Coats tells panel he can stand up to ‘pressures’
Those were among questions from members of the Senate Intelligence Committee during Tuesday's confirmation hearing for Coats, who was part of the panel before leaving office in January.
Category Archives: Representative James Lankford
LISTEN: Sen. James Lankford hosts telephone town hall meeting
Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford waves as he leaves the stage after speaking during the final day of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, May 23, 2015. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman U.S. Sen. James Lankford hosted a telephone town hall meeting on Thursday night.
Reform to Protect Religious Liberty
President Donald Trump set off yet another political firestorm when he promised to "totally destroy" the Johnson Amendment, which bars ministers from endorsing candidates from the pulpit. Doing so risks their churches' tax exemption.
Trump wants to force you – the taxpayer – to pay for campaigning from the pulpit
If you "destroy" the Johnson Amendment, as the president said he'd do at the National Prayer Breakfast, taxpayers would subsidize religious organizations' politics. If you "destroy" the Johnson Amendment, as the president said he'd do at the National Prayer Breakfast, taxpayers would subsidize religious organizations' politics.
Three Republican Senators Kick Off Koch’s First Massive Donor Conference In Age Of Trump
Republican Sens. Mike Lee, Pat Toomey and James Lankford are scheduled to attend the kick-off to Charles and David Koch's libertarian Seminar Network in Palm Springs, Calif. on Saturday.
Republicans vow to reverse Obama’s ‘absolutely shameful’ Israel policies
Republican leadership reacted with fury to the Obama administration's decision to abstain from a UN Security Council vote condemning Israel's settlement enterprise on Friday, vowing to reverse his policy gains and punish the UN for repeatedly targeting the Jewish state. President-elect Donald Trump said on Twitter that things would change after he takes office next month, and House Speaker Paul Ryan called the vote an "absolutely shameful" blow to peace.
Trump’s Choice of Scott Pruitt for EPA Draws Positive Reviews
President-elect Donald Trump's choice of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the EPA is drawing widespread praise from legislators and Republican environmental groups as someone who will draw back the agency's excessive regulations. "By standing up to unwarranted and unlawful policies, he has demonstrated rightful concern for Americans whose livelihoods and communities have suffered under intrusive, job-killing regulations."
GOP readies cuts to federal workforce
For years, Republicans in Congress have been eyeing an overhaul of the federal workforce -by reducing the number of workers and curtailing benefits and pay while making it easier to fire bad employees.
Group continues Bible reading ‘precedent’ at State Capitol
Steve Buck, director of the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs, reads from the Book of Isaiah during a public Bible reading event on Monday in the fourth floor rotunda at the State Capitol to commemorate the International Day of the Bible. [Photo by Carla Hinton, The Oklahoman] A public Bible reading returned to the State Capitol for the third year as an event commemorating the National Bible Association's International Day of the Bible.
How did each precinct vote on the teacher pay raise?
A penny sales tax increase that would have raised about $615 million a year to pay for a raise for Oklahoma's teachers was defeated Tuesday night. Check out the interactive map below to see how each of the state's precincts voted on State Question 779.
Oklahoma lawmakers hope to address funding for defense, Zika virus in short D.C. session
As Congress returns this week for a brief session, Oklahoma lawmakers are hoping to resolve some critical funding conflicts over defense and the Zika virus and get final approval of their own long-delayed legislation. The federal budget year ends on Sept.
Fracking and Earthquakes: A Connection
The 5.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Oklahoma on 09/03/16 has again drawn attention to the connection between earthquakes and oil production by way of fracking. To be specific, waste-water injection by oil producers is a prime suspect in the cause of the numerous earthquakes that Oklahoma has experienced during the last 10 years.
Suspicious Timing – Iran Gets $400M, Hostages Freed
At the beginning of the year, the Obama administration danced for victory in announcing the implementation of a deal with Iran that rewarded the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism with the lifting of well-deserved sanctions in return for its purported actions to dismantle its nuclear program.
Good reason to feel agencies run amok
IT'S an apparent contradiction. Gridlock means relatively little gets done in Congress, yet the size of government continues to grow.
Will any of Oklahomaa s House GOP members be ousted Tuesday? –
All five Oklahoma Republican U.S. House members face primary opponents on Tuesday but ousting an incumbent is easier said than done, even in a year of voter anger directed at Washington. Most of those Oklahoma challengers are underfunded and the track record of insurgents nationally is not good.
News Minute: Here is the latest Oklahoma news from The Associated Press at 5:50 a.m. CDT
The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.2 magnitude earthquake has rattled the central Oklahoma town of Harrah The temblor was reported around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Hours before that, the USGS recorded a 2.8 magnitude quake near the north central town of Langston.
20 years on, UN waits for working nuclear-test-ban treaty
The world was a more peaceful place when a newly sworn-in President Barack Obama pledged to "aggressively pursue" a global ban on nuclear arms tests. But as his term winds down, a working test-ban treaty remains a dream and some of the loudest voices out of Washington are hostile.
Why Trump Chickened Out
The Post story, " In Brazil's political crisis, a powerful new force: Evangelical Christians ," is an amazing account from a liberal perspective of how Christian conservatives are taking back their country. One leading critic of the ruling Workers Party in Brazil said, "We saw that communism was in their DNA."
Obama is off to Asia to boost trade, cooperation
In this Friday May 20, 2016 photo released by the Catholic Archdiocese of Hue, Catholic priest Nguyen Van Ly, right, prays as he is welcomed back by Archbishop Tadeo to his parish in Hue, Ha Nam province, Vietnam. Vietnam granted early release from prison to Ly who is one of its most prominent dissidents, a move widely seen as a goodwill gesture before U.S. President Barack Obama arrives on an official visit late Sunday night.
Obama leaves for Asia to boost trade, cooperation
President Barack Obama is leaving on a weeklong, 16,000-mile trip to Asia as part of his effort to pay more attention to the region and boost economic and security cooperation. He'll spend three days in Vietnam, with stops in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, for meetings with top leaders, a speech on US-Vietnam relations, visits to cultural treasures and sessions with civic leaders and entrepreneurs.