WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:06.799
Good morning. It is time for
our monthly discussion with Oklahoma Senior Senator Senator

2
00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:11.839
James Langford calling in from Washington.
Good morning, Senator, how are you

3
00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:14.919
today? I'm well, actually,
good morning, good morning. Well,

4
00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:20.000
what's going on in Washington right now, sir? Drama is happening in Washington,

5
00:00:20.039 --> 00:00:25.480
which normally happens at Washington. So
this is a week that is obvious

6
00:00:25.559 --> 00:00:29.960
we're approaching an election based on what
Chuck Schumer is putting on the floor in

7
00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:34.320
the Senate. So a couple of
things that are happening internationally. We've got

8
00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:38.560
obviously the D Day recognition, that's
today the eightieth anniversary of D Day happening

9
00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:43.679
internationally, but yesterday there wasn't a
recognition of that in the Senate. Chuck

10
00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:49.079
Schumer put in his fake contraceptive bill
on the floor of the Senate to try

11
00:00:49.079 --> 00:00:53.439
to say that all Republicans are opposed
to contraceptives, which is absolutely ridiculous.

12
00:00:55.159 --> 00:01:00.719
Put a bill saying there's a right
to contraceptive But he also secretly included into

13
00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:03.760
this same bill that none of the
media is talking about, that every state

14
00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:08.760
that doesn't allow transgender surgeries for minors
would have to get rid of it,

15
00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:12.680
so that our states which is determined, hey, you can't do sex change

16
00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:17.519
operations on a fourteen year old.
You've got to wait till you're an adult

17
00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:19.959
to be able to make to be
able to have a lifelong, life changing

18
00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:25.319
decision like that. That would be
reversed in the state of Oklahoma. They

19
00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:27.680
also put in there, for the
first time ever, a repeal of what's

20
00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:32.680
called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that
would say, hey, this mandate is

21
00:01:32.680 --> 00:01:37.280
coming down into regardless of your faith, you can't Your faith doesn't matter on

22
00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:40.560
this one. The government's faith matters
on this one. And so there's a

23
00:01:40.599 --> 00:01:45.719
reason that Republicans voted against this bill
because of the very toxic text that was

24
00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:49.079
included within it. So it's a
drama week, as many of these weeks

25
00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:53.480
are leading up to an election.
Absolutely well, it certainly is. There's

26
00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:59.280
never the shortage of drama at the
Capital. I do know that one other

27
00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:02.760
things, Senator, so that I'm
aware of that, you also joined with

28
00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:07.919
colleagues from both sides of the aisle. This was the Congressional Review Act resolution

29
00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:13.039
of disapproval related to nursing homes.
What was that all about, Senator?

30
00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:15.000
It's correct, So the administration is
saying that, hey, we want to

31
00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:20.039
improve the quality of nursing homes across
the country, which there's no problem with

32
00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:22.960
that. Everyone wants to be able
to see that. But the way they're

33
00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:27.120
doing it is to say we're going
to mandate a lot of additional nurses be

34
00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:30.520
hired at every single nursing home and
that if you don't have that, we're

35
00:02:30.520 --> 00:02:34.719
going to close you down or we're
going to not allow you, and they

36
00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:38.599
created this new standard. The problem
again, no problem having nurses at nursing

37
00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:42.960
homes. That is, long term
care facilities are common for having lots of

38
00:02:43.080 --> 00:02:47.360
nurses that are there. The issue
is for rural areas where they don't have

39
00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:52.280
the number this high number that they
want to have. It's not based on

40
00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:54.800
the fact they don't want to They
literally don't have that many people living in

41
00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:58.879
a rural area to do it,
or it would cause people to be taken

42
00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:02.159
from a rural hospital to be able
to come to a long term care facility

43
00:03:02.520 --> 00:03:06.199
and in the hospital wouldn't have the
right amount. So they're not creating the

44
00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:10.240
flexibility that's needed between urban and rural
facilities just because they literally don't have the

45
00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:15.000
population, which I believe is going
to cause the closure of a lot of

46
00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:19.639
our rural facilities, and we cannot
have that. Those families can't drive long

47
00:03:19.719 --> 00:03:23.240
distances to be able to be with
loved ones. But we're pushing back on

48
00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:28.840
them. We've got this Congressional Review
Act saying we all want better care and

49
00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:31.680
the best quality care and long term
care facilities. So do the leadership and

50
00:03:31.719 --> 00:03:35.960
the people and the staff that work
in these facilities. But we can't.

