Lankford Recognized for His Work to Combat Wasteful Spending, Lower our Debt, and Stop Overspending

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) received the Fix the Debt Fiscal Hero Award for 2022 from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Fiscal Heroes is an award that recognizes Senators and House Members who have distinguished themselves by demonstrating leadership on issues of fiscal responsibility, pushing party leaders to confront the growing national debt, voting responsibly, and raising awareness about debt’s dangers to improving the nation’s fiscal condition. 

“Whether it’s in the billions or in the thousands, wasteful spending is wasteful spending,” said Lankford. “As we navigate the many challenges our nation is facing, including record-high inflation and record-high gas prices, we cannot forget about our national debt. I will continue my efforts to get our spending under control and find real solutions to reform our broken budget processes. I’m grateful for the Committee’s recognition of these efforts, and I look forward to continue to work with them to address the issues that we face as a nation.” 

“With inflation at a 40-year high, the national debt reaching near-record levels, and our major trust funds facing looming insolvency over the next decade, our country faces daunting fiscal challenges.” Said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of Fix the Debt. “Addressing our fiscal challenges requires policymakers in Washington who distinguish themselves by their leadership and political courage, and our Fiscal Heroes are doing just that. We applaud our Fiscal Heroes for their commitment to getting our nation on a more sustainable fiscal path.”

Senator Lankford continually pushes back on overspending, recently calling on his congressional colleagues to combat inflation by decreasing spending. Lankford has remained outspoken against the trillions of federal funds spent in the name of “COVID relief” and has called for more transparency into government spending through his Taxpayer’s Right-to-Know Act that became law last year. Lankford fought for this legislation since 2011, to ensure completion of a functional federal program inventory that can be used as a tool for oversight of federal spending; to highlight good stewardship of tax dollars; and to provide greater transparency of duplication, inefficiency, and waste.

As one of the Senate’s biggest advocates for fiscal responsibility, Lankford publishes his annual government waste report, Federal Fumbles: Ways the Government Dropped the Ball, to highlight and address wasteful spending. 

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