Oklahoma Sen. Coburn Plans To Hold Up 9/11 Responders Bill

There's word now that "Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn will not allow a proposal that would cover health-care costs for ground zero workers to go through the Senate before Christmas" (via The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire blog).

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Politico says ilt's been told by Coburn that "he wouldn't allow the bill to move quickly, saying he has problems with parts of the bill and the process Democrats are employing."

With the Senate's holiday recess and the quickly approaching end of many members terms, a delay could mean the legislation won't get considered anytime soon.

We reported yesterday that Democratic sponsors thought they had enough support to get the $6.2 billion measure, which would help pay for 9/11 first responders' health care costs, passed this week.

But Washington Wire says that Coburn "wants the package to be funded through spending cuts," not the planned "2% fee on imports and services from companies that are not members of the Agreement on Government Procurement, a treaty of the World Trade Organization."