Coburn Blows It: Dr. Tom Goes Wrong (as Usual) on Food Safety

The U.S. Senate passed a food safety bill yesterday—with bipartisan support. In other words, the Republicans actually voted in favor of government helping the people.

Oh wait—not all Republicans. Oklahoma's own Tom Coburn, an opponent of all federal spending (or so it seems), thinks new federal rules will make things worse. This position holds that federal regulators are incompetent or corrupt, and that the food industry has a sterling record of self-regulation.

Both assertions are wrong, but that's not the kind of argument likely to sway an anti-spending True Believer like Coburn.

Here's how the Washington Post described the senator's positions:

The measure's most vocal opponent, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), argued that it would create layers of bureaucracy without making food safer.

"The problem with food safety is the agencies don't do what they're supposed to be doing now," he said. "They don't need more regulations. They need less."

Fortunately, Coburn lost. Meanwhile, the rest of us can, when the legislation becomes law, have more assurance that our eggs, peanut butter, spinach and other foods won't be contaminated and make us sick.