Taxpayer Watchdog Praises Rep. Flake on Earmarks

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, in response to critics of Representative and Senate candidate Jeff Flake’s (R-Ariz.) record on earmarks, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) President Tom Schatz issued a statement defending Rep. Flake as an invaluable ally in CCAGW’s 28-year crusade against pork-barrel spending.

“The fight against earmarks has always been a David and Goliath type of battle, and Rep. Flake has been the ‘David’ in the House,” said CCAGW President Tom Schatz. “The earmark moratorium would not be in place without the hundreds of slings and arrows that he has thrown at the defenders of earmarks for many years. Regardless of what his detractors say about his record on earmarks and wasteful spending, every taxpayer should be grateful to Rep. Flake for his leadership in the effort to cut the pork out of Washington.

“No one has worked harder than Rep. Flake to eliminate earmarks. He was a staunch supporter of the earmark moratorium prior to its eventual success, and has defended it at every turn. Rep. Flake has pushed for a tougher, permanent moratorium, and has led the fight against funding the most egregious earmarks. For example, in 2007, he was one of four representatives who sponsored 50 amendments to cut earmarks from various spending bills, including such ludicrous pork as the Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree project in Mitchell County, N.C.; the Exploratorium in San Francisco; and the Kansas Regional Prisons Museum.

“In addition, Rep. Flake has been a principled advocate of lower taxes and smaller government since arriving in Washington. He received a score of 100 percent in the CCAGW 2010 Congressional Ratings, earning him the rank of Taxpayer Super Hero for the fifth time in nine years, and has a lifetime rating with CCAGW of 98 percent, second best in the House and Senate combined. Rep. Flake looks out for taxpayers and future generations by finding ways to cut spending and eradicate wasteful programs. He has been a leader in changing the culture of wasteful spending in the nation’s capital, and the notion that his record on these issues should be considered anything less than exemplary is absurd,” Schatz concluded.

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.