Yes!!! Omnibus Pork Bill Killed

Thanks to all of you for calling and e-mailing your Senators yesterday - it worked!  Harry Reid's attempt at strong-arming billions of dollars of pork spending failed:

Senate Republicans yesterday blocked consideration of 35 bills that were rolled into one omnibus measure designed to overcome the objections of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who has used parliamentary tactics to stymie dozens of pieces of legislation.

Siding with Coburn, most Republicans voted against bringing up the omnibus bill, worth more than $10 billion, contending that it would take debate time away from energy legislation and efforts to bring down gasoline prices.

"The American people are asking us to do something about the price of gas at the pump," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who called energy legislation that includes more domestic oil production the "number one issue in the country."

The 52 to 40 tally in favor of considering the bill was eight votes shy of the 60 required. Democrats threatened political retaliation against Republicans in November

Some more details:

Coburn is opposed to creating federal programs unless other programs he considers duplicative are eliminated or reduced in scope, and he demands that new programs also contain measures of their effectiveness.

"We don't do that in this city. We just conveniently charge it to our grandchildren," Coburn said in debate before the vote, noting the record $482 billion deficit projected yesterday for 2009.

Coburn said there are only five bills in the omnibus package that he "adamantly" opposes as unnecessary, including one that would place restrictions on the sale and interstate transport of apes and monkeys and another that would establish a commission on the bicentennial celebration of the War of 1812.

This is great news!  As important as it may be to restrict monkey transport, I certainly think it's more important to reign in the out-of-control spending of our Democrat-led Congress.  It's good to see enough Republicans stand up for fiscal responsibility to stop this train for a change!  Here is a link to the vote record.

Now, please take a moment to contact those Senators who opposed this bill, especially Coburn.  They should be acknowledged when they do something right, even if it isn't very often.

There's my two cents.