Legislation & Issues
Aug 25 2011
Dr. Coburn's Efforts to Reduce Wasteful Washington Spending and Reform the Federal Budget Process
A scorecard of proposals Accepted by Congress
I ran for the Senate, in part, to reduce wasteful Washington, D.C. spending, reprioritize spending to ensure essential needs are not compromised by parochial political interests and to reform the way our government spends money. Our national debt recently surpassed $15 trillion, important programs like Social Security and Medicare are in danger of bankruptcy, our nation is fighting a global War on Terror and we still are paying for costs associated with the most expensive natural disaster in our nation’s history.
Every family in America must make decisions that require prioritizing and financial restraint to meet their financial situation and expect the government to do the same. But politicians in Washington have for too long avoided making tough decisions and have prioritized their next election over the next generation. Clearly this in not the time for business as usual in Washington and the borrow and spend mentality must come to an end if we are to ensure that the next generation of Americans inherit the same standard of living and that our seniors can enjoy financial security during their retirement years.
The following is a summary of the amendments I have offered and the actions I have taken on the Senate floor to reduce wasteful Washington spending and to reform the budget process. While many of these have been unsuccessful — often losing in lopsided votes — I believe it is important not to be discouraged and to continue to press for change and fiscal responsibility in Washington. The future of our country, after all, depends upon it.
Proposals ACCEPTED to save money or reprioritize spending
Total Amount SAVED: At least $129,090,750,000
112th Congress
S.Amdt. 791 to S.Amdt. 738 to H.R. 2112 (Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012), to prohibit the use of funds to provide direct payments to persons or legal entities with an average adjusted gross income in excess of $1,000,000. Additional background: here. The amendment was agreed to by a roll call vote of 84 to 15 on October 21, 2011. Savings: $49 million.
S.AMDT 273 to S. 493 (SBIR/ STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011), to save at least $5 billion by consolidating some duplicative and overlapping government programs. The amendment was agreed to on April 6, 2011 by a 64 to 36 roll call vote. Savings: $5 billion.
S.AMDT 281 to S. 493 (SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011), to save at least $20 million annually by ending federal unemployment payments to jobless millionaires and billionaires. Additional background: here. This amendment was agreed to by a 100 to 0 roll call vote on April 6, 2011. Total savings: $20 million per year.
S. AMDT 64 to S.223, the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, to rescind funds for so-called orphaned earmarks. Specifically, this amendment rescinds earmarks that remain 90 percent or more unused nine years after being appropriated, with the possibility of holding funds one more year for earmarks the agency head believes will be funded within the following 12 months. This amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent on February 17, 2011. Savings: $500 million.
S. AMDT. 80 to S.223, the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, to limit essential air space to locations that are 100 miles or more away from the nearest medium or large hub airport. The amendment was agreed to by a 65 to 34 roll call vote on February 17, 2011. Savings: nearly $20 million per year.
S. AMDT 81 to S.223, the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, to limit essential air service to locations that average 10 or more passengers per day. This amendment was agreed to by a voice vote on February 17, 2011. Savings: $30 million per year.
111th Congress
S. AMDT. 3531 to H.R. 1586 eliminates the Community and Regional Choice Program (Alternate Essential Air Service Pilot Program), which makes federal grants available to communities for alternatives to air transportation services such as hiring air taxi services, providing ground transportation or even buying an airplane. The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent on March 16, 2010. Total savings: Uncertain.
S. AMDT. 3532 to H.R. 1586, the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, requires that instead of authorizing $10 million to create management plans for commercial aviation tours of national parks, that these costs be offset by user fees. This amendment saves taxpayers $10 million and was supported by the National Parks Conservation Association. This amendment was accepted by unanimous consent. Savings: $10 million.
S. AMDT. 3538 to H.R. 1586, the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, requires the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation Inspector General to jointly conduct an audit of all airports with annual passenger numbers near the threshold level needed to trigger a $1 million automatic subsidy. Several newspaper reports have chronicled how airports have been artificially reaching the threshold number of passenger boardings to qualify for the larger subsidy. This amendment was accepted by unanimous consent. Savings: Potentially millions in the future.
S.AMDT. 3358 to H.R. 4213 (Tax Extenders Act of 2009) requires the Senate to be truthful with taxpayers about its out of control spending and post on its website the total spending approved this year that adds to our deficit and was not paid for by a reduction in spending elsewhere. This amendment was accepted by unanimous consent on March 9, 2010: Roll call vote. Savings: potentially billions in the future as a result of creating public awareness of deficit spending.
S. AMDT. 3539 to H.R. 1586, the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, requires that the Federal Aviation Administration examine what it would look like to prioritize federal aviation subsidies based on the annual number of passengers in each airport instead of the current system that arbitrarily awards a large subsidy to each airport with just 10,000 enplanements (or less than 28 passengers per day). This study would also require a comprehensive database of all airports qualifying for this subsidy with a number of statistics for each airport. This amendment was accepted by unanimous consent. Savings: Potentially millions in the future.
S. AMDT. 2585 to H.R.3326 restored $294 million for the Defense Department’s operations and maintenance funding accounts and reduced spending by the same amount for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation accounts, which are the source for the majority of congressional earmarks funded through the Department of Defense appropriations bill. The amendment was agreed to by Unanimous Consent on October 1, 2009. Savings: $294 million.
S. AMDT. 1433 to H.R. 2892 prohibits the payment of bonuses by the Department of Homeland Security to contractors whose performance has been judged to be below satisfactory performance or performance does not meet the basic requirements of a contract. The amendment was approved by voice vote on July 9, 2009. Savings: Undetermined.
