Senator Tom Coburn, the longest serving real fiscal conservative in the United States Senate, is resigning later this year, two years before his term ends.
Dr. Coburn, the OB/gyn who is a former Family Research Council (FRC) board member, has served Oklahoma in the Senate for ten years and in the House before that.
He is a former cancer survivor and the disease is now back. FRC released a statement saying, “Now that the disease is back, he felt it best to spend as much time with his family as possible. For conservatives, who’ve admired his tough-as-nails approach on spending (including his ‘Wastebooks’ his office is famous for), his voice will be missed. FRC will be praying for a speedy recovery for one of the Senate’s most reliable leaders. We continue to be grateful for all Tom has done in the cause of faith, family and freedom.”
Regarding his retirement from the Senate, Coburn said: “Carolyn and I have been touched by the encouragement we’ve received from people across the state regarding my latest battle against cancer. But this decision isn’t about my health, my prognosis or even my hopes and desires. As a citizen, I am now convinced that I can best serve my own children and grandchildren by shifting my focus elsewhere.”
