The Oklahoman - Oklahoma Lawmakers Split on Budget Deal

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By Chris Casteel

Oklahoma lawmakers mostly withheld judgment Wednesday on a budget accord to avert another government shutdown, though at least two are expected to vote for the agreement.

Rep. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, will support the bill, according to his spokeswoman. Lankford said the bill would cut the deficit even more than the automatic budget cuts known as the sequester and protect Defense Department families from "another huge cut next year."

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, who was part of the House negotiating team, also supports the legislation.

"Hardworking American families desperately want their government to stop budgeting by short-term, continuing resolutions or refusing to talk at all.

"When I remember the pain caused by the recent shutdown, I am encouraged that this conference was able to reach a deal that finds real savings, eases sequester and brings down the deficit."

The deal will give the Defense Department about $22 billion more in the current fiscal year than was budgeted under the sequester; and it will get $9 billion more in 2015 than current law would allow.

The rest of the domestic agencies also will get increases. However, the increases are offset with savings elsewhere -- including changes to the pensions of military retirees and future government employees -- and higher fees for airline passengers.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, criticized the deal, saying it didn't eliminate any of the waste and fraud that has been identified by the Government Accountability Office.

In an interview on MSNBC, Coburn said the deal "will raise spending back up because the political powers that be want to spend more money rather than be responsible with what we know needs to be done up here, which is hard work eliminating the fraud duplication going on."

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, who has been warning about the effects of sequestration on the military, said Wednesday that he wanted to weigh the impact of the deal before voting.

"The federal government has operated for far too long without a budget and our stagnant economy demands the relief and predictability that such a budget would provide," Inhofe said.

"The cuts taken to defense remain disproportionate and send a terrible message to our all-volunteer force who have already endured over $487 billion in budget reductions under this administration and continue to sacrifice in order to fund President Obama's runaway domestic spending."

Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Tulsa, wanted to offer a substitute budget that would have eliminated all of the defense cuts and replaced them with savings proposed by President Barack Obama, including a change to the way inflation is calculated for Social Security and other federal benefits.

However, House leaders did not allow him to make his proposal as an amendment to the bill.

Bridenstine said he didn't know how he would vote on the agreement. Reps. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, and Markwayne Mullin, R-Westville, also declined to announce a position.

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