ATR and COGC Urge House to Continue Earmark Moratorium

Americans Tax Reform and the Cost of Government Center sent a letter to the Hill today urging the House of Representatives to continue the moratorium on earmarks:

The Honorable Sandy Adams

216 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

 

Dear Representative Adams,

 

The American people sent a clear message in the 2010 election that they are tired of business as usual in Washington.  Out-of-control federal spending and an unsustainable national debt threaten the fiscal stability of the country.  It is for this reason that we urge members to join your call to continue the moratorium on earmarks as a sign of good faith to the American people that lawmakers are focused on reining in Washington’s profligate spending habits.

 

Until the House of Representatives in the 112th Congress placed a ban on earmarks, spending on legislators’ special interest projects consumed tens of billions of taxpayer dollars.  As taxpayers struggle to make ends meet in today’s anemic economy, they can ill afford to fund wasteful parochial projects.

 

The material significance of earmarks, however, pales in comparison to their procedural effect, incentivizing perhaps otherwise fiscally-prudent members to vote for bloated spending bills. Such deal-making is emblematic of the larger problem of how the deck is stacked against federal spending restraint.  The earmark ban in the 112th Congress was a clear sign to citizens that lawmakers take seriously their responsibility to be faithful stewards of taxpayer dollars.

 

As the House of Representatives prepares to tackle the fiscal challenges ahead, we encourage you and your colleagues to continue conducting the budgetary process in an open and transparent fashion.  

 

We applaud House Republicans for their leadership in putting a halt to this egregious abuse of taxpayer funds.  In preparing for the next Congress, we urge lawmakers to continue in their steadfast commitment to a moratorium on earmarks as an assurance to the American people that the interests of taxpayers supersede those of special interests in Washington.

 

Sincerely,

 

Grover Norquist

President

Americans for Tax Reform

 

Mattie Duppler

Executive Director

Cost of Government Center