Coburn plans six small-government additions to Senate small-business bill

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) indicated this week that he will try to attach six small-government amendments to the small-business reauthorization bill that the Senate is considering this week.

Coburn on Monday said he would seek to suspend the rules and get these amendments approved by unanimous consent, which will require senators to agree to include them even though they are not germane to the bill at hand, S. 493.

Coburn's six amendments would end the national historic covered bridge restoration program; end the tax credit subsidy of ethanol; terminate taxpayer funding for public broadcasting; consolidate unnecessary duplicative government programs; terminate leftover congressional earmarks; and prohibiting the use of federal funds to repay money lost under the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP).

Last week, Coburn was delaying consideration of the small-business bill in an effort to ensure a vote on his ethanol tax amendment.

As of Tuesday morning, there was no sign of an agreement on what day Coburn's amendments would come up, whether they would need 60 votes to pass, or when votes might occur.