(Washington, D.C.) – The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today applauded former Senator George LeMieux, Republican candidate for Senate in Florida, for signing the group’s No Pork Pledge.  

In signing the pledge, former Senator LeMieux agreed that he will not request any pork-barrel earmark, which is 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 twenty-seven year history of opposing pork-barrel earmarks and we welcome former Senator LeMieux to this cause.  It has become increasingly obvious that pork-barrel earmarking has a corruptive influence over the institution of Congress and its members. Members who swear off earmarking are sending an unmistakable signal that they want to restore credibility to the budget process and revive the taxpayers’ trust in our elected representatives,” said CCAGW President Tom Schatz.

“Every dollar spent on frivolous pork amplifies the already ominous problems that lie ahead if government fails to rein its wasteful spending and mounting debt.  This year, thanks in part to CCAGW’s tireless crusade against pork-barrel spending, all of Congress has agreed to an earmark moratorium.  Earmarks should be banned permanently, but many members have already expressed displeasure at the moratorium and have vowed to secure pork by other means.  For that reason, it is especially heartening to have the support of George LeMieux in our fight on the side of taxpayers, the largest, most-neglected interest group of them all.”

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.