Coburn Moves to Block 9/11 First Responders Bill as Some Republicans Urge its Passage

Republican Sen. Tom Coburn, of Oklahoma.

/ AP Photo/Alex Brandon

UPDATED 6:12 p.m. ET

Amid mounting pressure from Democrats and a growing handful of Republicans to pass a bill that would provide health care benefits to first responders who were at the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn announced on Monday his intentions to block passage of the legislation.

He tells Politico that he "wouldn't allow the bill to move quickly" due to "problems with parts of the bill and the process Democrats are employing" to pass it.

Coburn  defended his position in a Tuesday morning interview on Fox News, arguing that "this is a bill that's been drawn up and forced through Congress at the end of the year on a basis to solve a problem that we didn't have time to solve and we didn't get done."

Coburn also argued that the bill, entitled the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, "hasn't even been through a committee." Coburn added: "We haven't had the testimony to know."  (ThinkProgress notes that on June 29, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions - on which Coburn sits - held a hearing on the bill. But Coburn's office says that doesn't amount to having gone "through a committee.")

Meanwhile, a growing chorus of Republican commentators has begun to pressure GOP senators to revise their positions, arguing that the health of first responders is a sensitive national issue - and that opposing it could be politically unwise.

"Why wouldn't we take care of their health care?" wondered the conservative-leaning talk show host Joe Scarborough during his MSNBC show "Morning Joe" on Tuesday. "It's just like taking care of veterans' health care... It can't be a good move for Republicans to oppose a bill for the firefighters and the cops on 9/11."

Scarborough also questioned the argument - posited by some of those opposing the bill - that health care for 9/11 first responders should be covered by New York residents. "How did this become a New York issue?" Scarborough wondered. "That is like Pearl Harbor becoming a Hawaii issue in 1951. It's ridiculous."

Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee of Arkansas has already made public his opinion that "every Republican" should support the bill - but in a Fox News appearance on Monday night, he plead his case further. "There are people who need medical care right now, and frankly, the clock is running out on them," he said. "Their lives are fading away, even as we sit here talking about it."

Shep Smith, the host of Fox News' "Studio B," individually targeted Republicans who refused to discuss the issue with him on the air.

"We called a lot of Republicans today who are in office at the moment," he said on Monday. "These are the ones who told us 'no': Senators Alexander, Barrasso, Cornyn, Crapo, DeMint, Enzi, Grassley, Kyl, McConnell, Sessions, Baucus, Gregg, and Inhofe. No response from Bunning, Coburn, Ensign, Graham, Hatch, and McCain."

"Why does no one want to talk about this?" he continued.

New York's Democratic Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer have made a slew of recent television appearances urging support for the bill - and now they say they have the votes to pass it.

But even if the bill secures the necessary 60 votes to get past a filibuster in the Senate, the House would have to approve any changes to its version of the bill before the end of the 2010 session - and a time-delaying procedural blockage by Coburn could derail efforts to do so as the lame duck Congress draws to an end.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has urged the Senate to take the bill up as soon as possible in order for the House to have time to approve the revised version.

"My plea to Senator Reid is that if you're going to send us anything that we need to deal with, send it, frankly, by [Tuesday]," Hoyer told The Hill on Monday. "I don't think that's possible, but my members want to get home for Christmas, and I think bringing them back between Christmas and New Years -- hopefully, I'd like to avoid that."

"Obviously the closer we get to Christmas the less likelihood there is of members being willing to stay to finish business that may or may not come from the Senate," Hoyer told reporters today, adding that he was "hopeful that we can deal with it tonight."

Hoyer said he not yet made a decision on whether or not he would be willing to bring Congress back after Christmas to pass the bill if necessary.

In a press briefing this afternoon, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs emphasized the president's continuous support for the legislation -- and took Republicans to task for standing in its way.

"It seems at the end of a long year around the holiday season a pretty awful thing to play politics about," he said. "But that's a decision that 42 Republican senators will have to make."

Update: Coburn today posted a policy paper outlining his concerns with the bill. The measure, he says, "provides overly generous funding, failing to acknowledge existing public and private benefits and past compensation," creates a new $3.2 billion entitlement program and raises taxes.

"Dr. Coburn is continuing to work with the sponsors of the 9/11 bill to find a way to help those who need our aid without creating new burdens for other Americans," John Hart, a spokesperson for the senator, said. "He's disappointed the majority waited until the last minute to try to pass this bill but hopes an agreement can be reached."

