CAGW Asks House to Disclose Earmark Requests  

June 24, 2008

U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC  20515

Dear Representative,

          All representatives were required to submit their final requests for earmarks to the House Appropriations Committee by March 24.  On behalf of all taxpayers who will pay for these projects, we are asking you to make your requests available to the public.

          While the rules of the House do not require such transparency, some members of Congress have voluntarily published their lists, and they should be applauded.  If you have not done so, we encourage you to follow their lead.  A member of our staff will be calling you to see if you plan to release your list.

         In the past, members have made various excuses for not publishing their lists, claiming that they have to “manage expectations,” they don’t want to “offend local officials,” and that requests are “confidential.”  Some members have been publishing their lists for many years; others are doing so this year for the first time.  They have apparently not suffered the supposed adverse consequences of publishing such “private” or “confidential” information.

         Providing the request after the appropriation is approved is not sufficient information for taxpayers who deserve a more open and transparent appropriations process.

         Citizens Against Government Waste intends to encourage taxpayers around the country to ask their representatives to publish their list of earmark requests.  A list of who has and has not done so will be published on the organization’s website, www.cagw.org.

Sincerely,

Thomas Schatz,
President