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Let\u2019s face it, when it comes to the word \u201ccourage\u201d we usually don\u2019t think of our politicians. If anything, when thinking about politicians, the words that typically come to mind are quite the opposite of \u201ccourage.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve interviewed almost 800 leaders, and I\u2019ve never written a piece on a politician having courage. Although, it\u2019s true that I usually don\u2019t write op-ed\/commentary pieces. However, I felt the Lord leading me to write this piece in support of someone that I\u2019ve interviewed before–even written an op-ed before on how he lacked<\/em> courage after January 6th<\/sup>, 2021.<\/p>\n As I watched Oklahoma Senator James Lankford give his recent speech<\/a> in the same room that he gave his speech on January 6th<\/sup>, questioning the election results, (to which he apologized for), I couldn\u2019t help but think of the courage that must take. It must take courage to give a speech knowing the bill that he worked for, for four plus straight months, was going down in defeat and to have the courage to still defend it–knowing that the bill wasn\u2019t going to pass, and was going to face backlash.<\/p>\n I know from a close friend who knows the senator\u2019s daughter that Senator Lankford worked on the immigration bill even during the Christmas break, and even spent time walking across the aisle to Democrats to get support from all sides. In a nutshell, the immigration bill would have done three main things. It would have provided the necessary tools to confront our outdated and weak immigration system along with providing funds for Ukraine and Israel, which are all things the Republican party say they are for.<\/p>\n It\u2019s what the American people say they want politicians to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, when the going gets tough and they do the right thing in getting support outside of their party the American public doesn\u2019t seem to like it which was the case of Senator Lankford.<\/p>\n Although the bill hadn\u2019t even been read by Former President Trump or Speaker Mike Johnson, they had decided that because the bill wasn\u2019t benefiting them or their party, it should fail. \u201cThey\u2019re all functioning off of internet rumors of what\u2019s in the bill and many of them are false,\u201d According to Lankford.<\/p>\n Another courageous member of the Republican party Senator Mitt Romney even applauded what Lankford was doing. I recently interviewed McKay Coppins, on his new book Romney: A Reckoning<\/em><\/a>, which highlighted Romney\u2019s courage. Romney and Lankford, are both men of courage in a time where it seems hard to find in American politics.<\/p>\n \u00a0Which is pretty interesting being that the members of the Republican party wanted exactly what Lankford was championing.<\/p>\n In fact many historians and pundits even said that the party was getting exactly what it wanted out of the bill. I find it interesting that the former president, along with Speaker Johnson, failed to put the interest of the American people first–which is exactly what Lankford did<\/em> do.<\/p>\n \u201cOur immigration laws have been weak for years. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to close our open border and give future administrations the effective tools they need to stop the border chaos and protect our nation.” As I watched Senator Lankford, make this remark I couldn\u2019t help but think through what the former president and the Republican party was walking away from. I also thought of the courage that it took for Lankford to confront members in his own party.<\/p>\n\n