S. AMDT. 892 to S. Con. Res. 13 would end taxpayer funded bonuses awarded to contractors and government executives responsible for over budget projects and programs that fail to meet basic performance requirements. The amendment was accepted by unanimous consent on April 2, 2009. Estimated savings: At least $1 billion a year.
S. AMDT. 109 to H.R. 1 removed a $246 million tax earmark for Hollywood movie makers. The amendment was approved by 52 to 45 on February 3, 2009. Roll call vote. Estimated savings: $246 million.
110th Congress
S. AMDT. 649 to H.R. 1591 would strip $2 million from the 2007 emergency supplemental spending bill to fund the creation of an "Education Excellence Program" at the University of Vermont. The amendment was approved by voice vote. Estimated savings: $2 million.
S. AMDT. 3044 to H.R. 1585 would prohibit members of Congress from earmarking federal Defense dollars to specific entities in the form of “no-bid” contracts and non-competitive grants. Earmarked projects would instead be required to undergo competition to determine the entity that will perform any work involved. Potential savings from this amendment will likely be significant, although it is difficult to estimate until the prospective competitions are held.
S. AMDT. 3230 to H.R. 3093 would ensure Department of Justice conference spending does not fund excessive junkets, lavish meals or organizations linked to terrorism. The amendment was approved by voice vote on October 4, 2007. Estimated savings: at least $30 million.
S. AMDT. 3321 to H.R. 3043 would provide additional funding for children’s health care by eliminating a $1 million earmark for a museum dedicated to the 1969 Woodstock concert. A motion to table, or kill, the amendment failed 42-52 on October 18, 2007. Roll call vote. (A YEA vote is to kill the amendment and spend the $1 million on a Woodstock museum and a NAY vote is to support the amendment.) Savings: $1 million.
S. AMDT. 3323 to H.R.304 requires a “report card” on the effectiveness of Department of Education programs and spending. The amendment was approved by unanimous consent. While it is difficult to calculate the total saving of this amendment, it would increase transparency and accountability for how funds are spent by both Congress and the Department of Education.
S. AMDT. 3399 to H.R.3043 eliminates wasteful spending by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and prohibits the agency from purchasing additional rotating pastel lights, zero-gravity chairs, and dry-heat saunas. The amendment was passed by unanimous consent. Estimated savings: at least $390,200.
S. AMDT. 3530 to H.R.2419 limits the distribution to deceased individuals, and estates of those individuals, of certain agricultural payments. GAO states that there were over $1.1 billion in payments to deceased farmers between the most recent seven year period, and estimates that 40 percent of those payments were to people dead more than three years. The amendment was agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. Estimated savings: $400,000,000.
S. AMDT. 3318 to H.R. 3093 would require NASA to post details of all conferences it will sponsor during fiscal year 2008. Specifically the amendment requires NASA to post on its public Web site: the itemized expenses paid by the agency, including travel expenses and any agency expenditure to otherwise support the conference; the primary sponsor of the conference; and the location of the conference. In the case of a conference for which the agency was the primary sponsor, the agency must include a statement that: justifies the location selected; demonstrates the cost efficiency of the location; the date of the conference; a brief explanation how the conference advanced the mission of the agency; and the total number of individuals who travel or attendance at the conference was paid for in part or full by the agency. The amendment was accepted by voice vote October 15, 2007. Savings unknown: NASA does not know how much is spent on conferences.
S. AMDT. 3475 to S. 294 would require Amtrak to implement a new accounting system by providing Congress and the public with transparent financial information on each route and line of service. Specifically this amendment would require Amtrak to post on their website a report that will show financial information on each of Amtrak’s 44 routes and each line of business on those routes. These lines of business include train operations, equipment maintenance, food and beverage service, sleeping cars, ticketing, and reservations. By having this transparent financial data for every area of Amtrak’s operation, Amtrak will be able to make informed decisions on their service and Congress will be able to provide proper oversight for tax payer funded passenger rail. Savings undetermined.
S. AMDT. 3530 to H.R. 2419- Prohibits federal farm assistance for deceased farmers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has paid out over a billion dollars to the estates of farmers after they had passed away. The amendment would prohibit federal agencies from distributing agricultural subsidies to dead farmers. Savings: Combined with all amendments to H.R. 2419 savings will total over $1 billion.
S. AMDT. 3632 to H.R. 2419– The goal of this amendment is simple: To ensure that limited federal agriculture conservation funding is directed to those who make a living from farming and forestry. In other words, the goal is to make sure that farm payments go to farmers. Savings: Combined with all amendments to H.R. 2419 savings will total over $1 billion.
S. AMDT. 3807 to H.R. 2419– Eliminates wasteful spending on golf courses, cheese centers, and aging barns. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has directed tens of millions of dollars in federal assistance towards unnecessary projects, such as golf courses, resorts, and casinos that do not advance this goal. This amendment will help the USDA focus on fulfilling its mission by prohibiting the funding of non-priority projects and activities related to golf courses, resorts, artisanal cheese centers and barn preservation. Savings: Combined with all amendments to H.R. 2419 savings will total over $1 billion.
S. AMDT. 4724 to S. 2284 would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct that would examine the feasibility of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) purchasing private reinsurance (means by which an insurance company can protect itself against the risk of losses with other insurance companies) either in addition to current law regarding reinsurance for NFIP or instead of current law regarding reinsurance for NFIP. This study would be completed within one year of enactment of S. 2284. Since the current system allows NFIP to use the taxpayer as the ultimate reinsurer when claims exceed premiums, the conclusions this study makes have the potential to save taxpayers billions of dollars and could help NFIP become a self-sustainable entity. This amendment was accepted by unanimous consent.
