Mary Fallin won't return to Washington to vote on bill that could provide $300M in aid to Oklahoma

— U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin, the Republican nominee for governor, said Thursday that she opposes a bill that could mean more than $300 million in school and health care aid for Oklahoma and that — unlike the rest of the state's congressional delegation — she won't return to Washington next week to vote on it.

Fallin, of Oklahoma City, said "the liberal leadership in the House has the votes to ram this measure down our throats regardless of my opposition and the opposition of other conservatives in Congress.

"That's why I am staying here in Oklahoma next week and continuing to talk to voters about my campaign and my mission: to restore principled, conservative leadership to the governor's office."

Last month, Fallin skipped voting in the Republican primaries in Oklahoma to return to Washington for a vote on funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That funding was expected to pass overwhelmingly and did.