Washington, D.C. – The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today released the following text of a January 14 letter sent to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and the Republican Steering Committee:

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has made a bid for the open seat on the House Appropriations Committee.  On behalf of the more than 1.2 million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I urge you and your colleagues on the Republican Steering Committee to place Rep. Flake on Appropriations.

CCAGW appreciates your leadership and the fact you have not asked for earmarks during your entire Congressional career.  If more of your colleagues followed your example, Republicans would have more credibility when it comes to stopping wasteful spending and perhaps still be in power.  Many have attributed the 2006 Republican loss of Congress to corruption issues and much of that was a result of pork-barrel spending.  As you have said, Republicans can regain control by stressing fiscal conservatism.

To help achieve that goal, Rep. Flake should be appointed to the Appropriations Committee.  He will help bring more balance to the spending process.  Members may be more likely to allocate federal funds in a responsible way, saving valuable tax dollars.  Rep. Flake will reiterate that Congress’s role is to focus on national issues, not local issues such as providing funds for schools, museums, and bike paths. 

I am sure you have seen the January 8 Wall Street Journal editorial, which said, “Now that they are back in the minority, however, these same GOP leaders say they want to reclaim their fiscal credentials.  So Mr. Flake's candidacy is a test of their sincerity… if he doesn't get it, we'll know House Republicans still haven't changed their ways from the Tom DeLay-Bridge to Nowhere era.”  CCAGW hopes that you and the Republican Steering Committee will show that real change can happen in Washington, and that fiscal conservatives are alive and well and leading the way.

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.