S. AMDT. 4725 to S. 2284 would deny flood insurance premium subsidies to homeowners who refuse to accept an offer of Federal assistance to modify or relocate their property in an effort to minimize future flood damages and costs. Repetitive Loss Properties (RLPs) with flood insurance signify a little over one percent of total flood insurance policies, yet account for 30 percent of total claims on average. This amendment would at the very least phase out subsidies for these properties or ensure that these properties sustain less or no flood damage in the future. While it is difficult to estimate total savings, it is likely this policy will result in anywhere between tens of millions and hundreds of millions in savings. This amendment was accepted by unanimous consent.
109th Congress
S. AMDT. 1241 to H.R. 3057, prohibits funds appropriated to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from being used for entertainment expenses. USAID was created to provide humanitarian assistance to those in the developing world, yet the agency has been permitted to spend funds on entertainment for bureaucrats and others. Agreed to by a vote of 59 – 40 on July 19, 2005. Roll call vote. Savings: Undetermined.
S. AMDT. 2087 to H.R. 3058 limits Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding for conferences to $3 million. In 2005 alone, HUD spent $13.9 million on conferences. The agency planned to spend $12,360,010 on conferences in 2006. Agreed to by voice vote on Oct. 20, 2005. Savings: $9.36 million.
S. AMDT. 2230 to H.R. 3010 to limit reduce the Department of Health and Human Services’ funding for travel and conferences by $15 million. In 2005 alone, HHS spent $68.5 million on conferences. Agreed to by unanimous consent Oct. 27, 2005. Savings: $15 million.
S. AMDT. 3641, Division II to H.R. 4939 to strike $15 million for the purpose of promoting sea food consumption. Agreed to by voice vote on April 27, 2006. A motion to table, or kill, the amendment was defeated by a vote of 44—51. Roll call vote: (a YEA vote is to kill the amendment and spend the $15 million on seafood promotion and a NAY vote is to support the amendment). Savings: $15 million.
S. AMDT. 4491 to S.2766, reforms the Defense Travel System (DTS) to a Fee-For-Use-of-Service System. To date, the DTS has cost the taxpayers $474 million (more than $200 million more than it was originally projected to cost) and it is still not fully deployed, has repeatedly failed to find the lowest airfare and is grossly underutilized. This amendment prohibits continued funding of DTS and instead requires the Department of Defense to shift to a fixed price per transaction electronic travel system. Agreed to by voice vote June 22, 2006. Estimated savings: $40 to $50 million.
S. AMDT. 4371 to S.2766, prohibits the Department of Defense from issuing financial awards and incentive fees to contractors with below-satisfactory performance or performance that does not meet the basic requirements of a contract. The Government Accountability Office has found the Defense Department "has issued billions in award and incentive fees regardless of acquisition outcome.” Agreed to by voice vote June 22, 2006. Estimated savings: At least $1 billion.
S. AMDT. 4585 to H.R. 5441 would effectively shut down two-thirds of the nation’s obsolete Long Range Aids to Navigation (LORAN) stations. The LORAN system, which is based on World War II technology, has been replaced by modern navigation systems such as the Global Positioning System. The nation’s 24 LORAN stations had been scheduled to undergo a $300 million update over the next ten years. The amendment, as modified, was agreed to by unanimous consent on July 12, 2006. Estimated savings: At least $200 million.
S. AMDT. 4787 to H.R.5631 would cap at $70 million the amount the Defense Department could spend on conferences and conference-related travel. In 2005, the Pentagon spent more than $79 million on conferences. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote on August 3, 2006 after the Senate rejected a motion to table, or kill, this amendment by a vote of 36 to 60. Roll call vote (a YEA vote is to kill the amendment and allow unlimited conference spending and a NAY vote is to support the amendment). Estimated savings: At least $9 million.
BUDGET REFORMS ACCEPTED
111th Congress
S. AMDT. 176 to H.R. 1 requires all contracts, grants and cooperative agreements awarded under the Stimulus to be competitively bid . The amendment was approved by a unanimous roll call vote on February 5, 2009. Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 309 to H.R. 1 prohibits stimulus money to be spent on casinos, zoos, golf courses, swimming pools, parks, museums, theaters, or highways beautification projects. The amendment was agreed to on February 06, 2009 by 73 - 24. Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 892 to S. Con Res. 13 would eliminate no-bid government contracts and require all federal contracts over $25,000 to be competitively bid to ensure taxpayers received the best product at the best price. The amendment was accepted by unanimous consent on April 2, 2009.
S. AMDT. 893 to S. Con Res. 13 would direct government officials to go line by line through the federal budget to identify wasteful, inefficient, and duplicative programs that could be eliminated or consolidated. The amendment was accepted by unanimous consent on April 2, 2009.
S. AMDT. 894 to S. Con Res. 13 would set performance standards for all government programs to identify those that are failing. The amendment was accepted by unanimous consent on April 2, 2009.
S. AMDT. 1369 to H.R. 2918 requires the office budget of every Senator to be publicly posted on-line. The amendment was approved by voice vote on July 6, 2009.
S. AMDT. 1811 to S. 1390 requires an annual report on the United State’s contributions to the United Nations, which surpass $5 billion every year, to be posted on a publicly available and searchable Internet Web site. The amendment was agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent on July 23, 2009.
S. AMDT. 1878 to H.R. 3183 requires public disclosure of all reports delivered by the Department of Energy and the Corps of Engineers to the Appropriations Committee. The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent on September 15, 2009.
S. AMDT. 2377 to H.R. 3288 requires public disclosure of all reports delivered by the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development to the Appropriations Committee. The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent on September 15, 2009.
