Senator Tom Coburn's activity on the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security

Republican Office
Home | About Us | Oversight Action | Hearings | Links | Press Releases | News Stories

Latest News

News Stories




Print this page
Print this page


Just Say No to Earmarks


By Tom Coburn

Wall Street Journal


February 10, 2006


I am convinced that forcing hundreds or, if necessary, thousands of votes to strike individual earmarks is the only way to produce meaningful results for American taxpayers. Bringing the Senate to a standstill for as long as it takes would be a small price to pay for shutting down what Jack Abramoff described as Congress's "earmark favor factory." The battle against pork is crucial. Pork is the root cause of the unholy relationship between some members of Congress, lobbyists and donors. Inside Congress, the pork process is effectively a black market economy: Thousands of instances exist where appropriations are leveraged for fundraising dollars or political capital. It is delusional to claim Congress can redeem its relationship with K Street without eliminating earmarks. The problem is not lobbyists. The problem is us.  Continue reading here.




February 2006 News




Senator Tom Coburn's activity on the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security

340 Dirksen Senate Office Building     Washington, DC 20510

Phone: 202-224-2254     Fax: 202-228-3796

Email Alerts Signup!