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It was a busy week in Washington for Senator James Lankford, who apparently decided to spend his time introducing actual legislation while the rest of D.C. was busy arguing on cable news. From protecting the First Amendment rights of those ministering to our troops, to cutting bureaucratic red tape for Native American tribes, and finally suggesting the radical idea that Election Day shouldn't be a weeks-long ordeal, the Oklahoma conservative delivered a legislative hat trick aimed at restoring a little sanity to the federal government.

First up on Lankford's docket was the Military Chaplains Modernization Act of 2026. For anyone who thinks chaplains are just there to smile and hand out morale-boosting pamphlets, this bill serves as a firm reminder that they are the spiritual backbone of our armed forces. Lankford’s bill solidifies their roles and slaps down over-eager Pentagon administrators by explicitly protecting chaplains from being forced to perform rites or preach messages that violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. If our servicemembers are putting their lives on the line to defend American liberties, the faith leaders counseling them shouldn't have to check their First Amendment rights at the barracks door just to satisfy the woke military bureaucracy.

Next, in a rare display of bipartisan harmony, Lankford teamed up with Washington Democrat Patty Murray to fix a classic case of federal bean-counter logic. Oklahoma is home to 39 sovereign tribes, many of which maintain the very roads, utility systems, and emergency services that support nearby military installations. Yet, thanks to absurd federal red tape, local municipalities could apply for Defense Community Infrastructure Program grants while the neighboring tribes doing the heavy lifting were left completely out in the cold. Lankford’s proposed fix levels the playing field so tribes can get the same funding as any other local government, proving that good infrastructure and military readiness shouldn't be held hostage by bureaucratic technicalities.

Closing out the week, Lankford joined Utah Senator Mike Lee to introduce the Ballots by Election Day Act, taking aim at the sprawling, weeks-long vote counts that leave voters endlessly scratching their heads. Spurred by a Supreme Court ruling that left a loophole for states to collect mail-in ballots days after voting ends, the legislation sets a hard, unapologetic federal deadline: if your ballot isn't in the hands of election officials by the time the polls close on Election Day, it doesn't count. Taking a well-earned poke at places like California, where election "days" tend to stretch on longer than a CVS receipt. Lankford made the undeniable case that if everyday Americans are expected to meet basic deadlines, state election offices can manage to do the exact same thing to restore trust in the ballot box.