S. AMDT. 2463 to H.R. 2996 requires public disclosure of all reports delivered by the Department of Interior to the Appropriations Committee. The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent on September 24, 2009.
S. AMDT. 2563 to H.R. 3326 requires public disclosure of all reports delivered by the Department of Defense to the Appropriations Committee. The amendment was accepted by unanimous consent on October 1, 2009.
S. AMDT. 2757 to H.R. 3082 requires public disclosure of all reports delivered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Appropriations Committee. The amendment was agreed to by a vote of 93 to 0 on November 16, 2009. Roll Call Vote.
S. AMDT. 3303 Division I to H.J. RES. 45 directs the Government Accountability Office to annually identify federal programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives with duplicative goals and activities, to estimate the cost of such duplication, and to make recommendations to Congress for consolidation and elimination of such duplication. The amendment was approved by a vote of 94 to 0 on January 26, 2010. Roll Call vote.
S. AMDT. 2374 to H.R.3288 requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to report the number of residential homes owned by the Department and the cost to taxpayers to buy, own and maintain the homes. The amendment was agreed to by Unanimous Consent on September 16, 2009.
S. AMDT. 2511 to H.R.2996 requires grants and contracts funded by the 2010 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill be subjected to an open and fair competitive bidding process. The amendment as modified was agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent on September 24, 2010.
S. AMDT. 3358 to H.R. 4213 requires the Senate’s website to post an itemized breakdown of the cost and number of new programs created every year by Congress and the amount added to the national debt as a result of bills passed by Congress. The amendment was agreed to by 100 to 0 on March 9, 2010. Roll Call vote.
110th Congress
S. AMDT. 51 to S.1 prohibits members from requesting earmarks that may financially benefit the senator or immediate family member or staff of that senator, and for other purposes. The amendment was approved by unanimous consent January 18, 2007.
S. AMDT. 922 to S. 761 to promote transparency in the grants process at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The amendment was approved 82-14 April 25, 2007. Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 2369 to S. 1642 prohibits institutions of higher education from spending taxpayers’ dollars and students’ federally funded educational assistance to hire lobbyists or to pay for lobbying activities. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote on July 24, 2007.
S. AMDT. 2442 to H.R. 2638 prohibits Congress from directing federal funds to specific recipients by requiring all Congressional pork projects to be subjected to open and fair competition using the same process used to award other government grants and contracts. The amendment was approved by voice vote on July 26, 2007.
S. AMDT. 2467 to H.R. 2638 requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to summarize and disclose the information it used in determining a major disaster. The amendment was approved by unanimous consent on July 26, 2007.
S. AMDT. 2773 to H.R. 2764 ensures the U.S. contribution to the United Nations is not being lost to waste, fraud, abuse or corruption by maximizing the transparency of all U.N. spending. The amendment was approved 92-1 on September 6, 2007. Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 2706 to H.R. 2764 ensures the unprecedented increase in the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is accompanied by an end to secrecy regarding how that money is spent. The amendment would condition 20 percent of the Global Fund money on a certification by the secretary of state that the Global Fund has made all financial and programmatic documents available to the public on a Web site. The amendment was accepted by voice vote September 6, 2007.
S. AMDT. 3318 to H.R. 3093 would require NASA to post details of all conferences it will sponsor during fiscal year 2008. Specifically the amendment requires NASA to post on its public Web site: the itemized expenses paid by the agency, including travel expenses and any agency expenditure to otherwise support the conference; the primary sponsor of the conference; and the location of the conference. In the case of a conference for which the agency was the primary sponsor, the agency must include a statement that: justifies the location selected; demonstrates the cost efficiency of the location; the date of the conference; a brief explanation how the conference advanced the mission of the agency; and the total number of individuals who travel or attendance at the conference was paid for in part or full by the agency. The amendment was accepted by voice vote October 15, 2007.
S. AMDT 3475 to S. 294 requires Amtrak to report to Congress and post on their public Web site a report that will show financial information on each of Amtrak’s 44 routes and each line of business on those routes. These lines of business included train operations, equipment maintenance, food and beverage service, sleeping cars, ticketing, and reservations. This amendment was accepted by the Senate by unanimous consent on October 30, 2007.
109th Congress
S. 2590, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, establishes an online public search engine and database to track approximately $1 trillion in federal grants, contracts, earmarks and loans. Passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate on September 7, 2006. Passed by the House of Representatives by voice vote September 13, 2006. Signed into law by President Bush on September 26, 2006 and became Public Law No: 109-282.
S. AMDT. 1020 to H.R.2361 expresses the Sense of the Senate that defense spending should not be under funded to support increases in non-defense spending. Agreed to by unanimous consent June 28, 2005.
S. AMDT. 1775 to H.R.2744 requires the report that accompanies the 2006 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act lists all limitations, directives, and earmarks associated with the bill. Previous Senate procedures allowed the Senate to automatically approve earmarks or special projects included in the House version of an appropriations bill without actually having to be considered or contained within bills or their accompanying reports. Consequently, many earmarks that became law did not even come up for a vote in the Senate. This process was used to essentially hide millions of dollars of spending from public view. Agreed to by a vote of 55 – 39 on Sept. 21, 2005. Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 1858 to H.R. 2528 requires the report that accompanies the 2006 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act lists all limitations, directives, and earmarks associated with the bill. Agreed to by voice vote Sept. 22, 2005.
S. AMDT. 1948 to H.R. 2863 requires the report that accompanies the 2006 Department of Defense Appropriations Act lists all limitations, directives, and earmarks associated with the bill. Agreed to by voice vote Oct. 5, 2005.
