Coburn blamed the lack of a federal budget in the Senate on Democrats’ unwillingness to stand and be counted. “They don’t want to have to vote on it,” he said.

But in the Oklahoma senator’s most stinging allegations, he slammed Reid and other Senate Democrats for what he said was a habit of putting short-term political gains ahead of America’s best interests.

“The next election is more important to them than the country,” he claimed, “more important to them than the institution of the Senate. More important that they win, rather than protect and heal our country.”