I saw the headline on a Club For Growth blog post: “Coburn Puts The Senate On Notice.” I laughed (squealed?) with delight much like a youngster ripping through the packaging of a Nintendo64 on Christmas morning. I’ve been waiting to see an action from Senator Tom Coburn since the Democrats took over Congress, and he has delivered. He circulated a letter to his colleagues in the upper chamber laying out his intentions for the next two years:

1) If a bill creates or authorizes a new federal program or activity, it must not duplicate an existing program or activity without de-authorizing the existing program;

2) If a bill authorizes new spending, it must be offset by reductions in real spending elsewhere;

3) If a program or activity currently receives funding from sources other than the federal government, a bill shall not increase the federal government’s proportion of the costs of the program or activity;

4) If a bill establishes a new foundation, museum, cultural or historical site, or other entity that is not an agency or a department, federal funding should be limited to the initial start-up costs and an endowment shall provide funding thereafter.

This is not an exhaustive list as I may also object to legislation that I believe oversteps the limited role of the federal government enshrined in our Constitution by our Founders or that violates my own deepest personal convictions.

I wanted to alert you, however, to the basic fiscal measurements that I will use to evaluate legislation. My intent is not to be an obstacle, but rather to give you the courtesy of knowing how we can work together now to advance our individual and collective goals.

[Emphasis mine] The full letter can be found on Coburn’s Senate site here (pdf).

Leadership of both parties in the Senate, I hear Advil is good for headaches… I don’t think Coburn’s going to give you an easy ride.