FROM ONE NEWS NOW/AFA

Coburn: Don't raise taxes - cut waste!


Russ Jones - OneNewsNow - 10/13/2010 4:00:00 AM

House GOP leaders say earmarks must be removed from the massive "omnibus" spending bill the Democratic majority will likely try to pass after the mid-term elections.

Congressman John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other members of the House GOP leadership joined Representative Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) and dozens of other House Republicans in sending a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) urging that no earmarks be included in the next proposed budget.

Senator Tom Coburn (R- Oklahoma) said the federal government needs to tighten its own belt before raising taxes. "The fact is we've got $350 billion a year in waste, fraud, or duplication in the federal government, and everybody's thinking we have to raise taxes," says the senator. "The first thing we need to do is cut that waste."

Coburn said Democrats are not alone in not cutting unnecessary pet projects -- some Republicans have been hesitant to make those cuts as well, he points out.

"I think what has to happen is we need to have the caucus say we're not going to do earmarks," Coburn states, "and when we vote that, then it's not going to happen -- and [Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell] is going to follow our lead." McConnell is one of three GOP senators on the caucus who have shown a reluctance to rule out earmarks.

House Republican leaders have also called for an end to the practice of passing massive omnibus spending bills, arguing such bills make it too difficult to cut spending and too easy to shield spending projects from public scrutiny and debate.