GOP Senator Calls Stimulus ‘Stinky’

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) lashed out at the economic stimulus package on Thursday, saying there is “stinky stuff” in the massive bill.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Coburn said that “there is a ton of stuff we need to cut of out this bill,” adding that lawmakers “need to be in a 10-step program” to get the country back to what the founding fathers envisioned.

The outspoken conservative, who voted for the $700-billion bailout legislation last fall, said Congress “is more interested in the next election than the next generation.” Coburn has been highly critical of the spending in the stimulus legislation.

He blamed Washington policymakers for the nation’s economic problems, saying, “The problem is us. We created this mess.”

Following Coburn’s speech, Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) defended the stimulus bill and criticized former President George W. Bush’s fiscal record.

— Bob Cusack