Coburn: No 'Last Minute Spending Spree'
U. S. Senator Tom Coburn has once again put his colleagues on notice he will oppose any year-end "last minute spending spree."
In a letter to members of the Senate, Coburn wrote, "As we approach the end of the year, I recognize that there is often an urge for Congress to engage in a last minute spending spree, approving bills costing millions of dollars with no debate or discussion. It is important that we recognize the impact of such hastily made decisions.
"The U.S. national debt now exceeds $9.13 trillion. That means almost $30,000 in debt for each and every man, woman and child in the United States. The U.S. debt is expanding by about $1.4 billion a day, or nearly $1 million a minute. The unfunded liability placed on a child born today is $400,000.
"It is completely irresponsible for Congress to approve more spending or to create new programs when we have failed to pay for those that already exist.
"In the remaining hours of this session of Congress, therefore, I will not agree to any unanimous consent requests to authorize or appropriate increased spending or expand the size and cost of the federal government.
"If you intend to seek unanimous consent for any legislation in the next three weeks, I would encourage you to contact me as soon as possible so I have sufficient time to read and review your bill or bills and we can work out any differences, avoiding the frustration of last minute, late night negotiations.
"During this season, let’s remember that one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children and grandchildren, neighbors, and constituents is hope and opportunity. This means not burdening future generations with insurmountable debt as well as keeping our obligations to those in their retirement years.
"While we may have different sets of priorities, these differences should not prevent us from working together to ensure our actions today do not come at the expense of future generations or senior citizens. As members of Congress, we should make the same budgetary choices American families make as they celebrate the holidays."
In a letter to members of the Senate, Coburn wrote, "As we approach the end of the year, I recognize that there is often an urge for Congress to engage in a last minute spending spree, approving bills costing millions of dollars with no debate or discussion. It is important that we recognize the impact of such hastily made decisions.
"The U.S. national debt now exceeds $9.13 trillion. That means almost $30,000 in debt for each and every man, woman and child in the United States. The U.S. debt is expanding by about $1.4 billion a day, or nearly $1 million a minute. The unfunded liability placed on a child born today is $400,000.
"It is completely irresponsible for Congress to approve more spending or to create new programs when we have failed to pay for those that already exist.
"In the remaining hours of this session of Congress, therefore, I will not agree to any unanimous consent requests to authorize or appropriate increased spending or expand the size and cost of the federal government.
"If you intend to seek unanimous consent for any legislation in the next three weeks, I would encourage you to contact me as soon as possible so I have sufficient time to read and review your bill or bills and we can work out any differences, avoiding the frustration of last minute, late night negotiations.
"During this season, let’s remember that one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children and grandchildren, neighbors, and constituents is hope and opportunity. This means not burdening future generations with insurmountable debt as well as keeping our obligations to those in their retirement years.
"While we may have different sets of priorities, these differences should not prevent us from working together to ensure our actions today do not come at the expense of future generations or senior citizens. As members of Congress, we should make the same budgetary choices American families make as they celebrate the holidays."
Labels: Pork Barrel Spending, Tom Coburn
posted by Mike McCarville @ 12:32 PM
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