Coburn Reports on Stimulus Waste
Sen. Tom Coburn released a report this morning on 100 projects being funded by stimulus money in which there may be less than meets the eye.
“Rather than growing our economy, the overall impact of stimulus spending may prove to be harmful to our economy. For example, Washington’s efforts to ‘stimulate’ the economy are increasing utility costs, repairing bridges nobody uses, building tunnels for turtles, and renovating extravagant train stations in remote areas while widely-used bridges and roads in poor shape are passed over,” Coburn said.
Obama Taps Former OSU Prof. for Pentagon Post
President Barack Obama has announced his intention to nominate Joseph Westphal, who once headed the political science department at Oklahoma State University, to be the Under Secretary of the Army.
Here is the bio provided by the White House:
Joseph Westphal is University System Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine where he also served as the Chancellor of the University of Maine System. Mr. Westphal recently served as a member of the Obama-Biden Transition for the National Security Team working on Defense matters. He was Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works from 1998 to 2001 and Acting Secretary of the Army for June and July 2001. His other federal government experience included Senior Policy Advisor for Water Resources at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Staff Director of the Congressional Sunbelt Caucus in the United States Congress. His other academic appointments have included Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at Oklahoma State University. While on leave from the University of Maine, Mr. Westphal worked in the Department of the Interior on issues related to water development and as a budget analyst and assistant to the Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Budget. He has also served as Adjunct Professor of Government at Georgetown University and Professor and Provost at The New School University in New York. Mr. Westphal received a B.A. from Adelphi University, M.A. from Oklahoma State University and Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Lucas Warns About Global Warming Bill
In advance of a House Agriculture Committee meeting on Thursday about the impact global warming legislation will have on agriculture, Rep. Frank Lucas gave a short speech on the House floor today warning that the bill “has the potential to permanently damage the standard of living for every man, woman, and child for decades to come.”
Lucas, of Cheyenne, is the top Republican on the Agriculture Committee.
He said, “A thousand-page bill of this magnitude deserves thoughtful consideration and debate. Instead, Speaker Pelosi is rushing it through Congress to the detriment of all of us.”
The bill is expected to come to the House floor some time this summer.
Boren Praises Kim Henry
U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, paid tribute to Oklahoma First Lady Kim Henry on the House floor today, and congratulated her for being named executive director of the Sarkeys Foundation, a charitable organization that focuses on Oklahoma needs.
“Your hard work and dedication to the state of Oklahoma doesn’t go unnoticed,” Boren said on the floor.
Vote on Paid Maternity Leave
Oklahoma’s members of the U.S. House split along party lines Thursday on a bill that would give federal employees four weeks of paid leave for births, adoptions or beginning foster care.
Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, voted for the bill; Reps. Tom Cole, R-Moore; Mary Fallin, R-Oklahoma City; and Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, voted against it. Rep. John Sullivan, R-Tulsa, was absent.
Coburn, Inhofe: C-SPAN 2 Regulars
Both of Oklahoma’s senators spoke on the Senate floor on Thursday: Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, talked about China (he’s not a big fan) and Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, talked about health care reform (government meddling in huge part of the economy).
According to C-SPAN’s web site, the two are very familiar faces on the floor of the Senate this year. In fact, Coburn has made the fifth most appearances of all senators in terms of days (37)_ just behind the four main Democratic and Republican leaders.
Coburn has spent a total of 12 hours talking on the floor of the Senate, already more than he spent in 2008.
Inhofe also made the top ten with his 35 days (9 hours and 38 minutes) on the floor.
All of their speeches are available on the site.
Dem. Party Chairman on Sullivan
Todd Goodman, the new chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, issued this statement about Congressman John Sullivan, the Tulsa Republican who checked into a clinic for treatment of alcoholism:
“The Oklahoma Democratic Party wishes to express our support for Congressman John Sullivan in this difficult time. We wish him the best in his recovery from his illness, and our thoughts and prayers are with Congressman Sullivan and his family as they attend to this private matter.”
Coburn Running Again
Sen. Tom Coburn’s campaign website _ launched today after the Muskogee Republican announced his intention to run for reelection _ gives you the opportunity to watch a new commercial and, as a bonus, commercials from last year’s unnsuccessful campaign by Andrew Rice.
