Republicans Swear Off Earmarks
Written by Brian Garst, Posted in Waste & Government Reform
Yesterday the House Republican Conference swore off earmarks by adopting a unilateral ban on all earmarks:
House Republicans approved a conference-wide moratorium on earmarks on Thursday, one day after a House committee enacted a ban on for-profit earmarks.
The Republicans’ moratorium is more extensive than the House Appropriations Committee’s ban in that it applies to all earmarks for all members of the caucus.
The moratorium was passed via a “strong” voice vote, according to Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), who participated in the nearly two-hour-long conference meeting.
Republicans had discussed enacting a ban in the last Congress, but a vote never materialized.
Does this mean that Republicans, after years of profligate spending, have suddenly realized fiscal principles? Probably not.
The beauty of a competitive political system is that the public, by hounding politicians long enough, can eventually force them to make the right choice for the wrong reasons. Sure, some of the people involved have taken principled stands against earmarks consistently, but by and large Republicans just want back in power, and they’re doing what they have to do to court voters.
Just remember, they’ll betray these same principles the minute they get back into power if you let them. That’s why the public has to stay informed, engaged and outspoken.
I serve as Vice President of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, a non-profit think tank dedicated to preserving tax competition and free markets. This site features my personal views, which are not reflective of CF&P.