Washington, D.C. – 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-1^st District, Arizona)

David Schweikert (R-5^th District, Arizona)

Duncan D. Hunter (R-52^nd District, California)

Hal Valeche (R-16^th District, Florida)

Lynn Jenkins (R-2^nd District, Kansas)

Jim Ryun (R-2^nd District, Kansas)

 

Martin Marks (R-7^th District, New Jersey)

Christopher Venis (R-7^th District, New Jersey)

Kate Whitman (R-7^th District, New Jersey)

Chris Hackett (R-10^th District, Pennsylvania)

Matt Shaner (R-5^th District, Pennsylvania)

Amit Singh (R-8^th 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.