The House Republican Conference voted today to ban the use of earmarks by its members. Americans for Prosperity has been educating and mobilizing the public to fight against pork-barrel earmarks for years, including a nationwide RV tour called the Ending Earmarks Express that traveled more than 15,000 miles in 2006 visiting the 50 most egregious earmarks in 38 states.

“We congratulate Leader Boehner and the House Republicans for taking this bold step,” said AFP Vice President for Policy Phil Kerpen. “Our foundation’s recent study confirmed earmarking works all too well at buying votes for re-election, so this decision to refrain from earmarking took real political courage.

“The American people are tired of hearing about pork projects and having their taxes raised to pay for them. Even House Democrats are starting to realize this – but their ban on earmarks for corporations allows for earmarking as usual by state and local governments, public authorities, and universities. The idea that earmarking is somehow virtuous when it rewards government entities for taxpayer-funded lobbying is ridiculous.

“The House Republican Conference’s historic decision to put a unilateral end to earmarking is the biggest, most concrete step away from corrupt earmarking-as-usual ever taken, and they deserve enormous credit for putting principle ahead of politics.”