Tom Coburn Quotes & Sayings

The danger of what's happening right now in terms of using reconciliation is, the purpose of the Senate is going to be defeated. And that is to bring consensus to big issues in this country so that we have a reasoned and thoughtful approach and that the American public buys into it. — Tom Coburn

The gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power ... That agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today. Why do you think we see the rationalization for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda. — Tom Coburn

How is it that we have sodomy protected under that due process but prostitution unprotected? It's schizophrenic. — Tom Coburn

Matter of fact, the interesting friendships are the ones that are divergent. — Tom Coburn

Few things infuse a member of Congress with more courage than self-imposed term limits or an imminent retirement. The issues they choose to focus on in their final months say a great deal about what are really the most important issues in the country. — Tom Coburn

We must have government that spends less and does less. — Tom Coburn

The vast amount of waste and sheer stupidity in government - from the Pentagon to the Food and Drug Administration - could fill committee agendas for years. — Tom Coburn

A super-legislator body is not what the court was intended to be, When I ponder our country and its greatness, its weakness, its potential, my heart aches for less divisiveness, less polarization, less finger-pointing, less bitterness, less mindless partisanship. — Tom Coburn

One poll showed that Americans have a higher opinion of witches, the IRS and hemorrhoids than Congress — Tom Coburn

The traits in career politicians the public detests most are produced when ego triumphs over principle. — Tom Coburn

The longer a politician bears power, the more he is controlled by that power. — Tom Coburn

The problem that faces our country today, the last 30 years we have lived off the future, and the bill is coming due. So there cannot be anything that is not put on the table. There will not be one American that will not be called to sacrifice. Those that are more well-to-do will be called to sacrifice to a greater extent. — Tom Coburn

I believe all life has value, from conception to natural death. And I believe the intentional taking of human life, except to save lives, should be a capital offense, as it is in most states in America today. — Tom Coburn

Expose widespread waste and duplication in federal spending. — Tom Coburn

If we're to honor the heritage of our country, whether it be in terms of religious freedom, whether it be in terms of truly protecting life, protecting not just the unborn but who comes next, the infirm, the elderly, the maimed, the disabled - that's who comes next as we get into the budget crunch of taking care of those people in the years - I believe we ought to have that debate honest and openly. — Tom Coburn

I would like to believe I would not have behaved differently had I not made a term limits pledge, but my own frailties and human desire for prestige and position tell me my term limits pledge did make a difference in how I approached my job in Congress. — Tom Coburn

I still believe that term limits is the best way to ensure that the next generation, not the next election, is the central concern in our elected bodies. — Tom Coburn

I firmly believe that the court should take another direction on many of these moral issues that face us. — Tom Coburn

The question that arises as we use all these adjectives and adverbs to describe our physicians as we approach a Supreme Court nominee is where are we in America when we decide that it's legal to kill our unborn children? — Tom Coburn

It is inexcusable for the White House and Congress to not even make the effort to find at least some offsets to this new spending, ... No one in America believes the federal government is operating at peak efficiency and can't tighten its belt. — Tom Coburn

When I came to Washington, I was troubled to observe so many similarities between the behaviors of drug-addicted patients and my political colleagues. In Washington power is like morphine. — Tom Coburn

Social Security and Medicare represent promises made and we must keep these commitments. — Tom Coburn

It is a real issue, a measurement of our society, when we say it's fine to destroy unborn life who has a heartbeat at 16 days post-conception. — Tom Coburn

We can achieve much greater representation through term-limited members. — Tom Coburn

Senator [Sam] Brownback talked about those with disabilities that are destroyed in the womb because of a genetic test that is sometimes wrong. I would put forward that we all have disabilities. — Tom Coburn

You're going to die sooner. — Tom Coburn

Lesbianism is so rampant in some of the schools in southeast Oklahoma that they'll only let one girl go to the bathroom. Now think about it. Think about that issue. How is it that that's happened to us? — Tom Coburn

An easily accessible and transparent database of contract information will bring sunshine into the confusing and sometimes shadowy practice of government contracting. — Tom Coburn

You have to be courageous to not spend money, ... and we don't have many people who have that courage.. — Tom Coburn

The voting records of virtually every member of Congress reveal that the oath of office is more a ceremonial gesture than a sacred commitment. — Tom Coburn

Charity requires sacrifice, and members of Congress could set a good example of charity by giving up their pay increase. — Tom Coburn

There will be no insurance industry left in three years. — Tom Coburn

The earmark favor factory needs to be boarded up and demolished, not turned over to new management that may or may not have a better eye for earmarks with 'merit.' — Tom Coburn

The career politicians in Washington had transformed a government "for the people" into a government for themselves and for special interests. — Tom Coburn

When we have heartbeat and brain waves, we refuse to accept it as the presence of life - this lack of logic of which we approach this issue because we like and we favor convenience over ethics. We favor convenience over the hard parts of life that actually make us grow. — Tom Coburn

