(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) released the following statement today after voting against the Omnibus Appropriations conference report that passed in the Senate by a vote of 67 to 32.

“With this bill, we have failed America. Next year may be tougher economically than any of us anticipate. The Euro is at risk and the global economy is on the brink. At a time when our national survival is already at stake due to our crushing debt burden we are making that problem worse,” said Dr. Coburn.

“The big lie of 2011 is that we have cut spending when we have not. We need to be setting priorities and making hard choices. Instead, Congress is making the easy choice of passing a bill laden with special favors so it can get out of town. Even though we have an earmark ban, there are thousands of earmarks in this bill we won’t discover until long after the bill becomes law. The bill contains a slush fund that will allow hundreds of millions of dollars in phone-marking. Members will pick up the phone and call in their request, and the agencies will deliver. It’s not just wrong, it’s immoral”.

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