Tulsa World: BA reserve center in funding

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

BA reserve center in funding

This image shows a planned Armed Services Reserve Center in Norman. A spending bill passed Saturday includes $67 million for a similar center to be built in Broken Arrow. Courtesy

By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau
Published: 9/28/2008 2:16 AM
Last Modified: 9/28/2008 2:56 AM

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved a major funding bill Saturday that includes millions of dollars for a number of Oklahoma projects.

Oklahoma's two senators, Republicans Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn, split on the measure with Inhofe voting to pass it and Coburn voting against it. The bill passed by a 78-12 vote.

Inhofe noted the provisions that increase funding for the military as well as those designed to increase energy production.

Citing the Oklahoma projects, he called the bill a huge victory for Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma.

Those projects include:

$67 million for an Armed Forces Reserve Center in Broken Arrow.

$23 million for an Armed Forces Reserve Center in Muskogee.

$2.5 million for the University of Tulsa's Institute for Information Security.

$14.8 million for a program to stimulate research at state universities and build on efforts in states that traditionally have received the least research funding.

Coburn criticized lawmakers for passing what he called an earmark-laden bill, accusing them of pushing aside the current economic crisis.

"Oversight has been replaced with earmarking and personal, parochial election-year interests,'' he said.

"What is particularly appalling is that Congress has once again used must-pass defense bills to push through thousands of special interest earmarks.''

Coburn singled out projects to study the hibernation habits of ground squirrels and prepare for the 2010 Olympics. The House had approved the bill earlier.

Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., said he had secured $10.2 million in the bill for defense projects.

Those include $5.8 million to construct 2.5 miles of new railway and $1.6 million for bomb line modernization at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.

"Oklahomans have a long and proud history of answering the call to duty, and our military installations and defense projects have a strong record of support for our men and women in uniform,'' Boren said.

Jim Myers 202-484-1424
jim.myers@tulsaworld.com By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

0 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.