In November, 2007, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
(CCAGW) unveiled its Earmark Reform Pledge at a press conference
attended by members of Congress and representatives of other taxpayer
watchdog groups. The pledge features ten principles designed to bring
increased transparency and accountability to the spending process. The
pledge, which can be found at www.ccagw.org,
has begun to attract an increasing number of candidates for Congress.
Currently, 12 congressional candidates have signed the pledge:
Sydney Hay (R-1st District, Arizona)
David Schweikert (R-5th District, Arizona)
Duncan D. Hunter (R-52nd District,
California)
Hal Valeche (R-16th District, Florida)
Lynn Jenkins (R-2nd District, Kansas)
Jim Ryun (R-2nd District, Kansas)
Martin Marks (R-7th District, New Jersey)
Christopher Venis (R-7th District, New
Jersey)
Kate Whitman (R-7th District, New Jersey)
Chris Hackett (R-10th District,
Pennsylvania)
Matt Shaner (R-5th District, Pennsylvania)
Amit Singh (R-8th District, Virginia)
CCAGW’s Pledge asks that legislators fully
disclose all earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit requests (or
substitute letters to agencies) on their Congressional website; not request
any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision that does not
serve a federal interest and/or have a federal nexus; not request
any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision that would be
directed toward a specific private entity that was not requested by an
agency; not request any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit
provision for an entity located outside of the state they represent; and not
request any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision
without also requesting that the provision be included within the text
of the bill.
Although CCAGW supported the enactment of a full moratorium on all
congressional earmarking, the pledge provides significant reform in lieu
of a ban on the practice.
The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of
Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization
dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in
government.
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