Sen. Lankford defends filibuster: 'I believe the minority voice still counts'

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This is the real issue in America right now: GOP senator

Sen. James Lankford. R-Okla., discusses his assessment on the state of American democracy on 'Sunday Night in America.'

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., appeared with Trey Gowdy to explain why the filibuster needs to remain intact on "Sunday Night in America."

While Gowdy discussed polls which suggest up to 50% of Americans fear democracy could or even should end, Lankford offered an optimistic hope for the future.

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Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., speaks as, L-R, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., look on during a news conference about COVID-19 vaccine mandates, at the U.S. Capitol Dec. 8, 2021 in Washington. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

"There is always an opportunity. Quite frankly, as a man of faith, there’s always a moment for repentance and for turning around for every individual," Lankford said.

He added, "For a lot of folks in this country saying too far gone, too far gone, I just tell them let’s pray, let’s get to work, and let’s keep going because we’ve seen very difficult days in the past, and we’ll probably see more in the future. But that doesn’t mean that this great republic can't survive this and thrive through it and, quite frankly, set the example for the rest of the world."

He elaborated the main problems throughout the country stem from attempts to stray from the founding principles of the U.S. Constitution. 

"Most of the problems we have in this nation right now is not our Constitution. It’s not our founders. It’s that we’re not following those founding principles, and we’re not following through on the Constitution. That’s the real issue in the republic right now," Lankford said. "We get back to following founding principles again, and we can have the same advance to the most powerful, most moral military in the world, the strongest economy in the world, and the greatest light, hope, and opportunity for the rest of the world. The world’s counting on us to be able to get this right because they know if we can’t get it right, there’s no chance that they can get it right."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks to the media after a Democratic policy luncheon, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (AP)

Gowdy switched subjects to the topic of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., attempting to eliminate the legislative filibuster. Lankford is opposed to Schumer's efforts, and argued the importance of the filibuster in defending the "minority voice" in the Senate. 

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"The Senate with the filibuster rule in place forces the Senate to slow down, so they have to have bipartisan conversation. In fact, the Senate is the only place in government where the minority always has a voice unless the American people vote overwhelmingly huge numbers and swing the Senate, which is certainly not what we have now," Lankford said. "I believe the minority voice still counts."

Senator James Lankford speaks during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the nomination of Chris Magnus to be the next U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., October 19, 2021. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS

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Lankford noted that several Democratic and independent senators have defended the filibuster within the last three years including Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Jon Tester, D-Mont., Chris Coons, D-Del., Angus King, I-Maine, Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

"There are ways to be able to do this, and even they have said that in the past we cannot end the legislative filibuster," Lankford said.