House Republicans' Earmark Moratorium Receives Positive Coverage

The Republicans in the House understand just how important it is to the American people that earmarks be halted. Enough money is being wasted by this Administration that earmarks are the last thing that is needed. Cong Mike Pence who heads the Republican Conference may be the best Conference Chairman the Republicans have had. He continually keeps us informed on what they are doing to represent us, the taxpayers. If you would like to be on his email list for the Conference, please sign up at GOP.gov.

House Republicans' Earmark Moratorium Receives Positive Coverage

The Washington Times: "In a move to break with the GOP's big-spending past, House Republicans voted Thursday to ban their members this year from requesting earmarks, the pork-barrel spending that directs money to pet projects in home districts. The Republicans, who passed the moratorium by voice vote in a closed-door meeting, said they have now put pressure on the rest of Congress - Republicans in the Senate, and Democrats in both chambers - to follow their lead." (March 12, 2010)

The Washington Post: "Upping the ante in the battle over which party can be toughest on special interests, House Republicans Thursday announced their entire 178-member conference would not seek any congressional earmarks this year, denouncing all of the line-item expenditures as wasteful and corrupting." (March 11, 2010)

UPI: "In a bold political move, House Republicans Thursday said all 178 members would not seek any congressional earmarks this year. Saying the earmark process symbolized "a broken Washington," House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio said the Republican strategy was a demonstration of fiscal restraint, even if it doesn't result in an actual reduction in federal spending, The Washington Post reported." (March 11, 2010)

FreedomWorks Letter to Conference Members: "A moratorium on earmarks demonstrates a commitment to smaller government and less waste. On the heels of recent Wall Street bailouts and unprecedented stimulus spending, taxpayers are wary of the excesses of government. With an estimated deficit of $1.5 trillion in Fiscal Year 2010, Americans cannot afford business-as-usual in Washington. Taxpayers want less government and responsible government. Supporting a moratorium on earmarks is a first and important step towards that goal." (March 10, 2010)

National Public Radio : "On Thursday, House Republicans announced what they called a unilateral moratorium on all earmarks. It was an attempt to raise the ante after the House's Democratic leadership announced Wednesday a ban on all earmarks to for-profit corporations. Again, this was an attempt to outdo Democrats who only banned earmarks that would go to for-profit companies. It was also part of Republicans' continued effort to once again be perceived as the party of fiscal restraint." (March 11, 2010)

Town Hall: "It's rare, but sometimes petty politics can mean progress. That was certainly the case this week with the earmark war between Republican and Democrats in the House. After Democrats initiated a moratorium on earmarks from for-profit companies, Republicans one-upped them with a ban on all earmarks." (March 12, 2010)

The Riverside Press-Enterprise: "A day after House Democrats announced a ban on certain federal earmarks, their GOP counterparts went a step further Thursday and voted to stop the spending practice altogether. Republican members of Inland Southern California's House delegation, which has used earmarks to steer vast sums of money to the region, quickly embraced the plan to impose a yearlong earmark freeze and vowed to fix the system if voters return them to power in November." (March 11, 2010)

Minneapolis Post: "One day after House Democrats proposed banning earmarks to for-profit companies, House Republicans upped the ante by self-imposing a one-year moratorium on appropriations earmarks, a move one local analyst called a "strategic calculation" that they'll pick up enough political goodwill to offset the complaints from local leaders back home who were hoping for that money." (March 12, 2010)

Citizens Against Government Waste - "Open Letter to Members of Congress: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) recently suggested a year-long ban on earmarks, an idea that can and should be embraced by members on both sides of the aisle. On behalf of the more than one million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I urge you to support an immediate moratorium on earmarks. An earmark moratorium would help end Congress's addiction to pork-barreling. The earmark ban will give members of Congress time to reform the process, devote more effort to critical issues, and save taxpayers billions of dollars that would otherwise be squandered on frivolous projects." (March 10, 2010)

Americans for Tax Reform Letter to Conference Members: "Taxpayers have become increasingly frustrated with the Congressional practice of earmarking. The process lacks transparency and accountability and the results are often frivolous and wasteful. While overall spending levels and a lack of general spending discipline continue to be the main problem, earmarks have become emblematic of what taxpayers perceive as the problem in Washington, DC." (March 10, 2010)


The St. Petersburg Times: "In a rapid display of gamesmanship, House Republicans vowed Thursday to ban all budget earmarks, a day after Democrats said they would not award them to for-profit companies. The move reflects growing public concern over government spending and follows recent ethics investigations into ‘pay-to-play' connections between lawmakers, special interests and political contributions. ‘Earmarks have become emblematic of everything that is wrong with spending here in Washington, D.C.,' said Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, chairman of the Republican Conference." (March 11, 2010)

The Christian Science Monitor: "On Wednesday, top Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee announced a ban on corporate earmarks. The move, backed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, bans provisions that direct spending to for-profit entities, especially those dealing with the Pentagon. In a bid to trump that move, House Republicans on Thursday announced a unilateral, one-year ban on all earmarks. "The American people see this earmark process as an example of a broken Washington," said Republican leader John Boehner, after a caucus meeting on Thursday. "We're not going to get to a cleaned-up process until we break from the past, and I do believe that this earmark ban that our members agreed to today is a big step in the right direction," he added." (March 11, 2010)

Talking Points Memo: "Government watchdog groups who draw a link between corruption and the special project budget requests known as earmarks say Congress "must do more." House Democrats announced yesterday a ban on directing budget funds to for-profit companies. House Republicans followed up with a decision they wouldn't request any earmarks at all, for one year." (March 11, 2010)

Politico: "Earmarks are back. Democrats and Republicans are suddenly in a race to see who can make the bigger move on banning them. House Democrats voted yesterday to ban earmarks to private companies. House Republicans passed an across-the-board ban for their caucus today." (March 11, 2010)