Here is the joint statement by House GOP leaders on their plan to swear off congressional earmarks:
“For millions of Americans, the earmark process in Congress has become a symbol of a broken Washington. We believe the time has come for House Republicans to adopt an immediate, unilateral moratorium on all earmarks, including tax and tariff-related earmarks, and we will support changing the official rules of the House Republican Conference to incorporate such a moratorium when a special conference meeting on the matter takes place Thursday. When Republicans take back the House, we will rein in out-of-control federal spending and bring fundamental change to the process by which Congress spends American taxpayers’ money.”
When they held the majority, Republicans’ record on this issue was not so strong — but then again, pork did not save them when their majority was in peril. If you think Democrats aren’t worried about this issue, you should see Susan Ferrechio’s coverage of their plan to ban for-profit earmarks and to audit non-profit ones.
