Congress Leaves To Campaign After Passing Security-Related Bills

Saturday, September 30th 2006, 3:35 pm

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn briefly holds up a defense authorization bill as his fellow Republican lawmakers scramble to push through a series of security-related bills before heading to the campaign trail.

In a flurry of activity before their departure early Saturday morning, the Senate gave final approval to $448 billion for the Pentagon.

Coburn held up the defense authorization bill because House-Senate negotiators dropped a provision he sponsored to analyze the costs effects of lawmakers' pet projects, called ``earmarks,'' on Pentagon operations.

Coburn agreed to let the legislation go to a voice vote after he received a promise that his provision will be taken up when Congress returns in November.

He says the American people ought to be seeing where lawmakers are spending taxpayers' money.