Sen. Lankford discusses defense concerns, SNAP reform in the Hot Seat

U.S. Senator James Lankford joined News 9’s Hot Seat this weekend to address two issues with major implications for Oklahoma: the future of the Wedgetail E-7 surveillance aircraft program at Tinker Air Force Base and recent reform efforts around the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

>> Sen. Lankford weighs in on 'One, Big Beautiful Bill."

Tinker’s future tied to Wedgetail program delays

Lankford expressed concern about potential slowdowns or redirection of the E-7 Wedgetail program, which was expected to replace the aging fleet of E-3 AWACS aircraft housed at Tinker. While not a budget issue, Lankford pointed to challenges with the aircraft’s manufacturer, Boeing, which he says has struggled with delivery timelines and system readiness.

“There’s been talk from the administration about the vulnerability of the E-7 in battlefield environments,” Lankford said, referencing a shift in strategy that favors satellite-based control systems for airborne operations.

He warned against overreliance on satellites for battlefield coordination, especially with adversaries like China advancing counter-satellite technology. “I don’t want to ever have a time that we’re in a battlefield situation in the air and we don’t have somebody that’s the referee,” Lankford said.

SNAP reform targets high error rates

Lankford also discussed a newly passed provision targeting waste and inefficiency in the federal SNAP program, which provides food assistance to low-income Americans. Under the change, states with high error rates in eligibility verification will be required to absorb a greater share of SNAP costs if they fail to improve.

Oklahoma’s error rate currently hovers around 10%, higher than Louisiana and Alabama. “If Alabama and Louisiana can do it, we can do it,” Lankford said.

The reform does not reduce overall SNAP funding or growth, but it gives states two to three years to lower their error rates. Failure to do so could result in states covering 5% to 15% of program costs.

Lankford also voiced continued frustration with what SNAP covers. “You can get Flamin’ Hot Cheetos with SNAP, but you can’t get a rotisserie chicken. I think that’s wrong,” he said.