HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner

Washington, Jan 28, 2008 -

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement reacting to news that President Bush will use his State of the Union speech to announce he will veto any FY 2009 spending bills that do not cut taxpayer-funded earmarks in half from FY 2008 levels:

“The earmark process has become a symbol of a broken Washington.  House Republicans applaud the President’s pledge to veto bills that do not significantly slash earmarks and provide appropriate transparency in spending.  However, we believe Congress should go even further, by adopting an immediate moratorium on all earmarks and establishing a panel to determine ways to end wasteful pork-barrel spending.  It’s our sincere hope that Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Majority will join us by the end of this week in supporting these urgently needed reforms so Congress can begin restoring trust between the American people and their elected leaders.”

NOTE:  Last Friday, House Republican leaders sent Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) a letter calling on her to join House Republicans in endorsing an immediate moratorium on earmarks and to appoint a bipartisan, bicameral joint committee to reform the earmark process and eliminate wasteful spending.  The GOP leaders asked Speaker Pelosi to respond to the request by February 1, 2008 – the end of the House Democratic Caucus retreat.  In the letter, House Republicans also outlined a series of earmark reform standards they will adopt immediately, including:

• No more “monuments to me.”  Lawmakers should not use taxpayer money to fund projects named after themselves. 
• No more “airdrops.”  The process by which Congress spends the American people's money should be completely transparent.  Members of Congress should not circumvent transparency by airdropping earmarks into bills in conference at the last minute.
• No “fronts” (no pass-through entities).  Taxpayer funds should not be laundered through “front” operations that mask their true recipients.
• Members of Congress who request earmarks should put forth a plan detailing exactly how the money will be spent and why they believe the use of taxpayer funding is justified.  Members of Congress who “secure” earmarks should place these plans in the Congressional Record well in advance of floor votes on those earmarks. 
• To improve accountability, Members of Congress should require outside earmark recipients to put up “matching funds” where applicable so that American taxpayers do not bear all the risk for such expenditures.
• The Executive Branch should be held accountable for its own earmark practices.  The Executive Branch asks for earmarks, too, and has done so under administrations Democratic and Republican alike.  Members of Congress should hold present and future Administrations accountable for the way in which taxpayer-funded earmarks are used.

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