Party of Thirteen Fights Against Wasteful Spending

Today, a series of amendments offered by taxpayer hero Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) separated the true fiscal conservatives in the U.S. Senate from those who merely “talk the talk” but vote the other way.

With the chance to rein in excessive spending, only thirteen senators mustered the courage to actually vote against egregious spending and pork earmarks. Coburn’s amendments attempted to prohibit funding for low-priority pet projects such as:

1) An animal facility in Westerly, Rhode Island ($200,000)
2) A sculpture park in Seattle, Washington ($500,000)
3) A parking facility in Omaha, Nebraska ($950,000)

Like so much spending these days, these projects are not of national importance. And at a time of record spending and near-record deficits, it is morally wrong to stick future generations of Americans with the bill for such frivolous and wasteful federal spending.

A Nay vote on tabling the amendment was a vote to reduce pork. The only GOOD Senators in today’s action so far:

NAYs —13

Allen (R-VA)
Burr (R-NC)
Coburn (R-OK)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Feingold (D-WI)
Graham (R-SC)
Hagel (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
Sessions (R-AL)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)

FreedomWorks thanks these Senators for taking a stand against wasteful spending. Unfortunately, 86 of their colleagues voted to continue spending at a record pace. We still have a lot of work to do.