US Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford called nto Bartlesville Radio this week for his monthly podcast with us.

 

The Senator hit on two major topics: The Filibuster and The COVID-19 Mandates.

 

Schumer’s Threat to Nuke the Filibuster

 

Senator Lankford released a statement last week in response to Senator Schumer’s threat to eliminate the filibuster. 

 

During his time in the US Senate, Lankford has been vocal about the rightful place that the filibuster has in the Senate.

 

Lankford often reminds people that in 2018, 32 Democrats signed on to a letter in an effort to preserve the filibuster. There are five Democrats who signed on who are no longer in the Senate, Including VP Harris

 

Lankford said of Schumer: The bottom line is very simple: The ideologues in the Senate want to turn what the founding fathers called, the cooling saucer of democracy into the rubber stamp of dictatorship. We will not let them. They want, because they can't get their way on every judge, to change the rules in midstream to wash away 200 years of history. 

 

COVID-19 Mandates

 

On Friday, January 7, the Supreme Court heard arguments on the OSHA vaccine mandate on businesses with 100+ employees and on the CMS vaccine mandate on healthcare workers.

Lankford stated that “Biden’s vaccine mandate is an overreach of executive power and should remain blocked by the Court.”

 

Senator Lankford signed an amicus brief with several other Republican congress members in opposition to the OSHA vaccine mandate.

 

On Wednesday, December 9th, the Senate voted on the Senate floor to overturn Biden’s vaccine mandate for private employers. 

 

Senator Lankford participated in a press conference & spoke on the Senate floor in support of overturning the vaccine mandate on private employers.

 

Senator Lankford and Senator Braun led the charge to file a formal challenge against President Biden’s vaccine mandate under the Congressional Review Act (CRA)—the official process for Congress to eliminate an Executive Branch rule.

 

Senator Lankford has been clear about his opposition to a vaccine mandate.  He has been vocal about the negative impact the mandate has had on Oklahomans, and continues to stand up for Oklahoma workers. 

 

In December, Senator Lankford continued his stand with National Guard members, proposing an amendment that would prohibit the Dept. of Defense from discharging or withholding pay or benefits from members of the National Guard because of their COVID-19 vaccination status.