Senate clears amendment to block millionaires from receiving subsidies

An amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to prohibit payments of subsidies to persons with an average income over $1 million, cleared the Senate Thursday night by a vote of 84-15.

Coburn argued forcefully to his colleagues, who were seated at their desks for the series of rapid-fire votes, that such payments from a government that is running in the red were preposterous.

"We had 2,705 people in this country who had adjusted gross incomes in excess of $2.5 million last year who got farm payments," said Coburn. "[R]ather than taxing millionaires, the first thing we ought to do is quit giving them subsidies."

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who is the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, fought back arguing that her committee was already working to remedy the problem through regular order. 

"Give us the next ten days to come forward with the new approach that we will be offering," she said. 

That amendment was the second of the four Coburn amendments to pass on Thursday night.