Sen. Lankford trying to get specifics on DOGE layoffs

Sen. James Lankford said he's still trying to get specifics on layoffs from the federal Department of Government Efficiency.

Lankford supports the effort to reduce the size of government to a level that's affordable, but he believes it will take 10 years to balance the budget.

Lankford spoke before the Owasso Chamber of Commerce, where he was asked some policy questions, but only one about government cutbacks—and that was regarding services for veterans.

Lankford said the VA would emerge smaller but more efficient and later added that he doesn’t know how many Oklahoma federal workers have been or will be laid off.

Sen. James Lankford:

"Some of that we have now, but we don't have a final number on it, and it's one of the things I've asked the administration to do, is to set a date on the calendar, [so] that we know all the changes in all the agencies are going to be made by a date certain, to give everybody working there a sense of normalcy at some point, or to know I'm going to be reduced in force, but at least I'll know it's not going to hang over me this time."

Lankford said he thought the information on downsizing would eventually become clear to Congress, without the need for hearings.

He added that the delay in information was likely due to the Trump administration still replacing key staff.