U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn speaks Monday at the Tulsa Regional Chamber during a morning meeting. MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World
Social services will be in U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn's cross hairs when Congress resumes work next month.
"I have a speech I've been working on for six months on the social safety net," Coburn told the Tulsa World on Monday after a breakfast meeting with the Tulsa Regional Chamber.
"We'll be putting out a Coburn book on social welfare programs."
"Coburn book," in this case, refers to one of the senator's periodic attacks on what he views as wastefulness in specific areas of the federal government. Most recently, Coburn has criticized federal agencies for "extravagant" spending on conferences and "excessive" and "unnecessary" travel.
In several public appearances this month, including Monday's, Coburn has said federal assistance is often more harmful than helpful.
On Monday, Coburn linked illegal immigration to "the imbalance in the social safety net" and said an unwillingness of Americans to work creates labor shortages filled by undocumented workers.
"One of the significant aspects of the drawing of illegal immigrants to this country is the imbalance of the social safety net, where we undermine earned success," he said.
Congress, and especially Republicans, have been particularly critical of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Participation in the program has gone from an average of 17.3 million per month in 2001 to 47.6 million in May.
House Republicans want to cut SNAP by as much as $135 billion over 10 years, a reduction of nearly 20 percent from current levels.
The Democrat-led Senate has proposed reducing SNAP by $4.1 billion over 10 years.
Experts say the run-up in participation has been caused by a combination of increased poverty, a reduction in cash welfare payments and easier eligibility. The latter is tied to a series of reforms beginning with the 2002 farm bill.
"I don't think there's anybody in this room that's down and needs help," Coburn said. "The question is, do we create an atmosphere where they learn earned success at the same time we're helping them, or do we teach them dependency?"
Coburn also weighed in on foreign policy, saying U.S. indecisiveness has helped put the world "at more risk in the Middle East than at any point in my lifetime."
"Our foreign policy on the Middle East is in shambles," he said.
"It's not been intended that way. It's been a matter of indecision."
In Egypt, suspension of military aid to the ruling military junta risks driving it into the arms of Russia, Coburn said.
Asked afterward what the U.S. should do, Coburn said: "I don't think we ought to have been quiet. ... We should act in our best interests and in the interest of freedom for those who want it."
Coburn said the Obama administration made a mistake by threatening action in civil war-torn Syria without carrying through.
"By not acting on that, we're saying you can't believe what we say," he said. "I don't know if we can ever get ahead of the curve again there."
Randy Krehbiel 918-581-8365
randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com
Local
Convicted of a murder that occurred when he was 13, the now 30-year-old has spent most of his life in a maximum-security prison.
None of McLain’s players, nor their coach, knew the WNBA star was coming.
