U.S. Senator from Oklahoma

James Lankford

Republican · Oklahoma

Former Baptist camp director and House member, serving in Senate since 2015. Co-authored bipartisan border security bill in 2024 (which ultimately failed). Focus on government waste and religious liberty.

Record

Conservative Republican. Co-authored bipartisan border security compromise with Chris Murphy (ultimately killed by Trump pressure). Annual federal waste report. Strong religious liberty advocate.

Legislative Record

Recently sponsored bills (8 on record)

S.5109 — Training Rural Law Enforcement Officers Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
S.4632 — Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026 (Introduced, May 21, 2026)
Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2026 This bill provides continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if the appropriations bills for a fiscal year have not been enacted before the fiscal year begins and continuing appropriations are not in effect. Specifically, the bill provides…
S.4398 — CDL Act (Introduced, Apr 27, 2026)
S.4323 — Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act (Introduced, Apr 16, 2026)
Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act This bill requires prescription drug plans under the Medicare prescription drug benefit to include generic drugs and biosimilars on their formularies. Specifically, the bill requires plans that use formularies to include generic drugs and…
S.4290 — Retirement Annuity Supplement Clarity Act (Introduced, Apr 14, 2026)
S.4016 — Stop Unemployment Fraud Act (Introduced, Mar 5, 2026)
S.81 — Guidance Clarity Act of 2025 (Introduced, Jan 13, 2025)
Guidance Clarity Act of 2025 This bill requires federal agencies to state on the first page of guidance documents that such guidance (1) does not have the force and effect of law, and (2) is intended only to provide clarity to the public about existing legal requirements or agency policies.
S.78 — TRUE Accountability Act (Introduced, Jan 13, 2025)
Taxpayer Resources Used in Emergencies Accountability Act or the TRUE Accountability Act This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue guidance to certain executive branch agencies for the development of internal control plans that are available for immediate use in future…

Notable votes

Voted Yea on S.Res. 817 — S. Res. 817 (Resolution Agreed to, Jul 30, 2026)
Voted Yea on S.Res. 817 — Motion to Invoke Cloture: S. Res. 817 (Cloture Motion Agreed to, Jul 29, 2026)
Voted Yea on H.R. 6644 — Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6644 with an Amendment (SA 5823) (Cloture Motion Agreed to, Jun 18, 2026)
Voted Yea on S. 2 — S. 2, As Amended (Bill Passed, Jun 5, 2026)
Voted Nay on S. 2 — Cortez Masto Amdt. No. 5463 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
Voted Nay on S. 2 — Padilla Amdt. No. 5808 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
Voted Nay on S. 2 — Gallego Amdt. No. 5813 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
Voted Nay on S. 2 — Peters Amdt. No. 5763 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)

Recently cosponsored bills (12 on record)

S.4505 — A bill to require the United States Postal Service to designate ZIP Codes for certain communities. (Introduced, Jul 30, 2026)
S.5202 — A bill to prohibit the use of Federal funds for gender transition for minors. (Introduced, Jul 30, 2026)
S.4775 — Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act (Introduced, Jul 29, 2026)
S.4952 — Protecting American Taxpayers Act (Introduced, Jul 20, 2026)
S.5010 — NO BOSS Act (Introduced, Jul 16, 2026)
S.5025 — Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 16, 2026)
S.3857 — One Nation, One Visa Policy Act (Introduced, Jul 14, 2026)
S.4427 — Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 14, 2026)

Voting analysis

James Lankford chairs the Senate ethics committee along with subcommittee gavels on finance and on homeland security, and he has not missed a recorded vote.

0.0%

Roll calls recorded as not voting

220

Roll calls eligible to vote on

Recorded as not voting

2.3%

Votes against the Republican majority

220

Roll calls where a party majority formed

47 of 51

Rank among Senate Republicans, most defections first

Split evenly, both directions

His departures divide almost exactly in half, and that is the most informative thing about them. Three times he voted against amendments his conference was supporting; twice he voted for amendments it was not. Every one of the five failed. A member whose breaks run in both directions at roughly equal frequency is not positioned to one side of his party — he is simply taking each amendment on its own terms.

All 5 roll calls where James Lankford voted against the Senate Republican majority.
Roll call	Date	Outcome	Their vote
H.R. 7148 Paul Amdt. No. 4272 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 4272 to H.R. 7148 (No short title on file) · roll call 119	Jan 30, 2026	Amendment Rejected	Nay (party: Yea)
H.R. 3944 Johnson Amdt. No. 3428 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3428 to S.Amdt. 3411 to H.R. 3944 (No short title on file) · roll call 119	Aug 1, 2025	Amendment Rejected	Yea (party: Nay)
H.R. 1 Lee Amdt. No. 2745 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 2745 to S.Amdt. 2360 to H.R. 1 (No short title on file) · roll call 119	Jul 1, 2025	Amendment Rejected	Yea (party: Nay)
H.R. 1968 Paul Amdt. No. 1266 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 1266 to H.R. 1968 (No short title on file) · roll call 119	Mar 14, 2025	Amendment Rejected	Nay (party: Yea)
H.R. 82 Cruz Amdt. No. 3360 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3360 to H.R. 82 (No short title on file) · roll call 118	Dec 20, 2024	Amendment Rejected	Nay (party: Yea)

The Oklahoma seats

There is no state comparison to draw here. Oklahoma's other seat changed hands partway through the term, its previous occupant having resigned in the spring to run the Department of Homeland Security, and the appointee who followed him has yet to accumulate a record long enough to measure. A single senator cannot be averaged against himself, so this figure stays blank until the second seat carries votes of its own.

What he legislates on

The filings are unusually consistent with the committee portfolio: training for rural law enforcement officers, a bill requiring agencies to say plainly when guidance is not binding, an accountability measure, a bill to prevent government shutdowns, and one on commercial driver licensing. Process and the machinery of government run through most of them.

Sponsored bills carry the Congressional Research Service's own subject classification. James Lankford's cluster into: Government Operations and Politics (1), Immigration (1), Taxation (1).

672

Bills sponsored

2405

Bills cosponsored

Of the 8 most recent of those, 8 currently sit at Introduced.

Tenure

He came up through the House at the start of the last decade before winning the Senate seat, with no change of affiliation on the record.

First elected in 2011, now serving across 8 terms. James Lankford falls in the veteran cohort.

By the numbers

In the 119th Congress, James Lankford has 672 bills sponsored, 2405 cosponsored, 8 recent floor votes recorded.

Committee assignments

Senate Committee on Finance
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Senate Select Committee on Ethics (Chairman)
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Senate Committee on Finance: Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure (Chairman)
Senate Committee on Finance: Health Care
Senate Committee on Finance: Taxation and IRS Oversight
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Border Management, Federal Workforce, and Regulatory Affairs (Chairman)
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations

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