^(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) released the following statement today after the Senate defeated his amendment to strike six earmarks from the fiscal year 2008 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill and use savings from those projects to help the Department of Justice investigate and prosecute unsolved civil rights crimes. Coburn amendment 3243 was defeated by a vote of 61 to 31.

“Today’s vote once again demonstrates Congress’ refusal to set common sense priorities. Congress could have advanced the cause of justice and helped resolve unsolved civil rights crimes. Instead, Congress showed that its insatiable appetite for pork comes first,” Dr. Coburn said.^

“Many politicians rationalize these votes by claiming they can fund high and lower priority projects at the same time. Yet, last week’s vote to raise the debt limit by $850 billion demonstrates that Congress’ refusal to make choices has consequences. When Congress does not set priorities it always borrows more and places an even greater burden on future generations. Families across America don't have the luxury of loaning themselves any money when they've maxed out their credit. Yet, that is what Congress does routinely. By voting against this amendment, Congress cheated not only victims of civil rights crimes, but future generations as well,” Dr. Coburn said.

Coburn amendment 3243 would have directed savings from the following earmarks to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division:

• $500,000 for the Maritime Museum in Mobile, Alabama
• $300,000 for the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in Vermont for the “Eye-In-The-Sky” Program
• $300,000 for the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois
• $500,000 for the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama
• $500,000 for an interpretive buoy system along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
• $450,000 for an undersea vehicle in Mystic, Connecticut

The Senate did approve Coburn amendment 3230 to ensure that Department of Justice conference spending does not fund excessive travel, lavish meals and snacks, and organizations linked to terrorism.

The Department of Justice has attracted attention recently for its lavish spending on conferences, including its support for a convention held by an organization linked with terrorism.

The amendment will cap Department of Justice conference spending at $15 million over the next 12 months and prohibit the Department from providing financial support to a conference or convention of any organization listed as unindicted co-conspirator in a U.S. federal court. The amendment saves taxpayers $31 million by reducing last year’s spending on DOJ conferences from $46 million to $15 million.