Sen. Coburn Blocks Funding For September 11th Memorial, Demanding More Cuts

[Tx4obama]

SNIP

... Coburn is holding hostage $20 million in funding for the September 11 Memorial & Museum at Ground Zero, trying to force Democrats to make deep cuts to other programs by pushing an emotional hot button:

Sen. Tom Coburn is blocking legislation that would provide $20 million a year in federal funding for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at ground zero, demanding that co-sponsors of the bill come up with cuts to pay for the spending, his office confirmed to POLITICO.

“Our debt is our greatest national security threat, and Dr. Coburn makes no apologies for forcing Congress to make choices and avoid unnecessary borrowing,” said John Hart, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Republican. “If providing federal funding for this effort is a critical national priority, the sponsors should pay for this effort by reducing spending on lower-priority programs.

“It is also important to question why we need a $20 million earmark for a 9/11 memorial when private and patriotic Americans across the country are generously supporting this noble cause,” Hart added.

SNIP

More here: http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/02/02/417130/sen-coburn-blocks-funding-for-september-11th-memorial-demanding-more-cuts/

[baldguy]

1. Trying to score political points off of 3,000 dead Americans. Republicans are pigs.

(But, you knew that I suppose.)

[Honeycombe8]

2. I gotta agree with that. $20M seems a bit much for that, while the country is in economic trouble.

Millions out of work, over 45M people in poverty.

I wonder how his Republican comrades are going to feel about this.

[Faygo Kid]

3. Oklahoma: Coburn and Inhofe. Not OK.

Sad that it's such a backwater.

Give it all over to the Cherokees.

[msongs]

4. start slashing federal spending in all red states ASAP. mission accomplished :-) nt

[gopiscrap]

5. What an asshole

[showmethejedi]

6. haha how about this. jerk (coburn)

Give nyc 20 mill in oklahomas homeland security money, I'm sure the money would go to better use in a border state through which the alleged terrorists must travel to get to Oklahoma. Not too many planes being highjacked from ok city are there? Probably not too many international flights either, so I suppose we should take their homeland security cash and distribute it to the border states and stop the five or six international flights comming into Oklahoma each day. Blue skies and zero terrorism, life is good in the bubble.