S. AMDT. 2084 to H.R. 3058 requires the report that accompanies the 2006 Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act lists all limitations, directives, and earmarks associated with the bill. Agreed to by unanimous consent Oct. 20, 2005.
S. AMDT. 2190 to H.R. 3058 directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to report specific actions taken to estimate improper payments in the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) as required under the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002. Improper payments, which include inadvertent, fraudulent and irresponsible payments by government agencies, cost the taxpayers more than $45 billion every year. In 2005, funding for CDBG programs was nearly $32 billion. Yet, it failed to report its improper payments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as required by law. Identifying and reporting improper payments are the first essential steps toward eliminating this practice that wastes tens of billions of tax dollars every year. Agreed to by unanimous consent Oct. 20, 2005.
S. AMDT. 2231 to H.R. 3010 requires the report that accompanies the 2006 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act lists all limitations, directives, and earmarks associated with the bill. Agreed to by voice vote Oct. 26, 2005.
S. AMDT. 2234 to H.R. 3010 directs the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education to report specific actions taken to estimate improper payments under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, Medicaid, and State Children's Health Insurance Programs, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, and programs and activities under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as required under the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002. These programs combined spend more than $231 billion each year, yet have failed to comply with the law that requires each agency to identify and report the improper payments they make so these errors, which cost the taxpayers tens of billions of dollars every year, can be eliminated. Agreed to by voice vote Oct. 27, 2005.
S. AMDT. 4370 to S.2766 requires an annual analysis of the total cost of earmarks funded through the Department of Defense and an analysis on the effectiveness of each earmark in meeting the goals of the Department of Defense. Agreed to by voice vote June 22, 2006.
S. AMDT. 4562 to H.R. 5441 prevents the secret appropriation of earmarks. The amendment requires that any earmark contained in either the House of Representatives or Senate report accompanying H.R. 4610 be explicitly included in the conference report or joint statement accompanying the bill and not considered as passed if it is not contradicted the other chamber. The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent on July 12, 2006.
S. AMDT. 4561 to H.R. 5441 requires public disclosure of all reports delivered by the Department of Homeland Security to the Appropriations Committee, including the justifications of the President’s annual budget request, unless such reports contain information that would compromise national security. The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent on July 12, 2006.
S. AMDT. 4590 to H.R. 5441 requires the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Homeland Security to fully comply with the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002. Although DHS reported in its fiscal year 2005 that none of its programs were at “significant” risk of making improper payments, preliminary estimates by DHS indicate that millions of dollars were misspent during hurricanes Katrina and Rita. DHS admits that their methodology and testing for improper payments in fiscal year 2005 was not as thorough as it should have been in order to comply with the law. The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent on July 12, 2006.
S. AMDT. 4848 to H.R.5631 requires an analysis of the total cost of earmarks funded in 2007 and the effectiveness of each in meeting the goals of the Department of Defense. The amendment was approved by a vote of 96 to 1 on August 3, 2006. Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 4784 to H.R.5631 requires public disclosure of all reports delivered by the Department of Defense to the Appropriations Committee, including the justifications of the President’s annual budget request, unless such reports contain information that would compromise national security. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote on August 3, 2006.
Aug 25 2011
Dr. Coburn's Efforts to Reduce Wasteful Washington Spending and Reform the Federal Budget Process
A scorecard of proposals rejected by Congress
Proposals REJECTED to save money or reprioritize spending
Total reduction in wasteful spending REJECTED: $486,998,017,000
112th Congress
S. Amdt 1738 to S. 1813 (Highway Bill), which calls for the elimination of $10 billion in duplicative and unnecessary spending that has been identified in two recent GAO reports. This amendment was rejected on March 8, 2012 by a roll call vote of 52-46. Total savings rejected: $10 billion.
S. Amdt 800 to H.R. 2112 (Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012), to reduce funding for Rural Development by $1 billion. Additional background: here. This amendment was rejected by a roll call vote of 85 to 13. Total savings rejected: $1 billion.
S. Amdt 801 to to H.R. 2112 (Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012), to reduce funding for the Small Community Air Service Development Program. Additional background: here. This amendment was rejected by a roll call vote of 57 to 41. Total savings rejected: $35 million annually.
S.Amdt. 792 to H.R. 2112 (Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012), to end payments to landlords who are endangering the lives of children and needy families. Additional background: here. This amendment was rejected by a roll call vote of 59 to 40 on October 21, 2011. Total savings rejected: hundreds of millions.
S.Amdt. 610 to S.Amdt. 602 to H.J.Res. 66 (House vehicle that included a provision that provided disaster relief funding to victims of Hurricane Irene), to offset the cost of disaster funding by saving at least $7,000,000,000 by consolidating some duplicative and overlapping Government programs. Additional background: here. The amendment was rejected on September 15, 2011 in a roll call vote of 54 to 45. Total savings rejected: $7 billion.
S.Amdt. 521 to S.Res. 116 (No short title on file), to identify and help prevent the creation of duplicative and overlapping Federal programs. Additional background: here. This amendment was rejected on June 29, 2011 by a roll call vote of 63 to 34. Total savings rejected: approximately $100 billion.
S.Amdt. 436 (previously filed as S.Amdt. 220) to S. 782 (Economic Development Revitalization Act of 2011), to repeal the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit. Additional background: here. This amendment was rejected by a roll call vote of 40 to 59 on June 14, 2011. Total savings rejected: $4 billion.
111th Congress
S. AMDT. 610 to H.R. 1105 prohibits funding for Congressional earmarks and parochial pork projects. The amendment failed by a vote of 34-61 on March 4, 2009. Roll call vote. Total savings rejected: $7,700,000,000.
