If You Want To Offset Disaster Aid Start With Senator Coburn’s Pay

offical image of US Senator Tom Coburn (R-Heartless)
US Senator Tom Coburn (R-Heartless)

A massive tornado flattens a large part of Moore Oklahoma on Monday. Whole neighborhoods and businesses are turned into piles of scrap wood and metal. It is times like these that a government springs into action. Providing aid quickly is one way to keep the peace and to spark rebuilding. Unfortunately some Republicans in Congress have a large stick up their ass when it comes to disaster aid. They are so worried about the budget that they demand that disaster aid be offset. That means to help people in need funds must come from other parts of the budget which usually means away from other people in need. I think if you want to offset disaster aid start with Senator Coburn’s pay.

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn will seek to offset federal aid to victims of a massive tornado that blasted through Oklahoma City suburbs on Monday with cuts elsewhere in the budget.

“That’s always been his position [to offset disaster aid],” a spokesman told the Huffington Post Monday night. “He supported offsets to the bill funding the OKC bombing recovery effort.”

Oklahoma GOP Sen. Tom Coburn Will Seek To Offset Tornado Aid

If Republicans want to offset disaster aid then maybe they should give up their pay?

The average Congressional salary is $174,000 a year. There are 278 total Republicans in Congress (House + Senate) so if they gave up their pay that would be $48,372,000. That would be a good start help the victims.

It’s not like they really need $174,000 a year for doing nothing. If Congress was a real business there would be a lot of outwork Republicans. 2014 can’t come soon enough.