It is about damn time.
Not only did the Senate stick it to Oklahoma's Senator Tom Coburn, but they did it 160 times and on Sunday at that.
It's about damn time.
NYT Blog: THE CAUCUS
January 11, 2009, 3:42 pm — Updated: 1:55 am -->
On a Sunday, the Senate Votes Yes on a Lands Bill
By Carl Hulse
The Senate conducted its first vote of the 111th Congress –- on a Sunday no less -– and overrode the objections of Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, to push forward a public lands bill.
On a vote of 66-12, the Senate agreed to take up a package of 160 different bills joined under an umbrella measure. The package has been dubbed a Tomnibus since the whole idea is to merge multiple proposals opposed by Mr. Coburn -– a physician known in the Senate as Dr. No. — and win passage all at once. Fifty-nine votes was the threshold.
The bill, which faces more debate and possible approval later this week, sets aside 200 million acres for public wilderness in nine states. It adds more than 1,000 miles to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and 2,800 miles of new trails to the federal system.
Mr. Coburn said he did not dispute that the bill did some good, but he objected to the opposition of Democrats to allowing Republicans to offer amendments to the measure. Given the problems facing the nation, he said, Congress should be focused on matters other than legislation that will eventually drive up federal spending.
“I have no doubt that there are key, significant things that need to get done that are in this bill,” he said. “But I will tell you, I am always going to be opposed to wasting money.”
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, was sending a message with his decision to schedule the vote on Sunday. Democrats have been frustrated by Mr. Coburn’s determination to hold up so many bills and the Sunday vote was intended to let Republicans know that Democrats are no longer going to go along easily. They hope Mr. Coburn’s colleagues put pressure on him to relent, though Mr. Coburn is not the sort of lawmaker to respond to that kind of pressure.
A dozen Republicans did vote for the measure, which irritated Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, one of Mr. Coburn’s chief allies.
“If my colleagues on my side continue to accept this, there’s going to be no such thing as a Republican Party,” he said.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/on-a-sunday-the-senate-votes-yes-on-a-lands-bill/
One of those 160 bills that the Oklahoma Republican, along with six other social conservatives, put a hold on in the Senate was Bush's bill for $50 million to fight Aids. Tommy boy locked it up in committee and would let it out unless a provision was added to direct most of the spending toward "treatment" for HIV/AIDS rather than "toward prevention and other priorities". Otherwise, Coburn said, “the vast majority of the money is going to get consumed by those wanting to help people with HIV, rather than [by] people with HIV.”
Gobbler Tommy, an M.D., may have been reflecting his own practices as a doctor. He basically only trust himself, so in his entire time in the Senate only 14 bills he has authored have made it out of committees. Can't get shit done, so he stops others from doing things. Now the Democrat Senate majority can isolate the fool.
Sadly that means Oklahoma will have to rely on the good graces of others in the Senate for anything we want. I mean, Inhofe isn't going to be so popular either. The Turkey Tom and Slowmind Jim, our Senators, will be out in the cold for a long time to come.
It's about damn time.
No comments:
Post a Comment