Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford releases ‘Playbook for DOGE'
U.S. Senator James Lankford and Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Chair Teresa Rose discuss the senator's expectations and priorities under an incoming Donald Trump administration during the chamber's annual D.C. Spotlight event, Dec. 6 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. (Photo by Lionel Ramos/KOSU)
Oklahoma's senior U.S. Senator James Lankford has released what he calls a 'Playbook for DOGE,' the Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon Musk. It's the latest in a series of annual 'Federal Fumbles' reports Lankford has released since 2015.
'As a founding member of the Senate DOGE Caucus, my goal is to create a roadmap for DOGE, identifying key areas within the federal government and solutions to fix them,' Lankford said in the report.
Lankford released the 26-page football-themed document exclusively to Fox News. In it, he highlights improper payments in Medicaid, SNAP benefits and unemployment insurance.
Lankford also claims 'the Taliban have directly received nearly $11 million in American taxpayer dollars' from USAID since 2021. The report he references from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction finds the Taliban-controlled Afghan government collected that much money in taxes, fees and duties from non-governmental organizations receiving U.S. funds.
Like that finding, many of the improper payments Lankford cites were uncovered by federal inspectors general — watchdogs for agency impropriety or wrongdoing. President Donald Trump fired around a quarter of all federal inspectors general by email last week. Some of the firings are already being challenged in court for potentially violating laws that protect those inspectors from retaliation for their investigations.
Lankford's playbook also calls out environmental regulation for keeping the U.S. 'behind in the rankings.' He highlights the U.S.'s lengthy permitting process for new mining operations and includes two different sections on a stalled plan to install electric vehicle chargers along the nation's interstates.
Lankford also excoriates the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which receives money from Congress and distributes funds to NPR and PBS stations, for 'undercutting the home team.'
'Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for news that harms the reputation of our country,' Lankford said.
Lankford isn't the only Oklahoma politician hoping to influence DOGE's actions. Gov. Kevin Stitt recently announced DOGE-OK to pare back government spending at the state level. Stitt said that's also intended to work as a playbook for Musk as he looks for ways to cut federal funds for states.
'My theory is we need to help him with that,' Stitt said at a press briefing Wednesday. 'We need to say, 'Okay, Elon, if you're going to cut 10% of what you're giving to the state of Oklahoma, here's the scalpel approach. Here's how we think we can do it efficiently.''
This article was originally published by KOSU.
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LOS ANGELES, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a release issued earlier today by Payden & Rygel, please note we have corrected the proper name of the Payden & Rygel municipal bond team in the headline, as well as the first and second paragraphs. The corrected release follows: Default ahead for California? Unlikely, says New Report From Payden & Rygel's California Municipal Bond Team Recent concerns over California's fiscal health—driven by declining initial public offering (IPO) volume, reduced federal funding risk, and rising costs—have prompted questions about the state's financial stability. However, after a thorough analysis, Payden & Rygel's municipal bond team believes the risk of a bond default or severe credit deterioration remains low. 'While we understand investors' concerns about the California economy, its capacity to generate adequate revenue to match spending levels and the potential impact on the state's municipal debt, we believe that although the revenue picture is softening, the outlook remains relatively stable over the next 1-2 years with potential credit rating deterioration limited to just one notch over that timeframe in a worst case scenario. Near term ratings will hinge on the final FY 26 budget that we expect Sacramento to pass by June 15th, otherwise lawmakers don't get paid,' say the report's authors, the Payden & Rygel's municipal bond team. 'We are also closely monitoring the evolution of entitlement spending reduction proposals at the federal level but ultimately expect Medicaid cuts to be less pervasive than currently feared,' they added. Here are six reasons to be optimistic: Reason 1: Legal structure. The 10th amendment prohibits states, including California, from filing for bankruptcy. While defaults are technically possible, California is nowhere near default based on current indicators. Reason 2: Strong revenues, limited impact from IPO weakness With less than a month in the current fiscal year, tax revenues are weakening but remain strong, with Governor Newsom's recent May Revision projecting a relatively small $12 billion projected for next year. IPO activity, while down, is not a core revenue driver. Its recent decline reflects a normalization post-COVID stimulus, not a structural weakness. Reason 3: Credit ratings are stable All three major credit agencies S&P, Moody's, and Fitch—rate California AA-/Aa2/AA, respectively, all with stable outlooks but we expect the ratings agencies to refine their views this summer following the finalization of the FY 2026 budget process by the end of June. 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Reason 6: Credit conditions are weakening but remain healthy Despite uncertainty, California retains healthy credit fundamentals with relatively stable ratings, manageable deficits, excellent access to liquidity and conservative budgeting assumptions that support bondholder confidence. In summary, while recent headlines surrounding tariffs, fiscal tightening, and economic uncertainty have contributed to heightened market anxiety, our base case remains firm: Although California's credit profile is softening, it continues to demonstrate resilience, supported by a vast and diversified tax base, substantial reserve levels across all governmental funds, and long-term liabilities that we consider both moderate and manageable. Here is a link to the full report. ABOUT PAYDEN & RYGEL With $165 billion under management, Payden & Rygel is one of the largest privately-owned global investment advisers focused on the active management of fixed income and equity portfolios. Payden & Rygel provides a full range of investment strategies and solutions to investors around the globe, including Central Banks, Pension Funds, Insurance Companies, Private Banks, and Foundations. Independent and privately-owned, Payden is headquartered in Los Angeles and has offices in Boston, London, and Milan. Visit for more information about Payden's investment offerings, including US mutual funds and Irish-domiciled funds (subject to investor eligibility). This material reflects the firm's current opinion and is subject to change without notice. Sources for the material contained herein are deemed reliable but cannot be guaranteed. This material is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or an offer to sell or buy any security. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. For press requests, please contact:Kate Ennis [email protected] 301-580-6726