51
00:03:35.960 --> 00:03:39.280
It's an unrealistic expectation and not pay
attention to the realities in rural America.

52
00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:44.879
And with that in mind, that
would certainly impact several facilities here in our

53
00:03:44.919 --> 00:03:47.360
home state of Oklahoma. Is that
correct? It absolutely would, and that

54
00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:51.280
has been the issue. I've talked
to several folks that work and serve and

55
00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:53.439
long term care facilities, skilled nursing
facilities, and others, and they're saying,

56
00:03:53.479 --> 00:03:58.960
hey, this all sounds great,
except realistically, there's literally not enough

57
00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:02.560
people to do that to be able
to accomplish it. So everyone wants to

58
00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:05.680
increase care, everyone wants to be
able to take care of folks, and

59
00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:10.039
there's all kinds of ways that are
doing it. But when bureaucrats said an

60
00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:15.599
unrealistic expectation that can't be met.
The natural result of that is closure of

61
00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:19.720
facilities, which makes the situation worse, not better. Absolutely absolutely, Well

62
00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:25.639
other things say in Washington as well
as we all know, President Biden recently

63
00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:30.720
issued an executive order related to the
southern border. Talk a bit about that

64
00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:35.199
and what your thoughts are on the
administration's actions or lack of action, and

65
00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:41.680
what solutions we need to be continuing
to look forward to moving forward. Yeah,

66
00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:44.399
Oklahomans, well know, this is
an issue I've worked on for years,

67
00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:47.879
will continue to pound away on because
this is a real national security issue.

68
00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:51.839
The people that are crossing our border
now a very high percentage are coming

69
00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:55.920
in from the Middle East, are
coming from Russia, from China, from

70
00:04:55.959 --> 00:05:00.279
West Africa, from Pakistan. These
are not just folks that are coming from

71
00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:06.040
Guatemala, Honduras, Nel Salvador anymore. It's dramatically changed of who's coming across

72
00:05:06.040 --> 00:05:11.959
the border because these criminal organizations are
working to make money by pushing more and

73
00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:15.319
more people at greater and greater costs
to get in the country. So I'm

74
00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:18.279
going to work with whoever wants to
solve the problem in any way that we

75
00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:23.519
can solve the problem because this is
a major national security risk saying that.

76
00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:28.000
But President Biden put out this week
was this statement that if hey, we've

77
00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:30.879
got a big crowd of people coming
over, then then I'll step up and

78
00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:34.439
try to do something. And what
he's doing he knows the courts will not

79
00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:39.639
allow him to do. And so
this is more drama and show than anything

80
00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:44.519
else. I went to the floor
the Senate yesterday actually laid out here are

81
00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:47.079
the things that Biden could do that
we know the court will allow. Things

82
00:05:47.079 --> 00:05:53.439
that he undid. The Trump administration
did things even the President Obama did that

83
00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:58.800
President Biden refuses to do. Things
like Romanian Mexico. That was a policy

84
00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:02.639
that absolutely worked, limiting the use
of parole coming across. The Biden administration

85
00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:06.720
could do that today and it would
cut twenty five hundred people from crossing the

86
00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:12.079
border today if he just did that
one policy. That's something President Obama did

87
00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:15.600
and President Trump did. We know
the courts will allow that. Biden still

88
00:06:15.639 --> 00:06:18.959
refuses to do. And even in
his fake executive action that he's putting out

89
00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:24.160
there, that doesn't include any of
those things. So that there are ways

90
00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:28.879
to be able to cut the numbers
significantly through executive action that he can do.

