Coburn On The "Coburn Omnibus" [UPDATED]

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), the inspiration for Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) “Coburn Omnibus,” says he’s looking forward to debating the package but threatens a “rough time” if Reid doesn’t allow debate or amendments. “I don’t mind taking a week to debate them all,” he says.

“We’re holding a bill because we either want to amend it or we want to debate it. They don’t want to debate these issues because they know if they debate them they’re vulnerable. I’m happy if they want to debate them. There’s tons of waste — tons of new programs — [that] we don’t have the money for,” he says.

Coburn is worried that Reid won’t allow amendments or debate. “If he cuts off debate and doesn’t allow amendments, then what he does is he takes away and changes the tradition of the Senate, which says things ought to be debated and ought to be amended,” he says. “I think he’s fine doing what he wants to do, but he’s got to allow debate, and if he doesn’t allow amendments then he is bastardizing the process.”
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