By Senator Tom Coburn, M.D.
Published by The Washington Examiner
With the Haiti recovery and reconstruction effort moving at an unacceptably slow rate, many are asking hard questions about the U.S. response, and rightly so.
However, the answer that emerged after former President Bill Clinton's recent trip, which followed a chaotic non-debate about Haiti legislation in the Senate, is typical of election-year politics. Our relief effort is stalled because one senator supposedly is single-handedly holding up our mission in Haiti. That senator, of course, is Tom Coburn.
This is a charge I've grown accustomed to in a Congress run by hyper-partisan career politicians who like to blame others for their incompetence and procrastination. With Haiti, however, rarely has the media been more misinformed and biased in favor of Washington demagogues.
Contrary to various news reports, the bill I expressed concerns about at the end of the session had nothing to do with our current mission. The bill in question, sponsored by Sen. John Kerry, D-MA, would authorize $500 million for next year.
The situation in Haiti is confusing, but there are some things we know. First, we know that immediately after the earthquake the United States responded quickly and compassionately with aid and relief.
According to USAID, we have spent at least $1.1 billion in Haiti already. We also know that in July of this year Congress passed and President Obama signed into law an emergency supplemental bill that included $1 billion for Haiti.
Some claim those funds are moving slowly because of my hold on the Kerry bill. That is a baseless charge. The State Department already had the authority to move those funds, yet they did nothing for 10 weeks.
Last week, they finally announced a spending plan to move the funds along. The fact is we have already spent $1 billion in Haiti and another $1 billion is in the pipeline once the State Department gets its act together.
The debate in Congress is about what we do next. I refused to fast-track the $500 million Kerry bill through the unanimous consent or "hotline" process for two reasons.
First, it is grossly irresponsible for Congress to authorize or appropriate any new spending when we have a $13.6 trillion national debt that is strangling our economy. Congress could easily fund our operations in Haiti without adding to the deficit if politicians were willing to make hard choices and put the people of Haiti ahead of their pet projects and other lower-priority items.
For starters, Congress could follow Obama's own recommendation to cut funding for the $23 million a year East-West Center, a Hawaii-based private think tank created in the 1960s that duplicates the work of our State Department's existing cultural exchanges.
We could also act on the Congressional Budget Office's finding that said we could save more than $500 million over 10 years if we eliminated the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which duplicates the work of the existing United States Trade and Development Agency.
If Congress took its job of budgeting seriously it would not be difficult to help Haiti by reducing funding for lower-priority items. I've identified more than $350 billon in wasteful and duplicative Washington spending that could be cut to help Haiti. If my colleagues don't like these recommendations, I'd welcome their suggestions.
Second, it is irresponsible to wait until the last minute to try to fast-track costly and duplicative legislation no one has read. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, alone is responsible for his decision to put off Haiti legislation. He sets the schedule. I do not.
He could have brought this bill up six months ago and probably passed it. His allegation that I am a legislative superman capable of blocking bills with a single hold is spin, and he knows it is spin. A hold is simply refusing to fast-track a bill and instead force no more than two or three days of debate.
The Associated Press did its readers a disservice by not only hyping my role in blocking Haiti relief but by falsely claiming I placed a "secret hold" on the bill that was uncovered through their so-called "investigation."
I never do secret holds. In fact, I notify every senator at the beginning of each session that I intend to block any bill that adds to the deficit from being hotlined. This bill was no exception. Had the AP done their homework, as they normally do, their investigation would have been quick and easy.
My office would have been the first they called. When they finally called we told them of my concerns. I made no effort to hide anything. Unfortunately, AP passed off party hack talking points as fact and impugned my motives.
When Congress reconvenes, we can do the right thing and pass Haiti legislation in a responsible way. I've worked in Haiti as a medical missionary and know the people and poverty first hand.
I would ask my colleagues: What would you sacrifice to help the people of Haiti? Surely Congress can agree that something in our $3.7 trillion budget is less important than helping Haiti recover from this terrible tragedy.
Leadership requires choices and sacrifices. The people of Haiti, and the world, are watching and waiting.