Immediately after hearing Lisa Murkowski say she will not swear off earmarks on Fox & Friends, I read Rep.-Elect Sean Duffy:
Anyone who’s been listening to the American people can tell you that banning earmarks is a no-brainer. Throughout the year, Americans clamored for Washington to stop spending and start focusing on creating jobs. But Americans weren’t being heard. In 2010 alone, the Democratic majority steered billions of dollars toward more than 9,000 earmarks, without any semblance of accountability.
In fact, it was wasteful and outrageous spending that convinced me that I needed to run for Congress. I watched as my representative, David Obey (D-Wis.), chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, led the effort to pass the “stimulus” and massive spending bills, which left us with record deficits — and my six children, and America’s children, with a massive bill.
Banning earmarks is a very important step for the more than 80 new Republican lawmakers entering Congress. It is their first step in changing the culture in Washington that finds trillion-dollar deficits acceptable; believes a $13-trillion debt is the cost of doing business, and thinks politicians and bureaucrats know better than families and small businesses.
This is an important step in restoring trust between Americans and their elected leaders and re-focusing our government on the priorities of the people.