Fairfax, VA, July 22nd, 2008—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today praised 19 Republican members of the Senate for joining with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) in opposing a $11.3 billion omnibus spending bill that will combine approximately 36 pieces of legislation.
“The American people need to know about these 19 Republican Senators that have joined with Senator Coburn,” said Wilson. “Instead of continuing to recklessly grow the size of government, they are determined to increase America’s energy supply right now and give the American people real relief from the soaring prices at the gas pump.”
“This is an important first step to defeating this $11.3 billion boondoggle. They should be praised and thanked, and Americans for Limited Government is encouraging them to go all the way to defeat it. If it comes down to it, they ought to filibuster it,” Wilson added.
The letter, addressed to Republican Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), states, “Although the American people are calling for solutions to increase exploration, all Republican proposals to do so have been shut down before a vote could be taken because of the tactics employed by the Majority Leader [Sen. Harry Reid]. Until alternative proposals are allowed on the floor, the American public will not get relief from the high prices they are paying for gas.”
Wilson believes that the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV), who has blocked energy bills while pushing his omnibus spending legislation, has his priorities “exactly backward.”
“The only thing that should be on the fast track right now is increasing domestic oil drilling in the outer-continental shelf, off the east and west coasts, in ANWR, and on other federal lands where oil companies are currently barred by law from drilling,” said Wilson.
“Instead, Majority Leader Reid is ramming this $11.3 billion omnibus spending bill down the American people’s throats without so much as allowing a single amendment. It is willful negligence when he knows that hard-working Americans are expecting the government to do something about energy prices.”
According to the July 17th letter to Sen. McConnell, the twenty Senators opposing the omnibus spending bill and who signed the letter are:
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Jim Bunning (R-KY)
James Inhofe (R-OK)
Mel Martinez (R-FL)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Sam Brownback (R-KS)
John Ensign (R-NV)
John Sununu (R-NH)
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Larry Craig (R-ID)
“We are going to lobby every Republican Senator to oppose this mess,” said Wilson. “They need to understand that the American people want Congress to increase the energy supply and decrease energy prices, not work on pork-barrel spending that benefits only a select few.”
Wilson believes that every Republican Senator now has to “choose this day whom they will serve. They can either stand with Senator Coburn and filibuster this waste, and help pass meaningful energy legislation—or they can aid and abet Sen. Reid in bilking the American people.
Wilson warned, “We won’t forget who does which.”
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