Senate Report Card: Tom Coburn R-OK

Senator Tom Coburn is the junior Republican United States Senator from the state of Oklahoma. Senator Coburn assumed office in 2005. Senator Coburn is a medical doctor.

Senator Coburn serves on the Judiciary, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Indian Affairs Committees. In addition, he is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security and the Subcommittee on Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Tom Coburn is one of the most conservative members of the Republican Pary. Coburn sponsored a bill to prevent the Food and Drug Administration from developing, testing or approving the abortifacient RU-486. He is staunchly opposed to abortion and is full heartedly pro life. He made a controversial remark on the floor of the Senate, saying that he favored the death penalty for gynecologists who perform abortions. He is opposed to abortion even in cases of rape.

Coburn is a hard fiscal conservative, even criticizing members of his own party on issues of spending. He made several attempts to combat pork barrel spending in the federal budget. He authored an amendment added to the appropriations bill that funds transportation projects. This amendment would have transferred funding from the infamous Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska added by Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, to rebuild Louisiana's "Twin Spans" bridge, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He was heralded by Democrats for his support for Louisiana and attack on Republican pork spending. The amendment was ultimately defeated in the Senate, after Senator Stevens threatened to resign his office if the amendment was passed. He introduced legislation to attempt to reduce overall federal government spending by requiring U.S. Senators to vote, individually, on federal budget earmarks. He also introduced the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. This bill requires the full disclosure of all entities or organizations receiving federal funds.