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Lucy Madison is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[1renegade]

No doubt we need to make sure these folks are taken care of but, do we need to put them at a higher compensation level than our sevicemen also willing to fight and die for our country???

[Multi-Basking]

Just WHO are the Nazis Now? The next two years will be very telling for Americans. Keep it up Repugs. Please keep it up!

[AverageAmericanMale1000]

Please, if you voted Republican last election - try to justify what your senators are doing with this Bill. There is no excuse; If you're ignorant enough to think that the GOP really cares about average, middle-class Americans after the tax debate, their ridiculous opposition to the Zadroga should finally open your eyes. Reconsider what your party is doing to America.

[rmonroe401]

crazyname, I am sure you are some rich weasel that goes to every measure to avoid paying your taxes, paying your way, or helping anyone except your greedy, selfish, disgusting self.

[aces-and-eights]

What caught my attention was CBS labeling Joe Scarborough as a "conservative-leaning" talk show host. Isn't that a little like saying Glen Beck is a "liberal-leaning" talk show host?

Distortions abound on CBS.

[jimbom121]

ummm, Scarboro was a very conservative representative. He still is conservative in his beliefs.

[euge005]

The point to this story is that Coburn lied. They did have a hearing and he is on that committee. He just did not care enough to show up for work that day. As for using Beck and liberal in the same sentance? Are you serious? If the intention is to sound crazy, try Beck or Hannity and sane in the same sentance. Morning Joe has been improving with the new blood that has been brought in. Now if they could get rid of the failed politician that it is named after it would gain more credibility.

[michelf99]

Since the Dems have enough vote to pass, why don't they bring it to the floor for a vote? I would not beleive the Republican short-signed enough to filibuster the bill for first responders.

The comment was "we did not have the time to study the bill" Wow.... almost 10 years and hundred of first responders sick or dead because of their heroic actions. We should line all these poeple up and flush them.

I would rather vote for the cute robot on TV... he has few loose screws, but at least he knows it!

[euge005]

Getting meaures to a oint where they can be voted on is the problem. One single senator can delay things, however responsible or necessary & hold it hostage like Kyle on the Nuke treaty> Then they come forward and lie horribly about their actions rather inaction, to claim it was not debated. How much debate is needed? They had a week and Kyle's handful put up 50 amendments to obstruct the bill, as unual. Kyle and a few other put up unrelated road blocks on the treaty just as a few of the worst people in this country have against justice for the first responders. Shame to them and the propaganda outlets which present their spin.

[piwyou]

Republican?! Objecting?!....what a shock!

[oldchief801]

Overruled

You have to be a republican. It.was an act of war against the US!!!!

[jab232]

I'm glad to see the obstructionists called out. We had $700 billion to continue huge tax cuts for bailed out bankers and CEOs who are now sitting on billions while many are unemployed. Why then can't we support the 9/11 responders? Maybe the Senate ought to rescind the tax cut for the rich and give it to health care benefits for the responders instead. How about that GOP?

[aces-and-eights]

Agree with much of your post except "recind the tax cut"
There was no tax cut. Obama extended the Bush administration's taxes for everyone.

Where's the change? (pun intended)

[crazyname]

I don't understand, thse workers were not homeless people, they are paid, probably union employees all with healthcare plans much better than you and me. Why does the governemnt need to step in to pay the bills? Are the unions self insured and the Obama admin has to keep them in their lap of luxury? Take the money given to the South american oil company that George Soros benefits from and give it to them. Or hell just take that money back, and let the insurance companies or the unions flit the bill. Not the US taxpayers. Needless to say, there is no money left, we have borrowed to much allready!

[rmonroe401]

Are you kidding me? This is why the disabled are treated so horribly in this country. I am disabled, and do not receive ANYTHING from the federal government. I am on a state health care program at a discount rate that my governor is trying to eliminate due to budget problems. These people were let go by the agencies they work for and DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE, or lack enough insurance to help them pay extensive medical bills. THEY SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF UNTIL THE DAY THEY DIE AND EVEN FURTHER FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR THIS COUNTRY. You sir or madam, are evil and disgusting and I am sick knowing you are an American and feel the way you do.

[jimbom121]

Do a google search on the S American company...try it...you may actually learn something.