Before their recess, Sen. Tom Coburn introduced an amendment to successfully strip a $2 million supplement inserted in the emergency war appropriations bill by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. The $2 million dollars was to set up an institute at the University of Vermont named after former Sen. James Jeffords. Leahy aides claim the proposal should have been considered an emergency because of Jeffords' failing health. Leahy said on the floor of the Senate that Sen. Coburn's effort to strip this non-emergency supplement from the emergency war supplemental bill a "disgrace." "Senator Leahy has agreed to work again on that later this year, in the regular appropriations process," said David Carle, a spokesman for Leahy. A $3 million measure for the same UVM institute was in an appropriation bill last year that died, Carle said.

Labels: Congress, Sen. Tom Coburn

Posted at 4/09/2007 09:45:00 AM