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Coburn gathering data on Earmarks
By Jim Myers
Tulsa World
June 15, 2007
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Dan Boren replied to an unusual request from U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn on earmarks by sending his fellow Oklahoman a link to a press release announcing $36.8 million in projects he secured last month in a major defense bill.
"We are very proud of them," Boren, D-Okla., said Thursday. "The people who are benefiting from these projects are the people of Oklahoma."
His comments came in response to questions about an effort by Coburn, R-Okla., to compile information on earmarks in a major defense authorization bill passed in May by the House.
First reported by CongressDaily, Coburn's effort involves contacting each member of the House who has a project earmarked in the bill.
The senator's crusade against earmarks is well-known, but this latest effort is more than a bit unusual.
Boren serves on the House Armed Services Committee.
His earmarks include $21.1 million for the Excalibur extended-range artillery projectile, which the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant will be involved with; $5 million for modernization equipment for the McAlester facility; and $3.2 million for a project at Camp Gruber.
When asked about Coburn's effort, Boren said he always has applauded the senator's attempt to make the earmark process more transparent and pointed to his own effort to place information about earmarks on his House Web site.
He added that anyone has the right to review information on earmarks as provided by House rules.
Coburn spokesman Aaron Cooper said the senator's request to House members also asked whether an earmark was requested by the Pentagon, who submitted the request and who would benefit from the earmark, in addition to press releases and talking points.
Boren's press release does not cover all of the information sought by Coburn.
In an interview, he said his earmarks came from several sources, including the Marines and Oklahoma National Guard. He added that some requests come after his visits to state installations.
Boren said he added a personal note to Coburn indicating he would respond to additional questions.
Others with earmarks in the House bill had not been contacted by Coburn's office.
"We haven't made it all the way through the list," Cooper said. "With thousands of earmarks in the bill, it will take some time to make it through to the end."
The office of Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., who also serves on the House Armed Services Committee, said it had received the Coburn request Thursday.
Cooper said if Coburn is expected to vote on billions of dollars of earmarks in the defense bill, he would like to have as much information as possible about each project.
"There is no justification for Congress to misspend defense dollars on frivolous and wasteful pork projects, especially since giving our troops the best armor, weapons and medical care should be among Congress' highest priorities," he said.
According to the CongressDaily story, Coburn, who does not serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, may move to block the defense bill in the Senate if he does not think the earmarks meet new standards for disclosures. It also stated that he might target specific earmarks and farm those out to other groups.
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