The Lonely Fight
Dana Milbank writes about the stand taken by Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) yesterday. He tried to force the Senate to strip $400 million worth of pork out of a spending bill. The final vote tally against the amendment: 68 to 26.
The United States Senate yesterday was confronted with a stark choice: health care for children, or pet projects for lawmakers' home states.
The final tally?
Pet Projects 68, Kids 26.
In truth, the children never had a chance. "I predicted 24," the measure's sponsor, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said cheerfully after his defeat.
It was, Coburn's many opponents grumbled, a political stunt. But, as stunts go, this one was particularly revealing. The Oklahoma physician, a foe of the unhealthy cut of congressional pork known as "earmarks," proposed an amendment to a major health spending bill that said no lawmakers' pet projects would be funded until "all children in the U.S. under the age of 18 years are insured by a private or public health insurance plan."
Among the earmarks this jeopardized:
- $130,000 for the National First Ladies' Library in Ohio.
- $500,000 for a "Virtual Herbarium" in New York.
- $400,000 for the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa. (Ed Note: WaPo formatting problem fixed.)
Coburn is not well liked by his fellow Senators. They were insufferably rude to him while he was trying to speak. But he fought his lonely fight anyway. Regardless of your political affiliation, you should be able to see that pork-barrel earmarking is bad for the country.
By FedUp, Wednesday, 24 October , 2007 @ 8:48 am
It just gets better ‘n better! It’s very clear to see where the porkers ‘best’ interests lie and it ain’t fer US! Shame on them!! Hats off to Senator Coburn!