We've gone down a road to which we don't have the answers for. That's why we have the schizophrenic decisions coming out of the Supreme Court that don't balance logically with one versus another decision. — Tom Coburn

My relationship with Barack Obama isn't based on my political philosophy or his. — Tom Coburn

I can't see the country electing another Bush, i love Jeb Bush - I think he's a nice guy. I just can't see it. — Tom Coburn

Careerism: the self-centered philosophy of governing to win the next election above all else. — Tom Coburn

Everybody in America is going to have to sacrifice to help us rebuild the Gulf Coast. Every government program, every individual, we are all going to have to sacrifice. — Tom Coburn

The Pentagon can't even audit its own books. It doesn't even know where its money is going. And we refuse to have the tough forces go on the Pentagon so that at least they are efficient with the money they're spending. — Tom Coburn

We need real leadership, Democrat, Republican and independent to stand up and say, we have to live within our means. — Tom Coburn

You deliver 2,000 babies or better - 3,000 by that time. And that's, you know, at minimum, three people each. And then if you take grandparents or grandparents of siblings and aunts and uncles, you know, you get - a 100,000 votes outta that — Tom Coburn

All change starts with a distant rumble at the grassroots level. — Tom Coburn

Everybody is gonna die from something. And so the deal is how to use each day to move things forward for both you and the people you love and the country you love. — Tom Coburn

What makes this mentality dangerous is that when the team is held together by careerism and mindless partisanship, individual members are punished for thinking for themselves. — Tom Coburn

Careerism in Washington "goes to the heart of what's wrong in America right now." — Tom Coburn

The founding fathers never once rationalized getting in power and having control so they could stay in power. — Tom Coburn

The real debate is we've had an activist court, and the American people don't want an activist court. And the real fear from those who might oppose Samuel Alito is that he'll bring the court back within a realm where the American people might want us to be with a Supreme Court; one that interprets the law, equal justice under the law, but not advancing without us advancing, the legislative body advancing, ahead of him. — Tom Coburn

My heart aches for less divisiveness, less polarization Less mindless partisanship, which at times sounds almost hateful to the ear of Americans. How we conduct ourselves and how we treat you, Judge Roberts, can be a great start toward reconciliation in our country. — Tom Coburn

I asked Chief Justice John Roberts about this definition of life - you know, what is life? The Supreme Court can't figure it out or doesn't want us to figure it out; the fact that we know that there is no life if there's no heartbeat and brainwaves. — Tom Coburn

Statesmen exhibit five key commitments: 1) A commitment to principles above politics; 2) An ability to compromise without abandoning principle; 3) A commitment to truth over spin; 4) A commitment to courage over cowardice; and 5) A commitment, or willingness, to give up power. — Tom Coburn

It is easy to see how after receiving this adoration for a term or two most members become convinced they are indispensable. — Tom Coburn

I'm very disturbed at the picture that was painted by Senator Ted Kennedy that Samuel Alito is not a man of his word, that he is dishonest. The implication that he is not reliable I don't think is a fair characterization of what I've read. — Tom Coburn

I'm proud of our country that we elected Barack Obama. I mean, it says something about us nationally. You know, it's kind of like crowning your checker when you get to the end of your checker board. Here's another thing that says America's special: Barack Obama, president of the United States. — Tom Coburn

The ripping and tearing of an unborn child from his mother's womb through the hands of another, and we say, "That's fine; you have a constitutional right to do that." — Tom Coburn

I used to have a great fear of constitutional conventions. I have a great fear now of not having one. — Tom Coburn

And I thought I would just share with you what science says today about silicone breast implants. If you have them, you're healthier than if you don't. In fact, there's no science that shows that silicone breast implants are detrimental and, in fact, they make you healthier. — Tom Coburn

The American people will be appalled to learn the health care bill exempts (congressional) leadership and committee staff. — Tom Coburn

Republicans should simply focus on first principles and give the American people what they want - an honest party dedicated to common sense, fiscal responsibility and limited government. If we govern to save the country, we'll do well as a party. — Tom Coburn

Career politicians do not have the courage to prioritize spending and say no to demanding special interest groups who do not reflect the best interests of the country. — Tom Coburn

I'm disappointed ... that the president has not done more to demand that Congress and other federal agencies make the same sacrifices millions of Americans are already making. There is no charity without sacrifice. — Tom Coburn

We're gonna put $456 million to go to an island of 50 people? You know ... The bridge to nowhere. And this is right after Katrina happened. And so I offer an amendment to take that money from Alaska and repair the stuff in Louisiana. — Tom Coburn

Silicone breast implants make you healthier. — Tom Coburn

People that had the guts to put their loyalty to the Constitution ahead of their loyalty to their political party were citizen legislators. — Tom Coburn

Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real world is, and we do not have the political power to do this. We're not about to shut the government down over the fact that we cannot, only controlling one house of Congress, tell the president that we're not going to fund any portion of [Obamacare]. Because we can't do that. — Tom Coburn