Pennsylvania Candidate Frank Ryan Signs CCAGW No Pork Pledge

(Washington, D.C.) – The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today applauded Frank Ryan, Republican candidate for Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district, for signing the group’s No Pork Pledge.  In signing the pledge, Mr. Ryan agreed that, should he be elected, he will not request pork-barrel earmarks, which are defined as meeting one of the following criteria:

• Requested by only one chamber of Congress
• Not specifically authorized
• Not competitively awarded
• Not requested by the President
• Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding
• Not the subject of congressional hearings
• Serves only a local or special interest

“CCAGW has a 26-year history of opposing pork-barrel earmarks and we are pleased that Frank Ryan has made earmark elimination a plank in his platform.  It has become increasingly obvious that pork-barrel earmarking has a corruptive influence on the institution of Congress and its members.  Candidates who swear off earmarking are sending an unmistakable signal that, once they get to Washington, they intend to pursue an agenda of fiscal responsibility to restore credibility to the budget process and revive the taxpayers’ trust in our elected representatives,” said CCAGW President Tom Schatz.  “Rep. Tim Holden (D), the current representative of the 17th congressional district, took 22 earmarks worth $14 million for fiscal year 2010.  In the current political and fiscal climate, when Congress has been engaged in a historically unprecedented spending frenzy, accountability has taken a nosedive and our politicians are held in such low esteem by the American people, it is particularly inspirational to see candidates like Frank Ryan stepping to the forefront, prepared to swim against the current and stand strong with taxpayers.”

“Many projects qualify for federal funding under the normal agency practice of application, review, and award without earmarks,” Ryan said.  “As a member of Congress, my staff and I will insure that legitimate applications from the district for federal funding are properly completed, forwarded to the appropriate agency and fairly awarded within available budgets.”

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.  Signing the No Pork Pledge does not imply endorsement by CCAGW of a candidate for office.

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