February 24, 2021
Washington, DC
Conservatives do not support congressional attempts to return to the practice of earmarking. We urge all congressional Republicans to oppose this effort – and to do so by publicly joining a letter in opposition led by Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Ted Budd, Rep. Lauren Boebert, Rep. Andy Biggs, and Rep. Chip Roy. Regardless of what Democrats do, Republicans should maintain their conference rule that prohibits their party’s use of earmarks, and oppose every effort to overturn it.
Congress has a long history with earmarks, one which demonstrates that the practice almost exclusively ends in the funding of absurd and useless projects, as well as Member corruption.
As the Cruz-Budd-Boebert-Biggs-Roy letter notes,
….the 2000s were marred by infamous earmarks like the Alaskan “Bridge to Nowhere,” an indoor rainforest in Iowa, a Teapot Museum, and absurd research projects like analyzing goth culture. The wide-spread practice of earmarks was corrupting. Earmarks were used to buy and sell votes and reward favors. Earmarks brought discredit on the House and Senate and ultimately led to several Members of Congress being convicted on corruption charges.
For this reason, Republican leaders placed a moratorium on the practice of earmarking in 2011. This does not mean that state and local projects are not funded; it simply means that those choices are made transparently, and through the relevant committee process.
Contrary to some claims, earmarking will not bring back a “governing consensus.” Rather, it will result in the furious horse trading which benefits only the most powerful and well-connected, while casting the pall of corrupt deal making and self-enrichment over a Congress that is already widely distrusted by those it claims to represent.
Earmarking will also give Democrats one more tool to buy off cheap Republicans in pursuit of an agenda that includes mass amnesty for illegal immigrants, a comprehensive upending of our election laws, entrenchment of Democratic power via District of Columbia statehood, and any number of dramatic revisions to our body politic.
The practice of earmarking ends in waste and corruption – we know this, because we have seen it before. We urge all Republicans to vocally oppose a return to earmarking by signing onto the Cruz-Bud-Boebert-Biggs-Roy letter, by voting against the practice, and by keeping the prohibition of the Republican conference in place, regardless of what actions are taken by Democrats.
| The Honorable Edwin Meese III Attorney General President Ronald Reagan (1985-1988) |
Alfred S. Regnery Chairman, Conservative Action Project President, Republic Book Publishers |
| The Honorable Russ Vought Director Office of Management and Budget (2020-2021) |
The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman Constitutional Congress, Inc. |
| The Honorable Colin A. Hanna President Let Freedom Ring, Inc. |
The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop White House Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1981-1985) |
| The Honorable David McIntosh President Club for Growth |
Scott T. Parkinson VP for Government Affairs Club for Growth |
| Wesley Denton Chief Operating Officer Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) |
Mary Vought Executive Director Senate Conservatives Fund |
| William L. Walton President Council for National Policy |
Tom McClusky President March for Life Action |
| The Honorable Donald Paul Hodel U.S. Secretary of Energy (1982-1985) U.S. Secretary of Interior (1985-1989) |
Myron Ebell Director, Center for Energy and Environment Competitive Enterprise Institute |
| Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq. Chairman, CNP Action, Inc. President and CEO, First Liberty Institute |
L. Brent Bozell, III Founder and President Media Research Center |
| The Honorable Morton C. Blackwell President The Leadership Institute |
The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Chief Domestic Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1987-1988) |
| The Honorable Jim DeMint Chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute Member, US Senate (SC 2005-2013) |
Ed Corrigan Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project President & CEO, Conservative Partnership Institute |
| Jenny Beth Martin Chairman Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund |
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.) Executive Vice President Family Research Council |
| The Honorable Tony Perkins President Family Research Council |
Rachel Bovard Senior Director of Policy Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) |
| Thomas A. Schatz President Citizens Against Government Waste |
Ambassador Henry F. Cooper Reagan’s Chief Defense and Space Negotiator Former SDI Director |
| Grover Norquist President Americans for Tax Reform |
Adam N. Andrzejewski CEO OpenTheBooks.com |
| The Honorable James C. Miller III Budget Director for President Reagan, 1985-1988 |
The Honorable Ken Cuccinelli Visiting Fellow Heritage Foundation |
| Charles J. Cooper Assistant Attorney General, President Ronald Reagan Cooper & Kirk, PLLC |
The Honorable Scott Walker President Young America’s Foundation |
| Phil Kerpen President American Commitment |
The Honorable Gary L. Bauer President American Values |
| Michael Horowitz CEO 21st Century Initiatives; Reagan Administration OMB General Counsel |
Craig Shirley Reagan Biographer Presidential Historian |
| Lewis K. Uhler Founder & President National Tax Limitation Committee |
Judson Phillips Founder Tea Party Nation |
| Penna Dexter Co-host Point of View Radio |
Karen England Executive Director Capitol Resource Institute |
| Joseph A. Morris Partner, Morris & De La Rosa Former Assistant U.S. Attorney General (Reagan) |
Kielle C. Horton President The Lindsey Foundation |
| Brandon McCrary Principal Insurance One |
Richard D. Hayes Partner Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant, LLP |
| James L. Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association |
Saulius “Saul” Anuzis President 60 Plus Association |
| Andresen Blom President Hawaiian Values |
David Williams President Taxpayers Protection Alliance |
| Art Ally President Timothy Partners, Ltd. |
Richard Wright Owner R & S |
| The Honorable George K. Rasley Jr. Managing Editor ConservativeHQ.com |
Barry Meguiar President Ignite America |
| Mark Bloom Owner Ole Podner LLC and Tekgeolgik LLC |
Kay R. Daly President Coalition for a Fair Judiciary |
| Randy Page Chief of Staff Bob Jones University |
Donald L. Woodsmall Principal Arromid, LLC |
| Jack Park Conservative Activist and Donor Law Offices of Jack Park |
David Haas President Morrison Inc |
| Floyd Brown Chairman Western Journal |
The Honorable Jason Rapert Founder & President National Association of Christian Lawmakers |
| Elaine Donnelly President Center for Military Readiness |
Nancy Schulze Founder, President RCW Speakers |
| Melvin Adams President Noah Webster Educational Foundation |
Amapola Hansberger Founder and President Legal Immigrants for America |
| Richard G. Scurry VP Business Development 14all.us |
Willes K. Lee President National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
| Mario Navarro da Costa Director, Washington Bureau Tradition, Family, Property |
The Honorable Diana Denman President The Reagan Legacy Forum |
| Lee Beaman CEO Beaman Ventures |
Robert Keith Fischer Meeting Coordinator Conservatives of Faith |
| Steve Berger Founding Pastor Grace Chapel |
Gary Marx President Madison Strategies LLC |
| Tim Throckmorton President Lifepointe Ministries |
E.C. Sykes General Partner Aslan Ventures |
| C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
Paavo Ensio Chairman Universal Minerals Group |
| The Honorable Peter J. Thomas Chairman The Conservative Caucus |
Dr. Richard Rounsavelle Trustee MRC |
| Dr. Paige Patterson President Sandy Creek Foundation |
Joan Holt Lindsey President Lindsey Communications |
| Ron Pearson Executive Director Conservative Victory Fund |
The Honorable Mike Hill Former Member Florida State House |
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