Liberty.com

Just a bit ago, I wrote that we broke 95,000 - that number has been left in the dust as the No Reconciliation petition has garnered over 100,000 signers! 

The petition was launched barely a week ago today - so people are signing on at an astonishing rate.  A clear sign that not only do people oppose the health care plans that Washington is proposing, they oppose the manner in which it is being handled.

 

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FreedomWorks applauds the efforts of the House Republican Conference to

control spending through an immediate unilateral earmark moratorium.

This is an important step that will tame our escalating federal deficit

while building back the trust of American taxpayers.

 

The American people are fed up with the astounding number and total

dollar amounts spent on earmarks within recent years. The powerful Tea

Party movement has shown that taxpayers are frustrated with the reckless

way Washington is spending their hard-earned money. These Americans

simply do not want lawmakers to divert their money to be spent on

special projects that are open to abuse and waste.

 

Dick Armey, chairman of FreedomWorks commented, "Republicans have taken

an important step toward rehabilitating their standing with the American

people by acting to stop earmarks within their own caucus, a step

Speaker Pelosi refuses to consider.  Voters are fed up with both the

corruption and reckless spending going on in Washington, and politically

motivated earmarking is symptomatic of both problems." 

 

As the grassroots Tea Party continues to gain momentum, they are

demanding that the Republican Party returns to their fiscally

conservative roots. For the future prosperity of America, FreedomWorks

supports the House Republican Conference for putting a stop to the

irresponsible and wasteful Congressional earmarking process.

 

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The only decisive voice the minority party has in the Senate is provided by the filibuster. The word “filibuster” was first used to describe “efforts to hold the Senate floor in order to prevent action on a bill.” Without the filibuster option, the minority party basically has no choice but to submit to [...]
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I personally applaud the House Republican Conference for passing a moratorium against out-of-control earmarks. The powerful Tea Party movement has shown that taxpayers are frustrated with the reckless way Washington is spending their hard-earned money.

In 2009 alone, there was an estimated 11,914 earmarks for a total of over $20 billion. Senator McCain (R-AZ) listed the top 10 wasteful earmarks of 2009.  Number one on that list is worth noting, Senator Tom Harkins (D-Iowa) directed $1.7 million taxpayer dollars to his Iowa district for ironic research on pig odor.

Countless members of the Tea Party movement are disenchanted with both the Republican and Democratic Party. Republicans continuously campaign on the conservative values of fiscal responsibility and free market principles. However, often times, once elected their spending habits closely resemble a big-spending Democrat.

According to taxpayer watchdog groups, elected Republicans are typically supporters of pork-barrel spending and directing large sums of taxpayer dollars into their districts for special interest projects. The Taxpayers for Common Sense last year compiled a list of senators based upon the number and total dollar amount of earmarks they introduced:

Republican Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi tops the list, with $470 million in earmarks for himself and his colleagues. Next up is Cochran's seatmate-Republican Roger Wicker, hitting the scales at $390 million. Two Democrats-Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Tom Harkin of Iowa-come in at Nos. 3 and 4, before Republican David Vitter of Louisiana rounds out the top five. Of the top 10, six are Republicans.

In addition, six Republicans were worthy of being on Citizens against Government Waste's list of the top "oinkers" of 2009.

The Super Thad Award
to Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) for $653 million in total pork."

The Taxpayers Get Shelled Award
to Alabama Senators Richard Shelby (R) and Jeff Sessions (R), then-Representative Terry Everett (R), Representative Mike Rogers (R) for $413,000 for tri-state joint peanut research.

 The Water Taxi to Nowhere Award
to then-Representative Chris Shays for $1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach water taxi service project.

As the grassroots Tea Party continues to gain momentum, they are demanding that the Republican Party returns to their fiscally conservative roots instead of diverting their money to be spent on special projects that are open to abuse and waste. Therefore, I applaud the House Republican Conference for voting for an immediate unilateral moratorium on earmarks. This was a necessary measure to limit the out-of-control spending in Washington. Taxpayers are counting upon the House Republican Conference to put a stop to the irresponsible and wasteful Congressional earmarking process.

Be forewarned, that the American people will be watching to ensure that these Republicans stay true to their pledge. We will hold Republicans accountable to assure that they remain fiscally responsible and do not seek, support or enact any wasteful earmarks. To see members of Congress that have already signed FreedomWorks' "No Earmark Pledge" please see: No Ear Mark Pledge Signers.

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Democrats such as House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd have continued to press for what they consider to be necessary financial reform. Considering the track records of government officials who have overseen private industries (i.e., Barney Frank, Christopher Dodd, and former SEC Chairman Christopher Cox’s role in the 2008 meltdown of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Charlie Rangel’s corrupt House Ways and Means chairmanship, and the near insolvency of direct programs such as Social Security and Medicare) it makes me wonder why exactly we would need more government regulation in the credit markets.

Rep. Frank has claimed that the regional Federal Reserve banks need to be restructured. According to Politico, Rep. Frank stated:

This notion where regional banks appoint a president and they control interest rates-that ought to be changed.

Another Politico article reports that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims that the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) that Sen. Bob Corker and Sen. Dodd are pushing would especially hurt competition for, “mom and pop businesses that had nothing to do with the financial meltdown in the first place.”

Also concerned with the size and scope of Dodd’s financial reform package, the Heritage Foundation has stated:

A good rule of thumb is that the quality of a financial reform package is usually inverse to its size and complexity. This is certainly true of the Dodd package, which is filled with poor policies and outright mistakes that should be quietly dropped as the Banking Committee develops alternatives. As the legislative process continues, the Dodd draft will be mainly useful as a guide of what not to do.

Ultimately, more government entrenchment in the credit markets does not look promising. Not only does it restrict constitutionally stipulated economic liberties, but it limits the free market’s capacity to achieve market efficiency.  Instead of constantly intervening, the government should let market forces work and promote competition to correct the ills of the market.

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From the amazing but true file comes news that the House Republican Conference has announced that all members will not request earmarks.  Republican leader Boehner tweeted shortly after the vote:

The House Republican Conference has adopted an immediate, unilateral moratorium on all earmarks.

This great news comes a day after the House Democrats made a half-hearted attempt to rein in earmarks.

It was good news to hear that House Democrats had adopted a ban on earmarks to for-profit companies. The bad news is their version of a ban wouldn’t apply to 90 percent of all earmarks.

Instead of adopting an all-out ban on earmarks House Democrats have decided to ban earmarks for for-profit entities, while continuing to green light funding for the next Bridge to Nowhere, ACORN or to clear the way for the Napa Valley Wine train.

Sen. Jim Demint, who wrote the article quoted above, is forcing an earmark moratorium vote in the Senate this morning.  Let's hope the Senate follows the courageous example of the House GOP and swear off the pork.  These are all important steps to help increase government accountability and stop spending, waste, and special treatment.

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