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57 Members Sign Anti-Earmark Letter

By: Daniel Horowitz (Diary)  |  June 27th, 2012 at 10:40 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

As we’ve noted several times this year, there is a concerted effort to overturn the earmark ban in the House and reinstate some form of this onerous practice.  Some conservatives might fall prey to the argument that we should focus our attention on the big-ticket items rather than the chump change that is spent on earmarks.  That would be a serious mistake.

If the practice of earmarking is allowed to return to the House, we will never limit the size of government when presented with the opportunity during votes on the “big bills.”  Everyone knows that it’s politically uncomfortable for a member to turn down a popular earmark for his/her district.  Once earmarks are allowed to return to the legislative process, they will be used as bribes – what Senator Coburn refers to as “true insider trading” – to grease the skids of big-government legislation.

Hence, a handful of $5 million earmarks will be used to peel off conservative votes in an effort to pass the farm bill, highway bill, or numerous omnibus spending bills that contain hundreds of billions in government growth.  It’s this multiplying factor that has helped grow the size of government over the past few decades.

Sensing that support for the earmark ban had begun to wane, Rep. Sandy Adams (R-FL) spearheaded an effort to galvanize rank-and-file members to declare their public support for a permanent earmark ban.  57 members were willing to go on record in support for a permanent ban in the form of a letter to House GOP leadership.  You can view the letter and those who signed it here.

Earmarking is an issue that Speaker Boehner has consistently showed leadership by refusing to compromise on any form of special interest favors.  We worked too long and hard to regress on this issue.  Please ask your members to sign the letter and urge Speaker Boehner to continue opposing earmarks as long as he serves as Speaker.

Remember, if members lack the courage to say no to these tiny expenditures, how on earth will they have the guts to enact entitlement reform?

Cross-posted from The Madison Project

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  • spoasteph97

    Thank you to all 57 representatives who signed this letter…hopefully their votes will match their statements.

    (Special thank you to my representative-Tom Graves :) Great Job and keep up the good work! )

    • napensnake

      Cliff Stearns (FL-06) is a big earmarker. $3.8 million to the College of Central Florida (where his wife works and, surprisingly, keeps getting promotions) where the library is named after him, and a city park in Starke, FL that he earmarked. These are only two that I know of but there are more. I don’t follow him very closely.

      He claims conservative values, that he follows the Constitution, and he goes to church every Sunday. He is the quintessential political whore who, after more than 30 years, needs to retire. I am hoping he retires as the result of the primary.

  • notpropagandized

    http://capitolannex.com/2006/11/15/john-culberson-earmarks-are-efficient/

    Incredible that when citizens AND politicians find a worthwhile project waiting for funding that their default (kneeJERK) reaction is to tap into US Taxpayers pockets to get ‘er done! It’s soooo lazy and lame when they could form an organization of their own for private funding and/or seek state or local funding. Federal level funding is too damn easy to get and needs it’s tap capped. Let private, state, local funding handle unless it’s clearly in the NATIONAL INTEREST!!!

    Don’t get me wrong. John Culberson is a perfectly acceptable person of fine character and conservative values, but Texas District 7 needs a distinguished leader like Bill Archer was, but WITHOUT crony earmarking. Any volunteers for 2014 Republican Primary?