Coburn Rips Senate Earmarks
U.S. Senator Tom Coburn criticized the Senate today after it rejected Coburn amendments designed to put bridge safety ahead of pork-barrel politics.
Coburn amendment #2810 imposing an earmark moratorium until all deficient bridges are repaired failed by a vote of 82 to 14. Coburn amendment #2811 prohibiting funding of bike paths failed by a vote of 80 to 18. Coburn amendments #2812-2814 were defeated by a vote of 63 to 32. Amendment 2812 would have struck $450,000 in funding for the International Peace Garden in Dunseith, North Dakota; Amendment 2813 would have required that the housing needs of all Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are met before spending money to design or construct a Wetland Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana; Amendment 2814 would struck $500,000 in funding for construction of a new baseball stadium in Billings, Montana.
“These votes represent a resounding victory for business-as-usual pork-barrel spending in Washington, Coburn said. "By defending this special interest system, my colleagues once again put their perceived political safety ahead of the public’s safety. No one in America seriously believes that bike paths, peace gardens and baseball stadiums are more important national priorities than bridge and road repairs,” he said, adding that substandard road conditions contribute to deaths of more than 13,000 Americans, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
“In this debate, we heard members say they didn’t have to make choices between bridge safety and low-priority pork projects because they could do both. The American people find that logic offensive. One reason the American people have lost faith in Congress is because, as an institution, Congress continues to ignore the rules that apply to every family in America. Every American has a budget that requires them to make choices and prioritize their spending. Members of Congress, however, don’t treat the American people’s money with that same level of respect."
Coburn amendment #2810 imposing an earmark moratorium until all deficient bridges are repaired failed by a vote of 82 to 14. Coburn amendment #2811 prohibiting funding of bike paths failed by a vote of 80 to 18. Coburn amendments #2812-2814 were defeated by a vote of 63 to 32. Amendment 2812 would have struck $450,000 in funding for the International Peace Garden in Dunseith, North Dakota; Amendment 2813 would have required that the housing needs of all Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are met before spending money to design or construct a Wetland Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana; Amendment 2814 would struck $500,000 in funding for construction of a new baseball stadium in Billings, Montana.
“These votes represent a resounding victory for business-as-usual pork-barrel spending in Washington, Coburn said. "By defending this special interest system, my colleagues once again put their perceived political safety ahead of the public’s safety. No one in America seriously believes that bike paths, peace gardens and baseball stadiums are more important national priorities than bridge and road repairs,” he said, adding that substandard road conditions contribute to deaths of more than 13,000 Americans, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
“In this debate, we heard members say they didn’t have to make choices between bridge safety and low-priority pork projects because they could do both. The American people find that logic offensive. One reason the American people have lost faith in Congress is because, as an institution, Congress continues to ignore the rules that apply to every family in America. Every American has a budget that requires them to make choices and prioritize their spending. Members of Congress, however, don’t treat the American people’s money with that same level of respect."
Labels: Earmarks, Pork Barrel Spending, Tom Coburn
posted by Mike McCarville @ 11:56 AM
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