Toomey, McCaskill File Permanent Earmark Elimination Amendment Today

Press Release

U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) filed the bipartisan Earmark Elimination Act as an amendment to S.2038, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act today. This amendment would expand the temporary moratorium on earmarks scheduled to expire at the end of 2012 to permanently ban earmarks from the legislative process.

The legislation would:

* Permanently ban all earmarks.
* Define earmarks as any congressionally directed spending item, limited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit.
* Create a point of order against any legislation containing an earmark. The point of order would only apply to the actual earmark, rather than to the entire bill.
* Require a two-thirds vote to waive the point of order.

Unfortunately, a number of congressional members are clamoring to reinstate the wasteful earmarking process that forced taxpayers to fund such pet projects as the Bridge to Nowhere. According to the Washington Post, lawmakers are trying to fund special-interest projects by finding loopholes in the current earmark moratorium. In addition, the chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee has vowed: "I am going to do everything to reinstate earmarks." (Roll Call, 10/04/11)

The Earmark Elimination Act has received support from Citizens Against Government Waste.

"In light of the heightened discussion about corruption and influence peddling in the federal government, now is the time to pass a permanent ban on earmarks," Sen. Toomey said. "For years, earmarks played a significant role in fueling the overspending in Washington, currying favor with lobbyists and special interests, and undermining the integrity of our legislative process. My colleagues in Congress cannot credibly talk about cleaning up Washington if we do not get rid of earmarking for good. We cannot afford to allow Congress to resume this practice and play pork-barrel politics with taxpayer dollars."

"We have seen the corruption and secret deal making that prospers when the culture of earmarks is allowed to go unchecked-which is why I've opposed earmarks since my first day in the Senate," Sen. McCaskill said. "We have learned that a temporary ban isn't enough to prevent our leaders from twisting like pretzels to break the rules. And we know that this permanent ban is the only way to end the culture that plagued our government for so long and now is threatening to come back."

Sens. Toomey and McCaskill are no strangers to the fight against wasteful earmarks. A year ago, then-Sen.-Elect Toomey and Sen. McCaskill penned a joint op-ed urging Congress to end wasteful earmarks and "business as usual" in Washington. Today, they are continuing to champion this cause on behalf of American taxpayers.

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