110th Congress
A point of order against S. 2824, a bill to forgive over $30 billion in debt incurred by the bankrupt and fiscally-irresponsible National Flood Insurance Program. This bill violated pay-as-you-go budget rules by forgiving $30 billion without offsetting any of the debt forgiven. The $30 billion is owed to the General Treasury and will be added to the debt of future taxpayers. Senator Coburn raised a budget point of order against the bill, which was waived by a vote of 70 to 26 on May 8, 2008. Sixty votes are requires to waive a budget point of order. Roll call vote (a YEA vote is a vote to borrow $1 billion and a NAY vote would prevent the borrowing). Reduction in additional taxpayer spending rejected: $30 billion.
S. AMDT. 4519 to S. 2739 would require one percent of any spending appropriated to carry out the new authorizations within S. 2739 (the Public Lands Omnibus of 2008) to be used to pay for the disposal of excess, unused and unneeded Federal property to offset some of the costs. This amendment was defeated by a vote of 22-73 April 10, 2008. Roll call vote. Total Savings Rejected: millions of dollars.
S. AMDT. 3854 to S.2338 Ensures the cap on Home Equity Conversion Mortgages is not permanently eliminated before a study regarding program costs and credits is submitted to Congress. The current cap on the number of these mortgages FHA may insure is 275,000. A provision in the FHA Modernization Act permanently waives this cap on the program, allowing FHA to insure a limitless number of reverse mortgages. Not agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote. It is difficult to calculate the total savings, but it would have limited future unlimited liabilities on future generations.
S. AMDT. 3474 to S. 294 would ensure Amtrak no longer consistently loses money on food and beverage services. In 2005, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that between fiscal years 2002 and 2004, Amtrak lost $244 million from its food and beverage operations. While such losses would generally provide enough of an incentive for a regular company to thoroughly examine its business pratices, the large taxpayer subsidy provided to Amtrak allows it to subsist in the absence of needed reforms. Amendment was defeated by a vote of 67-24 on October 30, 2007. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $244.5 million.
S. AMDT. 3358 to H.R. 3043 would require Congress to prioritize children’s health care instead of special interest pork projects. The amendment would prohibit any earmark in the FY08 Labor/HHS/Education appropriations bill from being funded until the secretary of Health and Human Services that each child in America under 18 is covered with either a private or public health insurance plan. Amendment was defeated by a motion to table, or kill, the amendment by a vote of 68-26 on October 23, 2007. Roll call vote (a YEA vote is a vote to kill the amendment and allow politicians to spend money on their pork projects rather than children's health care; a NAY vote is to support the amendment and redirect money to help children's health care). Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $470 million.
S. AMDT. 3243 to H.R. 3093 would provide $1,680,000 to investigate and prosecute unsolved civil rights crimes in a fiscally responsible manner by prioritizing spending. Amendment was defeated by a motion to table, or kill, the amendment by a vote of 31-61 on October 4, 2007. Roll call vote (a YEA vote is a vote to kill the amendment and spend more than $1.6 million on lower-priority earmarks; a NAY vote is to support the amendment to redirect the money to help prosecute unsolved civil rights crimes). Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $2,550,000.
S. AMDT. 2814 to H.R. 3074 to strike $500,000 in funding for construction of a new baseball stadium in Billings, Montana. Rejected by a vote of 32-63 on September 12, 2007. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $500,000.
S. AMDT. 2813 to H.R. 3074 would require that the housing needs of all Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are met before spending money to design or construct a Wetland Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Rejected by a vote of 32-63 on September 12, 2007. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $400,000.
S. AMDT. 2812 to H.R. 3074 to strike $450,000 in funding for the International Peace Garden in Dunseith, North Dakota. Rejected by a vote of 32-63 on September 12, 2007. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $450,000.
S. AMDT. 2811 to H.R. 3074 to prohibit transportation funding from being spent on bicycle trails. Amendment was defeated by a motion to table, or kill, the amendment by a vote of 18-80 on September 12, 2007. Roll call vote (a YEA vote is a vote to kill the amendment and spend nearly $12 million on bike paths; a NAY vote is to support the amendment to repair deficient bridges). Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: nearly $12 million.
S. AMDT. 2810 to H.R. 3074 to prohibit spending federal transportation funds on earmarks until all structurally deficient bridges in the United States are repaired. Amendment was defeated by a motion to table, or kill, by a vote of 14-82 on September 12, 2007. Roll call vote (a YEA vote is a vote to kill the amendment and spend $2 billion on earmarks, a NAY vote is to support the amendment to repair deficient bridges). Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $2 billion.
S. AMDT. 2196 to S. AMDT. 2011 to H.R. 1585 to close the National Drug Intelligence Center and reassign its necessary and essential activities to more able centers. This center, funded entirely by earmarks, has siphoned away more than $500 million dollars yet continues to be criticized for lacking a purpose and being unproductive. Not agreed to by a 26-69 vote. Roll call vote. Reduction in spending rejected: at least $23 million.
S. AMDT. 921 to S. 761 to eliminate the Advanced Technology Program, a corporate welfare program. Rejected by a vote of 39-57 on April 25, 2007. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $79 million annually.
S. AMDT. 648 to H.R. 1591 would have removed from the 2007 emergency supplemental spending bill $100 million in funding for the 2008 Democratic and Republican presidential nominating conventions. Not agreed to by a 45-51 vote, with four not voting. Roll call vote. Reduction in spending rejected: $100 million.
