EDITORIAL: Lankford leadership in border efforts deserves applause, not censure

Martin Luther King Jr. cautioned about the silence of good people ― “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”

To many Oklahomans, that sentiment has been a suffocating reality in the Trump era as the good people who make up Oklahoma’s congressional delegation have remained complicit by their silence to all the breaches of ethics, etiquette and democratic norms in conservative politics.

So it has been refreshing, if not surprising, to see Sen. James Lankford stand firm ― despite right-wing censures and demagoguery ― as he works with Democrats to negotiate a solution to the mass migration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Over the weekend, state Republicans censured Lankford for “playing fast and loose with Democrats on our border policy” and accused him of “jeopardizing the security and liberty” of Americans. And former President Donald Trump, whose words now seem to carry omnipotence among Republicans, also is not in favor of a border deal with Democrats. Facing such opposition, we might expect Lankford ― like most party loyalists ― to reverse course. He hasn't.

More: Guest: Solving the border crisis transcends party lines. Lankford deserves our support

To be fair, fixing the issues at the border has not been as much political theater for Lankford as it has been for most other Republican politicians, including our governor who spent at least $825,000 of Oklahoma taxpayers’ money to deploy Oklahoma National Guard troops to help Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's enforcement efforts. Lankford for the past couple of years has been harping away at what’s wrong with the border and insufficient remedies from the Biden administration. And for the past few months he’s been leading Senate Republicans on negotiations with the Democrats to craft a bill that would include provisions to resolve the border crisis ― authority Lankford has said Trump asked for as president.

Fixing the problems at the border with Mexico is complex. If it were easy, leadership in previous Congresses would have done so. Not since the Ronald Reagan era has there been sustaining political will for immigration reform. Millions of mostly Mexican and Central American migrants are making the trek on foot seeking refuge in America, but nationals fleeing oppressive conditions from other parts of the world also are among those trying to enter the United States. They need to be properly vetted and processed, and the taxing burden on border states and cities where migrants have been illegally bussed needs to be addressed. Now, not a year from now when America may or may not have a Republican Congress or a Republican president. To Lankford, it’s been an urgent problem that’s become more critical. He knows Republicans alone can’t fix it. Democrats alone can’t fix it. Bipartisan leadership is required for an achievable solution. And Lankford seems willing to address the humanitarian aspects in addition to enforcement.

Americans are tired of congressional division. We expect the people we elect to work with their colleagues on the security, social and economic welfare of the country. Republicans are not elected to work only with Republicans. Democrats are not elected only to work with other Democrats. Same for independents. We hope Sen. Lankford will not buckle under the pressure of a cult of personality within his party but continue negotiating with Senate Democrats until they reach a deal. He should be applauded for the bipartisan effort, not derided or censured for it.

Clytie Bunyan is managing editor for opinion and community engagement.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: James Lankford's leadership in border negotiations should be applauded