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, a Coburn aide told Washington Wire this morning.

AP

Several Republican senators have expressed concerns over the spending package that would provide $6.2 billion to those who fell ill from cleaning up the wreckage after Sept. 11, 2001. The bill’s sponsors, New York Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, say they have the votes to get it passed, but opponents can put up procedural hurdles.

The outlay would be covered by a 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. Congress would also continue a fee on travelers to the U.S. and a charge on outsourcing companies that have most of their employees on visas to work in America.

Mr. Coburn wants the package to be funded through spending cuts, the aide said. He and others in his party have questioned whether the money would overlap with workers’ compensation and other aid provided to Sept. 11 first responders. Mr. Coburn told Politico he wants the measure to work its way through committee rather than being fast-tracked, which would make it tough for senators to finish their work in the next few days.