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Sen. Coburn Blasts Wasteful Spending

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    Oklahoma senator unveils report exposing $3B in waste at National Science Foundation

  • Duration 6:20
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I can't make is that your tax money at work folks like you -- not they're testing has -- ability.

To exercise.

Don't just one of the many -- little -- uncovered at the National Science Foundation.

It's of the guys doing in the uncovering Oklahoma.

Republican senator Tom Coburn that's just one of them -- I mean they're planning Morris parent.

-- Well -- this is one of my favorite agencies they really did the vast majority -- work is great.

I put this report out because here's a six plus billion dollar a year agencies we know we can say eight or 900 million maybe a billion to a year.

If they just do a great job screen and out jobs -- waste.

And making sure they're run in the agency like Americans would -- -- You know that I'm a cancer survivor a lot of what they've funded and and has helped me and I'll -- late.

But -- what I but the point I was one to make is even our best agencies have room to cut spending.

Well there's a lot of it here the wanted to have million dollars creating a robot to hold closed its many folks would.

Was like that but -- custom robot doing I mean just it did indeed -- close.

I'm not following it up on that.

It just it caught my -- It.

Now there was a separate study looked at it -- -- and why some dominate.

College basketball's so -- March Madness.

Any results from that particular instance.

Well results are is -- -- priority by the national science foundation on their grants and that's the biggest criticism is.

They're not oversee in the grants to make sure that their priority of things that we should be due on.

Given our limited budget in the country.

What we're steady and on house and invading.

On how FaceBook if we're stay -- -- Whether or not people make -- racial choices in their dating I mean who were not do and what we need to be doing that we'll give us the biggest bank for about.

And so my criticism is I love this agency I think they're great.

But I think they can do a whole lot better and they need to do and all the American people have to do is look at some of the grants that it got past them.

And now and the other thing is is they have one point five billion dollar -- in grant money that -- come back the federal government that that it Nashville.

Maybe that is why why do I -- docked at the us navy jobs if you don't have to borrow I understand it may be lower bids -- Rests on this -- jello wrestling thing now.

What was that about and you mean the jello wrestling that was that was the previous -- I think there's nothing I don't think and it is releasing a video zone has nothing to do.

Would be an assist employees who work.

Part of this jello wrestling thing but but what were they trying to study -- -- you now aren't.

I don't know you know the but the point is again.

Lots of lots of wild things that most people with common sense would -- maybe we have been not be doing math so.

What is required now with the situation we find ourselves in and our country is to -- Actually say every agency every time do the best most efficient it gives us the greatest return.

And if you're gonna get grants out there then make sure you know what you're doing and make sure passes the smell test with the American public.

-- Believe and reference of the jello wrestling I did wanna say that we did -- density and asset.

And dated deposits from that organization said at a senate has been diligent about addressing concerns from.

Members of congress about workforce and Rick -- is.

And an SO NSF's.

Excellent record -- tracking down waste and prosecuting wrong doing is apparent from senator conference report and and and any -- these cases that you -- to senator.

They did they do when all of seven on May -- you know -- suit in a few hundred million dollars at at the worst.

So now you'll let you read some of it the other seven you wanna get to the three billion dollars -- I could see -- -- -- critics are saying well you know.

It's chump change in this.

The methods chump change for us -- we are flat broke.

And everything if we can say 500 million dollars at BNSF for one billion dollars which is what I think we can say that the NSF if it's run better.

That's one billion out of out of a thousand that we've got to get for next year and we ought to be -- and and and so there's nothing should be overlooked if it when people are managing their own households they don't look overlooked things and we ought not be doing that.

Either.

You can relive the of the -- -- William proxmire -- golden fleece awards and he would cite his views and ways and all of that sort of stuff.

But invariably they would never addressed or get rid -- of the program more funding daddy called into question I don't know if that was all the time a lot of time.

And I'm wondering despite your best effort senator and I know you're trying to we decided trying to separate deal.

The Medicare is unions had this frosty relationship.

With the so called gang of six against putting -- maybe six and join him back dead dead dead nothing will comments that that nothing will come.

I don't think I don't think that's true as long as I'm in the senate.

I can -- lots of things have come -- what we've looked at would.

You know this is about our eighteenth or nineteenth report on agencies and we're -- in major changes and most of them.

King and the fact is as we're doing what every member -- -- do and that's a vigorous oversight and looking over their shoulder and that's where congress has failed the American people.

We're responsible we allow this to happen if we're not doing oversight it won't happen.

The second point I'd make -- I don't have a frosty relationship have a great relationship -- the guys in the gang of six.

And that my point was as I thought I could spend my efforts better.

Solving the problems outside of their for a while when are you gonna rejoin and I don't out depends.

On one.

I'm -- I'm on sabbatical saw.

When I when I finish my sabbatical all look at it we're working on the nine trillion dollars worth the things that we could cut the federal government that would have actually make a difference for our country.

And we're gonna let everybody shoot it that I'm gonna go out defend every one of them.

And then I'm gonna take you the American people say why don't you wanna do this this is what it's gonna take to solve our problem so we don't -- -- -- children.

Senator thank you very much that this -- was not -- -- Senator from.

Horrible --

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