Oklahoma Loses Earmarked Projects

Wednesday, December 13th 2006, 9:41 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A change in political power in Washington could cost Oklahoma millions of dollars in federal funding for state and local projects ranging from roads to medical research.

Republicans who lost control of Congress in the November elections pushed pending budget bills to Democrats who'll take control of Congress in January.

Now Democratic leaders say they won't take up those bills until before next September.

Included in the bills is $750,000 for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, $4-million for the McClellan-Kerr Navigation System and nearly $6-million for a power substation at Tinker Air Force Base. Thousands of dollars were also included for the bombing memorial, the American Indian Cultural Center and to provide equipment for rural hospitals.

The funding is known as earmarks and the delay is drawing praise from Senator Tom Coburn who says tens of billions of dollars may be saved.

Democrats say the projects will be considered next year.