S. AMDT. 657 to H.R.1591 to pay for emergency crop and livestock assistance for farmers and to remove non-essential, unpaid for, “emergency” funding for sugar beets, sugar cane, Christmas trees, shrubs and potted bushes. Rejected by a vote of 23 – 74 on March 28, 2007. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $4.151 billion
S. AMDT. 345 to S. AMDT 275 to S. 4 to streamline the interoperable communications grant programs administered by the Department of Homeland Security to ensure accountability and fiscal discipline. Amendment was defeated by a motion to table the amendment with a vote of 25-71 on March 7, 2007. Roll call vote (A YEA vote is to kill the amendment; a NAY vote is to support the amendment.) Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: at least $12 million.
109th Congress
S. AMDT. 471 to H.R. 1268 would have reduced funding in the emergency supplemental for the Iraqi embassy by $486 million, from $592 million to $106 million. According to the Congressional Budget Office, 82 percent of the money appropriated for the Iraqi embassy would not be spent until fiscal year 2007 at the earliest. The purpose of an emergency wartime supplemental appropriations bill is to fund operations and projects that need immediate funding. Money that is needed for the embassy in 2007 or 2012 can be appropriated during the regular budget process. We should not use an emergency appropriations bill that bypasses budget rules to fund activities that can be funded during the annual appropriations process. Tabled by a vote of 54 – 45 on April 20, 2005. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $486 million.
S. AMDT. 1242 to H.R. 3057 would have prohibited any funds from being used by the Export-Import Bank of the United States to approve a loan or a loan guarantee related to a nuclear project in communist China. The financing agency may provide a $5 billion combination of loans and loan guarantees to support the Westinghouse bid to build nuclear power plants in China. Rejected by a vote of 37 – 62 on July 19, 2005. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $5 billion.
S. AMDT. 1648 to H.R. 2862 to eliminate the Advanced Technology Program, a corporate welfare program, and redirect its funding to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, community oriented policing service, and State and local law enforcement assistance, specifically to combat methamphetamine. Tabled by a vote of 68 – 29 on Sept. 14, 2005. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $140 million.
S. AMDT. 1773 to H.R. 2744 would have reduced the growth of spending for the federal Rental Assistance Program. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), “since 1990, the [program] has consistently overestimated its budget needs for the rental assistance program.” According to the GAO, the agency overestimated its financial need in 2003 by $51 million. Not agreed to by voice vote Sept. 21, 2005. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: more than $42.3 million.
S. AMDT. 2005 to H.R. 2863 would have prohibited additional funding for the inefficient and underutilized Defense Travel System. Tabled by a vote of 65 – 32 on Oct. 6, 2005. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $40 to $50 million.
S. AMDT. 2093 to H.R. 3058 would have prohibited funding of three earmarks: $950,000 for a parking facility at a museum in Omaha, Neb., $500,000 for a sculpture park in Seattle, Wash., and $200,000 for an animal facility in Westerly, R.I. Tabled by a vote of 86 – 13 on Oct. 20, 2005. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $1.65 million.
S. AMDT. 2165 to H.R. 3058 would have redirected funding from two dubious Alaska bridge projects — the Gravina “Bridge to Nowhere” and the Knik Arm Bridge — costing a combined $452 million to reconstruction of the Twin Spans Bridge connecting New Orleans and Slidell, La., damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Not agreed to by a vote of 15 – 82 on Oct. 20, 2005. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: more than $452 million.
S. AMDT. 2232 to H.R. 3010 to reduce funding for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) construction and transfer such funding to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). This bill provided $225 million for CDC construction, which is more than seven times the amount requested by the President. More than 1,000 Americans living with HIV, on the other hand, are on ADAP waiting lists due to the shortfall in ADAP funding. Not agreed to by a vote of 14 – 85 on Oct. 26, 2005. Roll call vote. Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $60 million.
A point of order against S. 2320, a bill to borrow $1 billion to increase funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for fiscal year 2006. This bill violated congressional budget allocations by spending $1 billion more for LIHEAP than was approved by the congressional budget resolution. Senator Coburn raised a budget point of order against the bill, which was waived by a vote of 66 to 31 on March 2, 2006. Sixty votes are requires to waive a budget point of order. Roll call vote (a YEA vote is a vote to borrow $1 billion and a NAY vote would sustain the point of order and thereby prevent the borrowing). Reduction in spending rejected: $1 billion.
S. AMDT No. 3641, Division I to strike $700 million to relocate a recently repaired train track in Mississippi. Amendment was defeated by a motion to table the amendment with a vote of 50-47. Roll call vote (a YEA vote is a vote to kill the amendment and spend $700 million on this project, a NAY vote is to support the amendment to strike the funding). Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $700 million.
S. AMDT No. 3641, Division IV to strike a provision that would allow up to $500 million or more to be paid to private shipbuilders (i.e. Northrop Grumman) for “businesses disruptions” resulting from Hurricane Katrina. Amendment was defeated by a motion to table the amendment with a vote of 48-- 51. Roll call vote (a YEA vote is a vote to kill the amendment and spend $500 million on this project, a NAY vote is to support the amendment to strike the funding). Reduction in wasteful spending rejected: $500 million.
BUDGET REFORMS REJECTED
112th Congress
S.Amdt. 91 to S. 223 (FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act), to decrease the Federal share of project costs under the airport improvement program for non-primary airports was rejected by a roll call vote of 59 to 40 on February 17, 2011.
111th Congress
S.AMDT.4493 on the Motion to Suspend Rule 22 of H.R.4213 (American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 ) would suspend the rules to amend the bill to require the Senate website to disclose to taxpayers the total amount the Senate has voted to borrow and spend since PAYGO was signed into law. This amendment failed to receive the 67 votes needed to suspend the rules by a vote of 54 to 44 on July 21, 2010: Roll Call vote.
