National Journal: Lankford Spreads Policy Gospel to House GOP
James the Baptist: Lankford Spreads Policy Gospel to House GOP
By Tim Alberta
James Lankford could not resist.
It was the wee morning hours of Oct. 17, and the House had just passed a Senate proposal to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling. Lankford, the Republican Policy Committee chairman and fifth-ranking member of House GOP leadership, was the only member of Speaker John Boehner’s team to vote against the proposal—a decision that did not go unnoticed by his peers.
As the final vote tally was announced, Lankford walked toward the center-rear of the room, where a small clutch of House conservatives huddled in their usual spot. As he approached, Lankford’s colleagues, all of whom had voted against the Senate bill, nudged one another.
Lankford, who carries himself with the soberness of a statesman, stopped several feet shy of the cluster. Then he broke into a wide grin. The group burst into laughter, and Lankford received a round of hearty slaps on the back from lawmakers who knew that the Oklahoman, despite his vote, was a loyal soldier to Boehner.