91
00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:31.120
He's just choosing not to do those
things and try to pretend he's doing

92
00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:38.439
something different. We are having our
monthly conversation with Oklahoma Senator James Langford.

93
00:06:38.519 --> 00:06:44.120
Sorry stumbled on that. I apologize. But one thing on this day that

94
00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:50.160
we are recording this podcast today is
the eightieth anniversary of D Day in Normandy.

95
00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:57.879
Several heroic Americans as well as our
allies went and fought during that timeframe.

96
00:06:57.879 --> 00:07:01.560
What are your thoughts here on today
again being the eightieth anniversary of the

97
00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:05.959
D Day landing. We still have
some folks from World War Two that are

98
00:07:05.959 --> 00:07:11.199
alive, and we're grateful to that
generation that gave so much so the entire

99
00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:15.720
world that could have freedom. I
was there on the seventy fifth anniversary of

100
00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:20.439
D Day and sat there during that
ceremony and reflected on the sacrifice that Americans

101
00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:25.000
have given. There is a large
cemetery that is there, and you look

102
00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:28.600
across edge and you see all the
lives that were lost right there in that

103
00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:32.000
area, and you realize Americans went
across the world and paid the price for

104
00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:38.480
freedom in that generation that has kept
us free. And it is a remarkable

105
00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:41.240
thing to be able to see and
to experience, to be able to be

106
00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:45.360
there. But it's also a reminder
that there are real dangers and threats in

107
00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:48.079
the world. I wish there were
not that generation certainly wish that there were

108
00:07:48.120 --> 00:07:51.240
not, but there are. There
are people that are evil, that are

109
00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:55.759
trying to do evil things, and
they're trying to disrupt the world. We're

110
00:07:55.839 --> 00:08:00.360
experiencing their right now in Israel obviously
as they've seen terrorists come across we have

111
00:08:00.439 --> 00:08:05.079
experienced that as a nation with terrorist
attacks. Ukraine is experiencing that right now.

112
00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:09.959
We understand that there are real threats
that are out there and men and

113
00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:13.199
women that put their lives on the
line to be able to protect freedom.

114
00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:18.040
It is a remarkable sacrifice for generations
and for people around them. So it's

115
00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:20.959
up to day to remember, the
day to reflect, but it's also a

116
00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:24.199
day to be grateful for the freedoms
that we have and sacrifices that have been

117
00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:28.879
made the past, and a fitting
tribute for our city here, Bartlesville,

118
00:08:30.439 --> 00:08:35.440
just as past Monday we were named
a Purple Heart city, so that it's

119
00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:39.200
a very fitting timing, I believe, for our support here locally of our

120
00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:43.159
veterans and of course those who have
served our country and have been wounded in

121
00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:48.399
that as well. Well. Your
final thoughts here, Senator, as we

122
00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:52.799
wrap up our monthly conversation with you. Final thoughts today, well, I

123
00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:56.519
would say, continue to be able
to pray for the nation, continue to

124
00:08:56.559 --> 00:08:58.840
be able to do the work that
thinks as far as serving our neighbors.

125
00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:03.960
Will feel helpless at times saying Washington, DC has all kinds of problems.

126
00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:07.679
The way to be able to express
that is to be able to serve locally

127
00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:09.480
and to be able to make a
difference, to take the energy and the

128
00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:13.720
frustration what's happening nationally and say how
can I actually make our communities even better?

129
00:09:15.039 --> 00:09:16.960
There are plenty of ways to do
that. Obviously, There's lots of

130
00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:20.080
folks still cleaning up from storm debris
and damage in Bartlesville, Barnes, Doll

131
00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:24.399
clear more in other places. There
are other communities and nonprofits that just need

132
00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:28.200
an additional hand to be able to
step in. So finding a way to

133
00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:31.600
be able to serve locally affects who
we are as a nation, and it's

134
00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:35.440
a good gift, and we'll continue
the work we can nationally as well.

135
00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:41.360
Oklahoma Senator James Langford on our monthly
podcast right here on Bartlesvielle Radio. Senator,

136
00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:43.639
thank you for your time. Thank
you,

