Tom Coburn
The Public Record
Tom Coburn is a former U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, serving from 2005 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Coburn was known for his fiscal conservatism and advocacy for government transparency. He was a practicing physician before entering politics, which influenced his views on healthcare and government spending. Throughout his tenure, he was a vocal critic of wasteful government expenditures and often called for reforms to improve accountability in Congress.
★ Featured Quote
July 25, 2018
Well, actually, if you use Amazon you are using the Postal Service.
— Tom Coburn
I want to thank Senator Lankford in his role as the Chairman of my Appropriations Subcommittee.
I am proud of the really collegial effort that we are privileged to take part in.
As stewards of the Federal purse, we should be ensuring that we are doing all that we can to save taxpayer dollars and create efficiency in Government.
The important thing is to restore the confidence in the country, in terms of what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how you are doing it.
Right now, the unfunded liabilities of this country, with its debt, are $142 trillion.
I think you ought to offend them all and I think you ought to do what is right.
People worry to death about hearing from the IRS, thinking, 'Maybe my taxes were not right.'
the question is--and my advice to the Committee is to look at the roles that the Federal Government has taken over that would be better and more efficiently done at the State level.
You have lost their confidence--and that is not one party--that is both parties.
America does not trust you anymore--that is the truth--because they do not see the actions coming out of Congress that should be coming out.
People--if they are not being held accountable, they do not want to be held accountable--and transparency is what holds them accountable.
if you have an oath, why do we have to have a constitutional amendment in order for Congress to do what is best for the country?
So, what you are really doing is fighting a dark force that does not want the American people to know what is going on up here.
the Constitution, actually, is the powerful tool with which to solve the problems of our country.
the three Cs. Communicate and compromise, those are the secrets for a vibrant democracy.
What we need is a simpler, fairer, and flatter tax code, so that everybody pays something.
That is not partisan. That is just due to the fact that there is not a commitment to reconciliation and working together to get things done.





