James Lankford

It is the custom of the Committee to swear in all witnesses before they appear.

The Committee takes the nomination process very seriously. We are pleased to have a strong nominee before us today.

The EPA itself, I think, has said that the average cost is going to be $155,000 to alter a ditch on someone's property.

I want to thank Senator Johnson, because as Chairman of this Committee, he has tried to push these regulatory issues where we can find common ground.

Counties that build and maintain almost half the roads in the United States... are going to need a permit.

Had EPA followed Congress' direction, it would have learned that the States, not EPA, implement 96 percent of EPA's delegated programs.

The WOTUS rule has resulted in such uncertainty that 30 States and many stakeholders have filed lawsuits.

EPA turned itself into a national zoning board.

I believe that the Legislative Branch is the thumping heart of our constitutional system and it is increasingly becoming irrelevant.

I just do not agree with the means by which he is trying to achieve them.

My fear is that while we can reverse this trend, we are fast approaching a certain constitutional failsafe line where the administrative state will become a fixed and unassailable reality of American government.

This Administration has failed to present a comprehensive strategy in a number of areas--whether it is defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or countering the use of social media.

I am concerned that we spend a tremendous amount of time talking about decriminalizing marijuana.

Do you have any concern at all, for you, that SEC is headed toward and being directed by Congress, by the way, or by an outside entity, toward a more political position, rather than being a fair-minded arbitrator in some things to be able…

Every member of the Oklahoma delegation, as you might know, wrote to the FCC on March 25 and said, look, don't do this, because we are the vanguard when it comes to policing waste, fraud, and abuse in the system.

And put the pressure back on everyone to actually get the task done.

I appreciate all of your input, your preparation for this and being a part of this conversation today and bringing this to the national conversation.

Yes, welcome to Congress.

It follows, I would submit to you, that the courts must retain the sole authority to issue binding interpretations of law.

The investments have been made.

I fear for the union given what I have seen since I have been here.

If you do not do your job, no one else can do your job.

Congress has the responsibility to be able to define this, if Congress failed on its responsibility, shouldn't Article 3 push back and say Article 1 needs to do their job?

I believe that these doctrines of deference are at war with the Constitution's separation of powers.

Congress is not doing its job because it has found a way to be able to hand off to the courts.