House Republicans Follow John Kline’s Lead, Adopt Ban on Earmarks
An open letter from John Kline:
Dear Friends,
As Congressional Democrats continue to wheel and deal in backrooms – using pork-barrel projects to grease the skids for their government takeover of health care – House Republicans answered the call of the American people by approving a moratorium on earmarks.
It has been nearly two years since you helped me launch our “Stop the Pork” efforts and nearly 14 months since I delivered a petition to Speaker Pelosi signed by more than 7,000 concerned Americans asking Congress to end the current earmark system. Last week, Washington finally took a significant step in cleaning up the wasteful spending process.
My Republican colleagues and I spent time in discussion and debate before voting for the earmark moratorium. I am pleased to share that the overwhelming majority of them have heard your call. Like me, they have heard loudly and clearly from Americans who are tired of seeing their hard-earned taxpayer dollars spent on “priorities” ranging from shrimp fishing projects to Woodstock film festivals.
Coalitions from around the country have lauded the decision by House Republicans to curb Washington’s addiction to wasteful spending:
- “House Republicans have a chance to make history by unilaterally removing themselves from the sordid bidding game and encouraging responsible reform moving forward.” – National Taxpayers Union
- “A one-year moratorium will speak loudly to the American people that Congress understands their frustrations and is taking steps to remedy their concerns.” – Americans For Prosperity
- “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.” – Citizens Against Government Waste
- “A moratorium on earmarks demonstrates a commitment to smaller government and less waste.” – Freedom Works
- “The moratorium would provide an opportunity for conservatives to set themselves apart and allow for reflection and review of the appropriations process which taxpayers perceived as broken.” – Americans for Tax Reform
- “Earmarks have become symbolic of the culture of the spending that has plagued both political parties in recent years.” – American Conservative Union
While the decision to adopt a ban on earmarks was a good step in the right direction, difficult battles await in Washington. Please help me convince Congress to stop the pork and put an end to the out-of-control spending spree in Washington that is saddling our children and grandchildren with insurmountable debt.
Sincerely,
John Kline
