Randy Krehbiel

Tulsa World Reporter

U.S. Sen. James Lankford said Friday he doubts a federal government shutdown is imminent, but he isn’t sure how it will be prevented.

“I don’t think we’re gonna have a shutdown,” Lankford said in a telephone interview. “I don’t hear anyone clamoring for that. What I don’t hear yet is consensus on how to be able to stop it.

“I think that’s the bigger issue,” he said. “Just because no one wants it doesn’t mean that there’s a plan to prevent it from happening.”

Spending for fiscal year 2025 expires at the end of the month, meaning federal government operations without FY 2026 appropriations will cease.

Exactly what those would be is unclear. Some functions, such as Social Security payments and many Veterans Affairs services, are required to continue.

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