Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn has established himself as the chamber’s earmark sheriff — breaking with the traditional comity in the Senate by criticizing and trying to kill the extraneous spending carved out of appropriations bills for the pet projects of individual lawmakers. Coburn, a Republican, has managed to eliminate just a few million dollars in earmarks so far this year, but his political success has been much greater, say fellow Republicans and officials from taxpayer watchdog groups.
“He did ferret out some wasteful spending,” said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. “Republicans need that to remind voters why we are the more fiscally responsible party.”
The Senate defeated an amendment by Coburn Tuesday that would have eliminated $398 million in earmarks in the labor, health and education spending bill for 2008. The measure picked up the support of 26 senators.
Coburn’s amendment took political aim at Democrats who have been chiding Republicans as coldhearted for failing to help override President Bush’s veto of a $60 billion federal children’s health insurance program for the poor.
Coburn worded his amendment so that it would prohibit the earmarks until the government could certify that all low-income children have health insurance.
“What this amendment is about is asking the Senate to choose,” Coburn said. “Choose our directed earmarks for back home or make a statement that says we really believe children’s health care is important.”
Thanks to Coburn, says Ed Frank, of the watchdog group Americans for Prosperity, “for the first time we’re seeing some actual political pain for [defending] pork barrel projects.”
Coburn is largely credited with bringing attention last year to a $230 million earmark designated to build a Republican-sponsored “bridge to nowhere” in Alaska. And last week, he successfully struck down an earmark sponsored by senator and presidential contender Hillary Clinton, D-NY, and Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-NY., that would have designated $1 million to help build a museum in Woodstock, N.Y.
But Coburn still faces an uphill battle, as the vast majority of lawmakers in Congress vigorously support earmarks and believe the process has been adequately overhauled with disclosure requirements added this year.
Democrats pointed out many of the earmarks Coburn sought to eliminate Tuesday were allotted to hospitals and health care programs for children.
“Senators may be becoming a little numb to his approach by now,” Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., said. “He believes there shouldn’t be any earmarks. I disagree with that.”
