Inhofe, Coburn Oppose SCHIP Bill
Both of Oklahoma’s senators voted against a bill last night to expand the state children’s health insurance program. The bill passed by a vote of 66-32 and should go to the president’s desk soon.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, a physician, tried to change the bill so Congress would help people buy private insurance policies rather than expanding the Medicaid-based program. Coburn said Medicaid recipients often receive second-class medical care.
“When senators visit with their constituents, they should ask them whether they would want their children in SCHIP or a top tier plan senators provide to their own kids,” Coburn said today.
“Senators should also ask whether parents should have the right to make choices about health care for their kids or whether those choices should be made for them by career politicians and government bureaucrats.
“Sadly, this debate showed once again that Congress, unlike President Barack Obama, is not interested in change but in recycling the same failed Soviet-style health care policies of the past.”
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, said, “I could not lend my support to this legislation because it did not focus its efforts on the low-income children who have no other resource for health insurance and pushes middle income families with access to private insurance into government sponsored health care.”
Rice Tries to Rally Support for SCHIP
State Sen. Andrew Rice, the Oklahoma City Democrat who ran unsuccessfully last year against U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, is helping gather “citizen co-sponsors” of a bill in the U.S. Senate to expand health care coverage for children.
The bill to expand the state childrens’ health insurance program could come up for a final vote today.
Rice’s letter, sent to the e-mail list he used for his campaign, provides a link to a web page sponsored by U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, an Arkansas Democrat who is a major supporter of the bill.
“We can’t leave this vote to chance,” Rice’s letter states. “For too long, partisan bickering has blocked of efforts by Senator Lincoln and others to expand this successful program. It’s up to us to show her colleagues in the Senate that the American people are ready for change.”
Inhofe, R-Tulsa, and Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, are expected to vote against the legislation which, according to one group, would cut in half the number of uninsured children in Oklahoma.
Sullivan Writes Letter to Obama
Rep. John Sullivan, R-Tulsa, sent this letter today to President Barack Obama:
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the
The White House
Dear President Obama:
John Sullivan
Member of Congress
Digital TV Delay
Only Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, voted today to delay the transition to digital TV until June. Currently, over-the-air broadcasts are scheduled to cease in about three weeks.
Though a majority in the House voted for the delay, the bill fell short of the necessary two-thirds approval, since it was brought up under an expedited process.
Reps. Tom Cole, R-Moore; Mary Fallin, R-Oklahoma City; Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne; and John Sullivan, R-Tulsa, voted against delaying the switch to digital.
Coburn Opposes Holder
As expected, Sen. Tom Coburn today voted in the Judiciary Committee against Eric Holder to be the next attorney general of the United States.
Coburn, R-Muskogee, said last week that he objected to Holder’s position on the 2nd Amendment; Holder believes the amendment gives a collective right, not an individual right to own guns. And he said he disagreed with Holder’s defense of clemency for members of Puerto Rican group (FALN) responsible for murders, bombings and other crimes.
The interest group Alliance for Justice, which supports Holder, criticized Coburn and Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, for voting against Holder, charging that it was “political grandstanding.”
In a release the group said Coburn and Cornyn supported Alberto Gonzales, “the man who turned the Department of Justice into a puppet for the Bush administration’s political agenda.”
The group cited this quote from Coburn, on Gonzales, in February 2005.
Here is Coburn’s statement:
“Eric Holder is a man of great ability and experience, who I initially believed was qualified to serve as Attorney General of the United States. A closer examination of his record, however, revealed acts and decisions that I believe disqualify him from the position.
House Stimulus Vote Today
The House is expected to vote today on the $825 billion stimulus package. You can read it here.
Regarding the five Oklahoma members of the House: Rep. Dan Boren, the only Democrat in the delegation, predicted that he might be the sole “yes” vote among the Oklahomans. And even he has some problems with it.
Fallin, Inhofe on Pro-Life March
Rep. Mary Fallin, R-Oklahoma City, spoke today to a pro-life rally in Washington on the 36th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
She said, “I stand with the men, women and children who participated in today’s March for Life, who continue to hope and pray this grave injustice will be corrected and our laws will someday soon reflect those principles which our nation has traditionally held most dear.”
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, released a statement to the marchers, saying, “To my fellow pro-lifers who are demonstrating today at the U.S. Supreme Court, you are the people who in these challenging times have a message of hope, redemption, and life. With strength and fortitude you have spoken up for those who cannot speak for themselves. You have shown that every child is a blessing, not a punishment; a gift, not a burden.”
(Picture of Fallin provided by her office)
Inhofe’s Vote for Clinton
Both of Oklahoma’s senators voted Wednesday to confirm Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state. Here is a statement by Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa:
“Today in voting to confirm Senator Clinton as Secretary of State, I voted for someone who is well qualified and someone I know I can work with on a range of issues.”
“To be certain, there are many areas where Senator Clinton and I disagree.
“However, I appreciate her recognition of the need to combat al Qaeda’s efforts to seek safe havens in failed states in the Horn of Africa, which is something I have worked to accomplish through my many trips to Africa and my legislation to establish global partnerships. I strongly agree with her support of Israel’s right to defend itself.
“Finally, I appreciate her challenge to Iran to end its nuclear weapons program, and her pledge to work to end Iran’s and Syria’s dangerous behavior so that they instead become constructive actors in the Middle East.
“Diplomacy has a crucial role, but I also trust and will ensure that where stronger efforts need to be made, U.S. foreign policy will include the strong arm of military where diplomacy fails.
“Furthermore, Senator Clinton has demonstrated a willingness to work across the aisle, as we have worked together on legislation through our positions the Senate Armed Services Committee and Environment and Public Works Committee.
“The bottom line, though, is that Senator Clinton’s experience and expertise in foreign relations will serve this country well, and I look forward to working with her in her new role.”
Through the Tunnel
Hopefully everyone got a chance to see the excellent newsok.com blog assembled on inauguration day by staffer Carrie Coppernoll. Lots of great pics and stories. I submitted to her a few pictures I took in DC, which she kindly included, but I wanted to post some more here.
The first is from the walk my buddy from the Providence (Rhode Island) Journal and I made from the National Press Building to the Capitol. Because some main streets were closed down, we had to cross the National Mall area underground, though a tunnel that is normally used by cars. It was packed with people (a phrase that should probably go without saying when describing that day in DC) and the exit seemed to recede the further we walked. My friend joked that it was computer-assisted disaster movie in the making.
The next is a shot from the seating area to which I was assigned. It was kind of a mix of people _ lots of reporters, Oklahoma First Lady Kim Henry, actor Denzel Washington, singer/songwriter Smokey Robinson, Beyonce and Jay Z.
One of the perks of our seating section _ being close to the “President’s Own” United States Marine Band, led by Col. Michael J. Colburn.
There was, as you probably surmised, lots of media there. Here is a shot of one of the camera stands:
Finally, here is a shot of the helicopter carrying former President George W. Bush just after it flew over the U.S. Capitol after the inauguration of his successor, President Barack Obama:
Just Four More Days
Picked up my ticket for the swearing-in ceremony today:
And got a nifty invitation:
That also includes a program:
And pictures of President-elect Barack Obama:
And Vice President-elect Joe Biden:
