CALERA – U.S. Senator James Lankford was in Bryan County on Friday, taking the opportunity to have community conversations.
With stops at the KC Roadhouse Bar & Grill, the Boys & Girls Club of Durant and Calera City Hall, Sen. Lankford spoke about a number of current topics on the state and national levels and took the time for questions from those in attendance.
Lankford, R-Okla., addressed issues including the budget, illegal immigration across the southern U.S. border, the Equality Act and lowering prescription drug prices.
The senator spoke about government shutdowns and his attempt to prevent future shutdowns by providing automatic funding with the Prevent Government Shutdown Act. He said billions of dollars are lost every time shutdowns happen – 21 times in the last 40 years – and that this needs to stop.
Lankford took a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border earlier in the week and shared stories of the situation there which contradicted some of what has been reported through other media outlets.
He said also that more than a million people a year are allowed into the United States by going through the proper process.
“It’s not that we’re closed,” Lankford said. “Half a million people every single day legally cross our southern border. We’re not closed. We have a legal process where people can apply for paperwork and go through the process.
“These are individuals (who cross over illegally) that don’t want to go through the legal process or that the cartels have told them this is the only way you can do it.”
The senator closed the session by welcoming input from the people and directed them to his website – lankford.senate.gov – where they can learn more about his involvement in the governmental process.