BY NATALIE SACKET
Feature Editor
Senator James Lankford addressed several key national and state issues Sept. 1 during a visit to the NWOSU campus.
Lankford, who previously served four years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, has been serving as a United States Senator since Nov. 4, 2014.
Lankford highlighted numerous pressing issues that the U.S. Senate will be discussing in its upcoming session. The primary issue Lankford addressed was his concern in regards to current Iran nuclear negotiations. Lankford believes that the present agreement should not remain and that negotiations should be further pressed.
“I do want a diplomatic solution, but this is just not it,” stated Lankford in regards to the current Iran nuclear deal. Lankford presumes that discussions on this matter will compose a major part of early September in the Senate.
As the fiscal year concludes on Sept. 30, another predominant matter in the discussion regarded the upcoming year’s budget.
According to Lankford, “there was a two percent growth in the economy, but that’s not enough to sustain us.”
Lankford supports a three percent increase on military spending, as he stressed the importance of U.S. presence in the Middle East. “People think we’re not kinetically engaged, but we are still a nation at war.” Much discussion in regards to the budget will be required in September, as currently only 54 senators are in agreement on the budget proposal, though 60 senators are needed for the budget to be debated on the floor.
Having outlined these two predominant issues for the approaching session, Lankford opened up the discussion for questions. Several of the pressing concerns for local residents involved educational standards, same-sex marriage, water regulations, immigration issues and the Keystone Pipeline System. Lankford gave details concerning these matters, but stressed that there is no immediate or straightforward solution to many of these concerns.
Lankford also commented on his stance in regards to the recent Planned Parenthood controversies. “It’s no secret that I’m very pro-life,” remarked Lankford. His current viewpoint is that Planned Parenthood should be defunded, and that those funds should be absorbed by the dozens of community health centers around Oklahoma.
Regulatory rates for bankers was another key matter addressed during discussion. After the passing of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010, regulations for banks have been tightened significantly. This Act was passed with the intention of improving accountability and transparency in financial systems. This has had a significant negative affect on banks, particularly community traditional banks. Because of this, smaller banks are being absorbed, and loans have been significantly more difficult to obtain. Lankford accepts that regulations are necessary, but believes that the U.S. should realize that these small, traditional banks are not a systematic threat to the safety and soundness of the United States financial system.
Lankford left the discussion with a few final thoughts, primarily regarding the importance of strong American families.
“America’s problems don’t get solved in D.C., they get solved in American homes. D.C. is the mirror to America. Take care of our families. As a gift to the nation, love your spouse and your kids,” said Lankford.