FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              CONTACT: John Donnelly
March 11, 2010                                                                                        (317) 848-0201

BREAKING NEWS: Burton, RSC Ban On All Earmarks Adopted By House GOP Conference

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05), co-founder of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), issued the following statement about the RSC's successful effort to get all Republicans in the U.S. House to adopt a ban on all earmarks for one year.  The measure was adopted at a House Republican Conference meeting late this morning:

"Because of the irresponsible spending and public outrage over largess in Congress, I have sworn to not request, and to vote against, earmarks since 2007.  Until today, I was one of just thirty-two members of Congress to take that pledge.  Today, with the entire conference of House Republicans adopting our ban on all earmarks, we have sent a clear message to the American people that we are serious about cutting spending, and serious about an ethical appropriations process in Congress."

Background:
Rep. Dan Burton and the RSC "no earmark" team sent a request to Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence on February 23, 2010, to convene a meeting for the purpose of holding a conference wide vote on adopting a one-year ban on all earmarks for Republicans in the U.S. House.  The measure was passed in a meeting shortly before noon today.

Click here to see the original signers of the no earmark pledge:
http://rsc.tomprice.house.gov/Solutions/swearingoffpork.htm

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