WASHINGTON — An Oklahoma senator is trying to delay approval for $100 million in security funds proposed for Denver and Minneapolis for the 2008 Democratic and Republican national conventions.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., took to the Senate floor today to denounce a proposal by Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Denver, to include the funds in an "emergency" appropriations bill to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and other costs.

Coburn said it's an attempt to pay for the conventions outside of the usual budget process, passing a higher deficit on to future generations.

"We're going to have a party on our unborn," said Coburn, a so-called "budget hawk" who made waves last year by attacking a $223 million "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska.

"Our budget rules define 'emergency' as something unforeseen and unexpected," Coburn said. "First of all, we've known we're going to have a convention every year for a long time. Never before have we funded the security requirement for these conventions out of an emergency bill. We're going to have two big parties...and we're going to send the bill for those parties to our grandkids."

The $100 million — $50 million apiece for Denver and Minneapolis — is meant to reimburse state and local agencies in Colorado and Minnesota for the cost of providing security during the 2008 conventions.

Rep. Diana DeGette and Salazar are leading the effort to secure the funds, in concert with Republican colleagues from Minnesota. Under House of Representatives rules, the spending is not considered an emergency, so DeGette is working to get the money through the normal budget process, DeGette chief of staff Lisa Cohen said.

But in the Senate, Salazar proposed adding it to the pending emergency spending bill in hopes of getting the money approved earlier. He defended the proposal in a conference call with reporters.

"I want it in the emergency supplemental because the national convention is a natural target for those who want to do our nation harm," Salazar said. "We should try to get it done just so we can move forward and do the right planning for the conventions."

Even if Coburn successfully strips the money out of the "emergency" spending bill, the money could still be approved through the normal — albeit slower — budget and appropriations processes, said Brandon MacGillis, spokesman for DeGette.

"She'll make sure this happens," MacGillis said.

In 2004, the Department of Justice appropriated $100 million to cover security costs for the Democratic National Convention in Boston and the Republican National Convention in New York City, although $14 million of that money eventually was not needed, MacGillis said.

Sprengelmeyerm@SHNS.com or 202-436-2345