Tom Coburn's Protest Halts Senate Business

(AP)  The Senate ground to a halt Wednesday in a display of what an individual senator can do to protest his treatment by some of Capitol Hill's most powerful barons.

Instead of passing a $33.5 billion measure funding energy and water projects and then moving on to other business, the chamber slogged through a 30-hour protest by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who halted further legislative business after one of his pet ideas was dropped from the bill.

At issue is one of Coburn's top issues - greater transparency in government - as well as his sworn enemy, the powerful Appropriations Committee. Coburn had added to the energy and water bill a provision requiring reports that agencies are required to send to the appropriations panels be made available to other lawmakers and to the public. It's part of his drive for greater transparency in government.

Coburn's amendment won routine Senate approval in July but was dropped during House-Senate talks last month. Under Coburn's plan, reports such as one on the Energy Department's financial balances and a Nuclear Regulatory Commission report on barriers to building new nuclear power plants would have to be posted online right away. He's added similar language to several other bills.

"What is it we don't want the American people to see," Coburn said.

The Senate easily beat back a Coburn filibuster of the House-Senate measure. That means debate can only go on for a maximum of 30 more hours. Typically, however, once a filibuster is blocked, the chamber moves to a final vote on the legislation fairly quickly - or it at least moves on to other business rather than simply wasting time.

But under Senate rules, any single member can force the 30 hours to run. In the current situation, that means a final vote would have to wait until about 6 p.m. Thursday.

There's more to the protest, however, than spite. By putting the Senate through this pain, Coburn hopes that other negotiators wouldn't drop comparable Coburn provisions.

"It's the only leverage he has," said Coburn spokesman John Hart.

The situation had the top Senate Democrat steaming.

"It's wasted time," griped Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "We spend hours, days on this floor doing nothing." He said the Senate could have instead worked on extending unemployment benefits or passing a popular Defense Department policy bill.

The top House negotiator, Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz., didn't recall why his side insisted that the Senate drop the transparency provision. But a Democratic aide said later that there is concern that making every report public automatically might cause agencies to be less candid in their dealing with the Appropriations Committee. The aide required anonymity to speak candidly.

[FleetGhost]

HATS OFF TO A CONGRESSMAN WHO FIGHTS HIS OWN PARTY AND ANY DEMOCRATS WHO SEEK TO HIDE PUBLIC BUSINESS FROM THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE. RESPECT A CONGRESSMAN WHO IS ETHICAL! People are out money from stock investments and bank accounts are low. Businesses are closed, unemployment is high and hope is lost for the common people on the heels of GROPE (the Greatest Robbery of the People Ever) in 2008 as Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Citibank are awarding their people record bonuses in 2009. The Glass-Stegall Act of 1933 was regulatory oversight that demanded transparency protecting against abuses that caused the bank holidays during the Great Depression, dismantled courtesy of the Republican Reagan(Get govt. out of our business!) platform which was dismantled over a 30 year period from 1980 until 1999 when Republican sponsors and a faction of Democrats along with members of the Treasury toasted to "R.I.P. 50 years of Glass-Stegall" upon passing the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, completely dismantling its restrictions. People should take note of Sen. Coburn as he butts heads with the blockers in Congress, Republican and Democrat. There must be more transparency in govt. THE TIME HAS COME TO ACCOUNT TO THE PEOPLE CONGRESS IS SUPPOSED TO SERVE AND PROTECT. Congress people should re-read the words of the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States, and for the good of the people, re-enact the Glass-Stegall Act of 1933 and bring back regulation, transparency, and ethics to government.

[payback108]

I wonder how meny paid obamabots are out there trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the public

[stuart-johns2]

Coburn is a typical impish republican. He cannot accept defeat so he ruins the party for everyone else.

Republicans these days remind me of the kid that eveeryone wanted to beat the hell out of in grade school. You know, the one when he could'nt get his way in the game took his ball and ran home sulking.

Republicans really need to grow up. What an embarrassment they are to America.

[payback108]

No the obamabots don't want the public to know what they doing I like to read.

[jsd330]

If there is transparency, everyone will see all the kickbacks and no bids on these projects.

[stn_sage]

I for one, would like to see the bills posted on the internet before they're voted on...in order to FORCE transparency upon Congress!

I think this is necessary because this Congress...both houses...appear to be corrupt and incompetent!

Now, having said that...I do NOT support what Mr. Coburn is doing!

It appears he's staging this 30-hour filibuster for personal, petty reasons and not for the higher ideal of better government!

Having acted as a hush money negotiator for Mr. Ensign, this is just ONE more stunt that weighs against him! I hope Oklahomans note this and proceed accordingly next year at election time!

[starleo146]

Tom Coburn the craziest of the crazy. He and Ensign should just resign and the rest of the 'C' Street crazies.If only we could take him out in a election but not living in these States that these crazies live we cannot. So obviously either the people that elect them are not informed or just plain crazy themselves. I saw him at a town hall meeting on tv, and this woman was so upset about her husband and he typically blamed the government not the insurance industry. Right then I thought what a goofball.

[ramos1129]

It is very safe to say that Senator Coburn's conduct will not be shown on Fox News. Not on Hannity, not on Beck and not on Fox & Freinds. Obama was right. Fox News is the political arm of the RNC and not a news organization.

[velma179]

I just looked at the Fox website and didn't see anything.

Actually, I'd have thought he'd be applauded for not only saying "No", but also saying "Stop".

Oh well

[sjc_1]

The party of NO complains about delays, red tape and costs and then causes a wasteful and unnecessary delay because this one clown from Oklahoma has his feelings hurt. I don't care to read online if a proposed nuclear power plant has problems passing regulations. To have to post every detail of everything that is ever done would cost a huge amount of time and money and do very little good, but then the same guy that demanded this would complain about the costs!

[mjvwsr]

i happen to want to know how my tax dollars are spent. and posting things online for 72 hours cost virtually nothing. otherwise cBS won't pay for our dribble here.

[sjc_1]

Some of the same people that say they want this are the same ones that never bothered to ready H.R.3200 nor the Patriot Act...no wait, the Patriot Act was never online, it was kept secret and it would not matter whether you read it or not, it would have been rammed through in the dead of night anyway.

[jntlw]

These Republicans must be voted out - they obstruct everything. They are anti-American and border treasonous. Good riddance Coburn - Mr. help-creepy-Senator-Ensign - these guys are slimy criminals. Get rid of them ! Christian my a**

[mjvwsr]

how dare he insist that the american people get to see a bill before it's voted on. does he really think we're smart enough to read it. the nerve.

[velma179]

The idea of letting the American people see a BILL/proposed legislation online when it is set for the FINAL vote on the floor of the Senate or House isn't what Mr. Coburn is protesting.

Please read the article.

He wants REPORTS from AGENCIES that are presented to the Senate Appropriations Committee to be available to legislators that do not sit on that powerful committee -- that is his MAIN concern.

He adds "and to the public" -- most likely, just to get folks all riled up and supportive of his maneuvers.

Putting up every bit of legislation in every phase (meaning, when it is not complete) would not only be confusing to the general public, it would probably serve to create MORE division among legislators as each and every one might feel the need to speak up ONLY for their own good -- meaning, political/campaign fund raising reasons.

We really do not need to give these representatives any more reason to focus on the next election, rather than the current session they have already been elected to serve in.

[mjvwsr]

how dare he insist that the american people get to see a bill before it's voted on. does he really think we're smart enough to read it. the nerve.