Originally published September 12, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified September 12, 2007 at 2:08 AM
Round 2: Murray wins in earmark battle
Two years ago, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma made headlines when he bewailed the infamous Alaska "Bridge to Nowhere" in a tirade...
Seattle Times Washington bureau
WASHINGTON — Two years ago, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma made headlines when he bewailed the infamous Alaska "Bridge to Nowhere" in a tirade against earmarks.
The bridge to Gravina Island was the pet project of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, a fellow Republican. But it was Washington Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, who lambasted Coburn's efforts, led a 86-13 drubbing of his position and saved the bridge.
Coburn was back Tuesday, and this time his target was Murray's own pet, the $106 billion transportation and housing appropriations bill.
It includes $177 million for Washington state, the second-highest amount in projects added by lawmakers. Only New York would get more in so-called earmarks.
In all, the bill includes more than 500 earmarks, totaling about $2 billion, inserted by senators in both parties, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a budget-watchdog group based in Washington, D.C.
One of the earmarks, credited to Murray, would provide $1.15 million for Seattle's South Lake Union Streetcar. The bill also includes $100 million for Sound Transit's light-rail project.
Tuesday morning, Coburn denounced the measure as a "pork roast" and filed an amendment to the legislation, which Murray had crafted as chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development.
On Tuesday night, Coburn's amendment failed 82-14.
Coburn's quixotic quest concealed a political calculation: His key amendment would have forced a moratorium on earmarks in the overall bill until all the major deficient bridges across the U.S. were repaired and declared safe.
Senators who opposed Coburn would technically have been voting to allow unsafe bridges, which could have made them seem complacent in the wake of last month's collapse of a commuter bridge in downtown Minneapolis. Murray was having none of it.
She took the floor, reminded the senators they were about to hold a moment of silence in memory of Sept. 11, then tore into Coburn.
Noting she had just gotten an extra $1 billion for bridge infrastructure the day before, she said, "Yes, we are all very focused on what happened because of Minnesota."
![]()
However, she continued, Coburn's amendment would not just terminate highway projects but "also stop our major transit projects that many senators have come to our committee and talked about."
In 2005, Murray made a memorable speech threatening to cut other senators' earmarks if they supported Coburn's attack on the $223 million Alaska bridge and $500,000 for the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle.
Tuesday, Murray was more subtle, merely noting that their construction projects across the country would be wiped out. Among the projects in the bill: $575,000 for the Olympic Discovery Trail/Elwha River pedestrian bridge in Clallam County; $2.5 million for interchange work along Interstate 5; and $500,000 for the Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club in Seattle.
The White House said Monday that President Bush would veto the bill because it spends much more than he proposed.
The Senate debated the bill until late Tuesday, and then Murray and Coburn returned to their offices in the Russell Building, directly across the hall from each other.
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
Illegal workers quietly let go
Metro won't cut bus service after all
Jerry Large: Food-bank theft turns into a gift
Bumper to Bumper: How can the city let bridges go dark?

Real Salt Lake wins MLS Cup
Real Salt Lake defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy with penalty kicks after 120 minutes of play at Qwest Field in Seattle.
general classifieds
Garage & estate salesFurniture & home furnishings
Sporting goods
just listed
8 Drawer Dresser with Attached Mirror - $200
8 seat pecon formal dining table and china hutch - $1500
A American Table, Chairs and Bench - $275
More listings
POST A FREE LISTING
shopping
Give yourself a treat and visit Watson Kennedy's Holiday Open Houses
More minding the store
events for Monday, Nov. 23
More shopping eventseditors' picks
- Spas & beauty salons
- Maternity shopping
- West Seattle shopping
- Vintage, consignment and used clothing
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Tugboat sinks at Seattle waterfront pier
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- Chase shrugs off loss of CD investors
- Woman stabbed by stranger in North Seattle
- Snow piles up on Cascade slopes
- Denny Triangle gains skyline, but tenants slow to come
- Illegal workers quietly let go
359 - Climate change speeds up since 1997 Kyoto accord
207 - Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
170 - Metro won't cut bus service after all
148 - Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle
94 - New Husky recruit: Enes Kanter
92 - Tattoos at Mill Creek Church pierce skin, soul
82 - Middleton says Huskies "plan on scoring at least 50 points'' Saturday
78 - Jerry Brewer: Seahawks can't lean on the Hutch Crutch now
73 - UW, WSU once again meet to see who's worse
66
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Taste | The Great Pie Bake-off pits friends and fruit




