to learn more about this important hearing.
- Simplifying the Competitive Federal Grants Process – Strategic, competitive federal grants can open opportunities for cities, states, and tribes, local fire departments and others to improve safety, infrastructure, interstate highways and waterways, broadband internet, and beyond. But, the huge federal bureaucratic maze has made federal grants difficult to navigate. I introduced a bill to clearly designate an existing employee at each agency to serve on an interagency grant council, be the public contact for grants, and help implement the standards of my GREAT Act, which is now law. We can and should make this process better for Oklahomans. CLICK HERE to read more about my bill to simplify the federal grant process.
- Updating Federal Retirement Services – I sent a letter to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management Kiran Ahuja on the need to modernize the decades-old retirees’ system that is causing backlogs and delays in processing retirement applications. I asked several questions of the Director on why responses to retirees can involve wait times of more than a year, which can cause real financial pain for our federal retirees. CLICK HERE to read my letter.
- Ensuring NATO Countries Meet Defense Spending Obligations – I recently joined a group of 33 Senators in a letter to President Biden to call on NATO countries to meet their defense spending commitments. Since 2006, NATO member nations have committed to a minimum of two percent of their Gross Domestic Product. Many NATO nations have increased their defense spending in the past year, but despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some member states still have not met their treaty obligations. CLICK HERE to read more on my push to be sure all of Europe pulls its weight for NATO defense.
- Keeping Hazardous Chemicals Away from Terrorists – It may not be at the top of everyone’s radar, but the federal government needs to ensure we secure hazardous chemicals from terrorists. I introduced a bill to extend the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, which was created after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to ensure facilities holding high-risk chemicals have security measures in place to reduce the risk of chemicals being stolen or weaponized by terrorists. The types of chemicals protected by the CFATS program are the same chemicals used in the OKC domestic terrorist bombing in 1995. We have to make sure these dangerous chemicals don’t fall into the wrong hands or get exploited by terrorists. CLICK HERE to read more about this important bill to prevent terrorists from accessing these chemicals.
In God We Trust,
James Lankford
United States Senator for Oklahoma
