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Senator Coburn threatened with censure for delivering babies…for free
By Daniel McConchie | August 6, 2008
The US Senate ethics committee has threatened Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, a practicing obstetrician, with censure for delivering babies for free at the Muskogee Regional Medical Center in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Dr. Coburn is the only obstetrician in the Senate and is a strong pro-life ally.
The new effort against him has commenced since the hospital changed from public to private ownership last April. The ethics committee has raised concerns that people might try to have Dr. Coburn as their doctor in order to have an undue influence on him and his votes in the Senate. The Senate bans Senators from earning money from a profession that could benefit from Senate business.
Coburn’s office has gone on the offensive. The Hill newspaper extensively quoted Coburn spokesman John Hart on the matter. Hart said in part:
“The committee has shown us zero empirical evidence to back up its flimsy claim.
“Has Sen. Leahy provided an improper endorsement to Warner Brothers for appearing in Batman? Will millions of Americans now see Batman not because it features stars like Christian Bale or the late Heath Ledger, but because Patrick Leahy, a distinguished United States senator, has offered his illustrious endorsement to this motion picture?
“If Sen. Coburn can only deliver babies for free at a public hospital, shouldn’t Sen. Leahy only be allowed to donate his notable thespian skills to a public entity like PBS?
“If the committee wants to walk down this path, we would expect they will investigate Sens. Reid and Boxer, who have both held books signing [sic] events at privately owned book stores. After all, their events endorsed one book store over another. If Dr. Coburn can only deliver babies for free at public hospitals, Senators should only be permitted to sign books at public libraries.
“The parents of babies Dr. Coburn delivers don’t choose him hoping to sway his vote, and they never have. In the 10 years Dr. Coburn has provided free healthcare to his neighbors while serving in Congress, the Ethics Committee has never pointed to a single conflict of interest. No lobbyist or any individual has ever attempted to infiltrate his medical office under the guise of an invasive medical exam to discuss Senate business.”
According to Hart, Coburn has paid tens of thousands of dollars out of his own pocket for malpractice insurance, all while providing a needed service to his community.
When Coburn was asked about the possibility of further ethics committee action against him, Coburn replied, “All I’m going to say is that’s a fight I would relish.”
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Topics: In The News |
August 6th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
[...] McConchie reports on the Americans United for Life Blog: “The US Senate ethics committee has threatened Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, a practicing [...]
August 10th, 2008 at 5:14 am
As a practicing pro-life dentist, who is currently running for Congress against Elijah (twice refused to vote for the partial birth abortion ban) Cummings, I am acutely aware of Senator Coburn’s position. He and his staff handle these unnecessary charges with class.
August 11th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Coburn deserves an award for his generosity and bravery! God bless him!!