Jones Continues Fight Against Earmarks | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Release:

    WASHINGTON, DC     This month, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3), a long-time warrior against wasteful spending, continued to speak out against the potential of Congress bringing back pork barrel spending projects, often know as earmarks. After numerous scandals over many years, including some members of Congress being convicted and sent to prison for corruption, the House of Representatives and Senate banned earmarks in January, 2011. Congressional leaders are now reportedly considering ways to bring them back, and Congressman Jones is taking steps to ensure that doesn't happen.

    In early April, Congressman Jones cosponsored H.R. 5369, the Earmark Elimination Act, legislation that would prohibit the consideration of any bill that contained an earmark.

    "I've said this before and I will say it again - nothing will fill the swamp quicker than the return of earmarks," said Congressman Jones. "It is astonishing to me that this is even being considered. I saw with my own eyes the corruption and fiscal irresponsibility wrought by earmarks. Members of Congress went to jail because of earmarks. Deficits ballooned, in part, because of earmarks. The problems on Capitol Hill are many. Returning to pork barrel spending will make them all worse."

    Congressman Jones also joined his colleagues this week in sending a letter to House leadership, stating their opposition to earmarks. It read:

• "...We write to relay our opposition to lifting the earmark ban. However, if there is to be a vote in the House Republican Conference to repeal the ban, we ask that any such vote be a public, on-the-record, roll-call vote. Our constituents deserve to know how their representative voted on this important issue."

• Contact: Attila Nemecz
•     Attila.Nemecz@beaufortccc.edu