“Earmarks have become emblematic of everything that is wrong with spending in Washington D.C., and I am proud to stand with Leader Boehner in calling for an end to earmarking as we know it.

“House Republicans made a strong statement when we agreed to a one-year moratorium on all earmarks. As we go forward, closing the ‘favor factory’ is just one of the steps that Republicans will take to reform how Congress spends tax dollars. It’s past time for Congress to make the hard choices that are necessary to break Washington’s spending addiction, and ending earmarks as we know them is a step in the right direction.” – U.S. Congressman Mike Pence

We should all applaud this move by some leaders in Congress to ban earmarks. Because of the abuse of earmarks in Congress, there has been a lack of accountability on the part of Democrats and Republicans in Washington. That’s why at the end of last year, Americans for Prosperity Colorado asked every member of Congress and candidate for Congress from Colorado to sign the AFP No Earmarks Pledge. The pledge states:

As “a member of/candidate for the U.S. Congress from Colorado do hereby pledge to my constituents that I will refuse to seek or support earmarks during the Congressional appropriations process through the end of the 112th Session of Congress in 2012.”
Simple. Straightforward. This pledge separates those who want to say they are against earmarks through the election, but then go right back to their old habits once they are in office from those who are serious about earmark reform. It has now been nearly a year since the pledge was rolled out and I wanted to make sure you know which candidates and members of Congress have signed the No Earmarks Pledge.
Candidates that have signed:
Ken Buck (U.S. Senate)
John Finger (U.S. Senate)
Maclyn Stringer (U.S. Senate)
Stephen Bailey (CD 2)
Curtis Harris (CD 2)
Scott Tipton (CD 3)
Cory Gardner (CD 4)
Jerell Klaver (CD 5)
Mike Coffman (CD 6)
Ryan Frazier (CD 7)

Candidates that have not signed:
Michael Bennet (U.S. Senate)
Jared Polis (CD 2)
John Salazar (CD 3)
Betsy Markey (CD 4)
Doug Lamborn (CD 5)
John Flerlage (CD 6)
Ed Perlmutter (CD 7)

This pledge is an important component of keeping elected officials accountable as they seek and hold public office. I encourage you to contact those who have not signed the No Earmarks Pledge and ask them to sign the pledge – and their commitment to you- that they will not seek earmarks but instead be a leader in fiscal reform in Congress.