Multiple media are reporting that former-U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, one of Oklahoma’s most honored and influential to rise to national political prominence, died early this morning.
We will greatly miss his voice of wisdom on so many issues.
Chris Casteel for The Oklahoman writes:
Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, a physician who became a powerful force in Congress on fiscal matters, died early Saturday morning after a long fight with prostate cancer. He was 72.
Coburn, of Muskogee, served in the Senate from 2005 to 2015 and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001. After leaving the Senate, he pushed for a constitutional convention and advocated for a range of conservative fiscal causes.
A statement from Coburn’s family on Saturday morning said, “Because of his strong faith, he rested in the hope found in John chapter 11 verse 25 where Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, will live, even though they die.’ Today he lives in heaven.”
A memorial service will be held at a later date and will be announced, the family stated.
“He’s been fighting to the very end,” a friend said Saturday. “He was fighting for all of the things he still believed in.”
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Attorney General Mike Hunter in a statement today notes, “Former Sen. Tom Coburn was an accomplished man, husband, father, doctor, leader and politician. He served our state in both chambers of Congress with dignity and distinction.
“I was privileged to know Tom as a friend and colleague. He was a man of principle and dauntless in his pursuit of conservative policy objectives. I often thought of him as the embodiment of Theodore Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena comment in his Citizenship in a Republic speech, which surmised that the credit belongs to the man who dares greatly.
“Despite the partisan divide in Washington, Tom managed to earn respect on both sides of the political aisle. He spent his legislative career as an ardent supporter of pro-life policies, second amendment rights, healthcare reform and fighting against wasteful government spending.
“My wife Cheryl and I send our deepest condolences to the Coburn family during their time of mourning.
“Well done good and faithful servant. Matthew 25:23.”
Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, issued the following statement today in response to the passing of Dr. Tom Coburn.
“History will rank Dr. Coburn among Oklahoma’s greatest leaders. His unwavering adherence to principle, even in the face of intense political pressure, is why he will be remembered as a true statesman. At OCPA, we were blessed to have Dr. Coburn serve on our board, where his insight and leadership was invaluable. While all Oklahomans share in this loss today, Dr. Coburn’s legacy will live on in the countless lives he directly impacted, both as a doctor and a statesman, and the even larger number who remain inspired by his example. For those who ask if a conservative can remain true to his principles once in office, there will forever be an answer: Yes. Tom Coburn showed it could be done, and he blazed a path others can follow.”
The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs is a free-market think tank.
WASHINGTON (March 28, 2020) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) mourns the death of former United State Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK).
“Tom Coburn became the foremost champion for the fight against AIDS in the US Congress,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AHF, the largest global AIDS organization currently caring for over 1.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS in 45 countries around the globe. “As a doctor, but most of all as a human being, Senator Coburn was deeply committed to universal access to treatment for HIV and AIDS. Millions have survived because of his leadership. We didn’t always agree, but we knew that he cared deeply. He will be sorely missed.”