Sen. James Lankford intends to become the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in the next Congress — as the new Democratic majority is promising an aggressive investigative agenda of the Trump administration.
The Oklahoma Republican said in a statement that the committee can work in a bipartisan manner and that he looks forward to serving with Sen. Maggie Hassan, the New Hampshire Democrat set to be the chair next Congress. Both are expected to assume their new roles in observance of their party’s deference to seniority.
But Lankford also made clear that while he would work with Democrats to conduct legitimate government oversight, he will push back if the majority goes beyond that in his estimation.
“As the only Committee with broad oversight and subpoena authority across the federal government, we have an important responsibility to ask hard questions, get answers, and make sure government is working as it should,” Lankford said in a statement. “However, the job of any Ranking Member is to also push back on a majority that goes too far.
“There is important work done at the Department of Homeland Security by brave men and women and their efforts should not be hampered simply because of partisan politics,” he continued. “Oversight is responsible, but obstruction is unacceptable.”
Senate Homeland is the chamber’s primary oversight entity and, under Hassan’s leadership, is expected to probe the immigration enforcement tactics deployed by the Trump-led Department of Homeland Security. This week, Hassan called on former DHS official Corey Lewandowski to provide all contracting related records from his time at the agency.
“I intend to use the Committee’s full authorities—including where necessary compulsory process—to expose corruption and waste. I therefore renew my request that you preserve all relevant records,” Hassan wrote to Lewandowski.
