Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., is planning to offer an amendment this week to the emergency spending bill striking $100 million for security at the 2008 nominating conventions. Included as part of nearly $18.7 billion in add-ons above President Bush's request, the money would be divided between costs associated with the Democratic convention in Denver and the GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn. A Coburn spokesman called the money "one of the most egregious items" in the measure and said an amendment to strike the funds, or possibly redirect it to the military, could come as early as Tuesday. "Members will have to make a difficult choice between booze and balloons or body armor and bullets," he said, arguing that the conventions' costs could be foreseen and do not constitute an emergency. "Were the appropriators taken by surprise by the presidential conventions?"
The money would go toward reimbursing state and local law enforcement agencies in Denver and St. Paul for security and related costs, including overtime. In the report accompanying the $121.7 billion spending bill -- primarily funding military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan -- the Appropriations Committee said it was not the first time Congress has appropriated funding for security costs at the conventions. "The Committee notes the precedent for this funding," the report states, noting that appropriators provided money for the 2004 conventions. A spokesman for Senate Appropriations Chairman Byrd said "Congress has always responded by providing additional funds for state and local law enforcement" necessary to provide security at presidential conventions. "Clearly, the nominating process appears to be well under way," he added. But Coburn contended the money in 2004 was provided as part of an omnibus appropriations bill, not as emergency spending outside the regular budget process. "Democrats are using the same budget gimmicks that caused Republicans to lose the elections," Coburn's spokesman said.
Among other items the fiscal hawk might seek to strike are $850 million for homeland security grants to states and local governments, which he said should be part of the regular appropriations process; money for sugar beet and sugar cane producers; and $40 million for the tree assistance program, including aid to Christmas tree producers -- an inviting target. Eliminating the funding for security at the nominating conventions might pose a problem for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is generally allied with Coburn on fiscal matters but is running himself for the GOP nomination. A spokeswoman said he had not yet seen the amendments. "But as usual, the senator will carefully consider all fiscally responsible amendments and above all he wants to prevent even more money from being added on the floor," she said.