S. AMDT. 1434 to H.R. 2892 requires all Homeland Security contracts, grants and cooperative agreements to be competitively bid . The amendment was rejected by a vote of 31 to 60 on July 9, 2009: Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 1884 to H.R. 3183 requires all Department of Energy contracts, grants and cooperative agreements to be competitively bid. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 26 to 71 on July 29, 2009. Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 2565 to H.R.3326 would have required the National Guard and Reserve component commanders to submit their modernization priority lists to the Secretary of Defense for review and comment approval before being sent to Congress to ensure greater transparency and accountability of the additional $1.5 billion provided to the National Guard by the bill. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 28 to 70 on October 2, 2009. Roll Call vote.
110th Congress
S. AMDT. 294 to S. 4 Improving America’s Security Act of 2007 would have provided a sunset provision for S.4 in five years. Currently, the implementation authorities in the bill never expire. A sunset provision would force Congress to conduct appropriate oversight, to ensure that homeland security funding goes to the most critical threats. Without this sunset, grants that are meant for one time “capital improvement projects” instead become annual allocations for more and more federal spending. This amendment was defeated by a vote of 38-60 March 13, 2007. (A YEA vote is a vote to table, or kill the amendment; a NAY vote is to support the amendment.) Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 325 to S. 4 would require the Department of Homeland Security to comply with the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 before funds in S.4 could be spent on grant programs within DHS. As of today, DHS has not complied with the Improper Payments Act. This amendment would have ensured accountability for every dollar DHS spent on grants from this bill. This amendment was defeated by a vote of 31-66 on March 13, 2007. (A YEA vote is a vote to table, or kill the amendment; a NAY vote is to support the amendment.) Roll call vote.
S. AMDT 345 to S. 4 would have eliminated a redundant Interoperable Communications Grant Program. S.4 created a DHS program that was identical to the existing program in the Department of Commerce. This amendment would have streamlined the interoperable communications grant programs by combining the two programs within DHS. This would have eliminated wasteful bureaucracy. This amendment was defeated by a vote of 25-71 March 7, 2007. (A YEA vote is a vote to table, or kill the amendment; a NAY vote is to support the amendment.) Roll call vote.
S. AMDT 891 to S. 378 expresses the Sense of the Senate that It is irresponsible for Congress to authorize new spending for programs that will result in borrowing from Social Security, Medicare, foreign nations or future generations of Americans and that Congress has a moral obligation to offset the cost of new government programs, initiatives and authorizations. The amendment was defeated with a parliamentary motion to table, or kill, by a vote of 59 to 38. (A YEA vote is a vote AGAINST the amendment and a NAY vote is a vote in support of the amendment.) Roll call vote.
S. AMDT 917 to S. 761 to express the sense of the Senate that Congress has a moral obligation to offset the cost of new government programs and initiatives. The amendment was defeated with a parliamentary motion to table, or kill, by a vote of 54 to 43. (A YEA vote is a vote AGAINST the amendment and a NAY vote is a vote in support of the amendment.) Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 1089 to H.R.1495 would have prioritized federal funding for Louisiana by requiring that the housing needs of all Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are met before spending money to design or construct another visitors center near Morgan City, Louisiana. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 11 - 79. Roll Call vote.
S. AMDT. 1090 to H.R. 1495 would have prioritized federal spending for California by ensuring the residents of the city of Sacramento are protected from the threat of floods before spending money to enhance beaches in Southern California. The amendment was rejected 12- 77. Roll Call vote.
S. AMDT. 2716 to H.R. 2764 would have transferred $106.7 million from the lower-priority Global Environment Facility and put $30 million into fully funding the President’s Malaria Initiative and the remaining funds into other life-saving programs in the Child Survival and Maternal Health programs. The amendment was rejected 47-46 on September 6, 2007. Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 2704 to H.R. 2764 would prohibit the U.S. contribution to the World Bank’s International Development Association from being used for malaria prevention or control and to ensure that World Bank malaria-related financing is subject to maximum transparency and accountability. The amendment was rejected 33-60. Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 4522 to S. 2739 would require an annual report detailing the amount of property the federal government owns and the cost of government land ownership to taxpayers. This amendment was defeated by a vote of 30-63 April 10, 2008. Roll call vote.
109th Congress
S. AMDT. 450 to H.R. 1268 would have stripped language limiting competition for the construction of a high-speed marine cargo terminal and IT network at the Port of Philadelphia to a “Philadelphia-based company.” An open, competitive process should be permitted for government contracts so that all interested companies have the opportunity compete. Opening up the competitive process increases the likelihood that the best possible company can receive the contract and removes parochial, political interests from the awarding of government contracts. Rejected by voice vote April 20, 2005.
S. AMDT. 1003 to H.R. 2361 would have required the report that accompanies the 2006 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act lists all limitations, directives, and earmarks associated with the bill. The bill as approved allowed earmarks or special projects included in either the House or Senate version of the bill to be considered approved by the other chamber without actually having to be considered or contained within the other chamber’s version of the bill. Consequently, many earmarks will become law without even receiving a vote in the Senate. This process was used to essentially hide millions of dollars of spending from public view. Not agreed to by a vote of 33 – 59 on June 28, 2005. Roll call vote.
S. AMDT. 3175 to S. 2349 would have required full discloser of all entities and organizations receiving Federal funds and the program source of such funding in a searchable on-line database accessible to the public at no cost. Rejected by a point of order March 29, 2006. (Re-introduced as a freestanding bill, S. 2590, on April 6, 2006).