Senator Mitch McConnell and Rep. John Boehner have a tough two years ahead of them. For the second election cycle in a row, conservative-leaning voters gave the Republican party an ultimatum: Shape up or ship out. And now the leaders of the GOP better deliver if they want 2010 to go any differently. They can start by changing business as usual in the House and Senate.
In the House of Representatives, John Boehner should use his influence and leadership position to appoint Rep. Jeff Flake to the Appropriations Committee. Flake fans may recall the Arizona representative’s pursuit of an appropriations seat nearly a year ago. Though conservatives rallied to Flake’s cause, the House Republican Steering Committee rejected his bid.
This year, the GOP doesn’t have the luxury of choosing the status quo. If the GOP is serious about changing, its members can prove it by giving the most anti-pork congressman in Washington a seat in the heart of the lion’s den.
For years, Rep. Flake has shined a glaring light on Congress’s worst excesses, sponsoring amendments to strip the most outrageous pork projects from the various appropriations bills. Though only one of these amendments has passed to date, they serve a vital purpose in the ongoing fight to broadcast congressional profligacy. These amendments put all congressmen on record in support of or opposed to saving taxpayer money, allowing taxpayers to easily see where their congressmen stand. Flake’s crusade has also inspired over 40 House members to reject earmarks altogether this year. Now, imagine how much more effective Rep. Flake can be with a seat on the Appropriations Committee. In the world of earmarking, the members of the Appropriations Committee hold all the power. They decide who gets what and how much as they write the spending bills. Who better than the anti-pork hero Flake to have a seat — and a vote — at that table?
Rep. Boehner is known for a career of refusing earmarks and he deserves credit for leading by example. He recognizes that the party has been tarnished by its ethical and spending lapses. In a post-mortem op-ed, Boehner recommitted the GOP to “fight vigorously” against “wasteful pork-barrel projects, including taxpayer-funded ‘monuments to me’ and earmarks ‘airdropped’ into bills at the last possible minute to avoid scrutiny.” The best way to do that is to help appoint Flake to the Appropriations Committee.
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