Coburn-Carson debate: on Government Reform

Tom Coburn: Rejected a road bill that came with a bribe

A: The Republican Congress had agreed with Bush that we’d have a Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Immediately thereafter, they spent $27 billion we didn’t have. I’ve put every project in that bill that the Oklahoma Department of Transportation asked me to put in that bill. I was then offered a bribe by the committee to vote for the bill, I could have $15 million to spend wherever I wanted to. I don’t believe that’s the kind of government we want. That’s what we’re seeing in Congress now with some of the ethical problems there. In fact, when the bill came through, I did vote against it, but I made sure that every bit of that money went to Oklahoma, including the $15 million bribe. I drive on Oklahoma roads. I have grandchildren on Oklahoma roads. They’re vitally important to me.