Congressman Chaffetz will propose his stance on earmarks in a letter that will be sent to all public policy officials and constituents in his district. The letter is attached below.
To view Congressman Chaffetz’ Draft Guidance Document regarding appropriate congressionally directed spending vs. earmarks, click HERE
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June 10, 2009
Dear :
During my campaign for Congress I signed an “earmark” pledge. The pledge was a commitment that I would not ask for an earmark in fiscal year 2009. I have honored that pledge.
I went a step further, assuring voters I would not ask for an earmark until the process was open, transparent and reformed. Despite the rhetoric, Congress and the White House have failed to make the necessary reforms. I see little hope that reform in the appropriations process will be addressed in the near future. It’s time to do something about the problems with the earmark process and I am seeking your help.
Rather than wait for change to happen I intend to lead out on this issue, even if it means starting with a single Congressional office – my own. I want to raise the bar by increasing transparency, openness, accountability, and requiring better justification for spending precious federal dollars. We can’t afford to fund every worthy project that comes to our attention. At the same time, I recognize that there is a proper role for the federal government in providing funding for certain types of projects. We need to establish criteria and a process for securing funding for those projects that have a federal nexus while eliminating projects that don’t meet the criteria. Utahns continue to pay more than their fair share of federal taxes and the federal government has an obligation to direct some of those funds back to our state. The integrity of the process we use to bring those dollars home is important.
Therefore, today I submit to the people of Utah a draft document for public comment distinguishing between earmarks and legitimate appropriation requests. These proposed changes in the process are a first step toward changing the way business is done in Washington, D.C.
Please review and provide feedback regarding the accompanying policy proposal. I will use the feedback I receive to fine-tune the proposal. Once finalized, I intend to use this proposed analytical framework to evaluate each and every appropriation request I receive. Your constructive criticism, suggestions, and perspective will help me improve this policy as I look to address appropriations abuses. Please submit your feedback regarding this proposal in writing to either of my Utah offices or to the Washington D.C. office by August 20, 2009.
I hope that through this process we will be able to restore integrity to the appropriations process by finding a way to balance the need for legitimate federal appropriations against the need to protect the process from abuse. I appreciate your willingness to contribute your perspectives, and look forward to receiving your input.
Sincerely,
Jason Chaffetz (UT-03)
Member of Congress
