DeMint to Force Vote on Year-long Earmark Moratorium
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) announced his plans to offer an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution that will impose a year-long moratorium on congressional earmarks.
"Americans want immediate action to stop wasteful earmarks. Democrats promised to clean up Washington after the number of earmarks exploded under Republican control, but two years later the congressional favor factory is still open for business and humming right along," said Senator DeMint. "Last year, Democrats passed nearly 12,000 earmarks costing over $17 billion. We need to take a time-out from earmarks so we can make honest reforms that prevent American tax dollars from being wasted on bridges to nowhere and hippie museums."
"Earmarks represent one of the worst ways to spend money. The earmark process allows politicians to fund pet projects based on political power instead of merit. Earmarks are rarely subject to public hearings or oversight, and they invite the kind of corruption that has sent lawmakers to jail.
"Earmarks are a bipartisan addiction and the only solution is to go cold turkey. Congress is not going to be able to kick the habit unless it calls a time-out.
"Giving up earmarks for one year is not too much to ask. Americans have to make these kinds of decisions with their family budgets all the time. Members of Congress should be willing to make political sacrifices necessary to stop wasteful spending and balance the federal budget," said Senator DeMint.