Former Oklahoma U.S. Senator Tom Coburn Dies

Former United States Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has died at the age of 72, according to the Associated Press.

Former Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma family doctor and conservative who railed against federal earmarks and subsidies for the rich, has died. Coburn delivered more than 4,000 babies while an obstetrician and treated patients for free while in the Senate. https://t.co/W8aw5NCA5F

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 28, 2020

Coburn served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001, and in the U.S. Senate from 2005 to 2015.

In addition to his political career, Coburn was a longtime Oklahoma physician. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma Medical School in 1983 and established a practice in Muskogee, Oklahoma following his internship and residency, according to okhistory.org.

“One of the greatest honors of my life was to have known and worked for Dr. Tom Coburn,” said Oklahoma State Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat (R-47) today in a press release. “He was a mentor to me and lived out a great example of how to serve with conviction, honor and compassion.”

Funeral arrangements have not yet been confirmed.