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Press Release Published: Mar 11, 2010

Issa Applauds GOP Earmark Ban, Calls for Democrats to Follow Action

Rep. Issa’s transparency and self-imposed moratorium on Earmarks catching on in House

WASHINGTON. D.C. – Rep. Darrell Issa issued the following statement on the decision of House Republicans to forbid Republican Members from making earmark requests:

“For four years I have fought to fix a broken and corrupted appropriations earmark process.  Today’s decision to forgo all earmark requests delivers a real step toward reform and fiscal restraint by House Republicans. However, there is still a need for reform that must come from those who control Congress.  The American people will be ill-served if Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats continue business as usual and refuse to join Republicans in banning earmarks until a broken system is fixed.”

On April 19, 2006, Rep. Darrell Issa became one of the first Members of Congress to publicly post all his appropriations project requests on his website in an effort to increase transparency – the idea has been something that President Obama has since advocated.  On January 25, 2008, Rep. Issa cited the failure of Congress to rein-in earmarking in his decision to unilaterally cease requests for for-profit entities.  In March 2009 he pointed to the out-of-control deficit spending of the newly elected Obama Administration in his decision to forgo all earmark appropriation project requests.

Earlier today, ten House Republican committee leaders, including Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Darrell Issa, issued a joint statement urging passage of a moratorium on earmarks:

“The American people are tired of out-of-control government spending, taxing, and borrowing. To earn back their trust, we need to immediately cut off the earmarks that have given Washington a bad name. Partial solutions are not enough. An immediate earmark moratorium is the only way to wipe the slate clean and allow us to start getting spending under control.”

The ban on earmarks approved today means that Republican House Members will honor a moratorium on making appropriations project requests for the coming fiscal year.

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