Tom Coburn: “I have been on the floor numerous times to talk about priorities. We are on an unsustainable course in our country. The…”

“I have been on the floor numerous times to talk about priorities. We are on an unsustainable course in our country. The GAO says that. Anybody who looks at our books, our budgets, and our deficits would realize that. We have before us a $1 billion expenditure that I am sure we are going to do. I have done everything I can to keep us from doing it. Without paying for it, we will transfer that money to our children. I think it is important for the American public to know how awry we are in this body. I want to put forward and into the Record what the cosponsors of this bill did. They did, collectively, $777 million worth of earmarks last year. Those States of the cosponsors are going to get $145 million in LIHEAP money. The fact is, we spent over $770 million on earmarks. I wish to spend a few minutes reading some of them so we can see whether the American people think it is a priority. Do we help people who need heat with their homes or do we build the Katahdin Ironworks in Maine? Or do we build a new industrial park in Maine? Do we buy new land--the Rachel Carson land acquisition for $600,000? Do we pay for a new building for the city of Brewer, an administrative building? I cannot find in the Constitution where that is a responsibility of the Federal Government. We are going to build a new Bangor waterfront park. We spent $246,000 on earmarked lowbush blueberry research.…”