WASHINGTON – Tim Phillips, President of the free-market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity, today released the following statement in response to U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner (1st Dist. – Ala.) being appointed to the House Appropriations Committee:

“This is a huge missed opportunity for true earmark reform and for the Republican Party. The Steering Committee had the opportunity to put a true reformer on the Appropriations Committee in Congressman Jeff Flake, but instead chose to elevate somebody who only supported anti-earmark amendments 2 percent of the time last year.

“Congressman Bonner’s 2-percent record on anti-pork amendments is literally the same as unabashedly liberal Members of Congress like John Dingell, George Miller, Sheila Jackson Lee and Jerry Nadler. The projects he specifically refused to kill funding for last year include the Charles Rangel Center for Public Service ($200,000), a fake prison in Kansas ($100,000), the American Ballet Theater in New York City ($150,000), and the “Perfect Christmas Tree” project in North Carolina.

“Still we believe it’s always possible for Members of Congress to see the light and change their past habits, and we hope that Congressman Bonner will do so as a member of the Appropriations Committee. If he does embrace additional earmark reforms and he uses his new position to expose and fight against wasteful pork-barrel earmarks, we look forward to working with him in the ongoing battle to protect the American taxpayer.”

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the nation’s premier grassroots organization committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

# # #