I am a staunch supporter of reforming the earmarking process. It is important that earmark requests, if made at all; have federal connections, are priorities for the local community, and go to public entities rather than private businesses or organizations.
I have made it my official policy to request no new earmarks whatsoever. If other members of the House will not establish such criteria, either through reform of the rules of the House or personal discretion, we should eliminate the process entirely.
I hope you use my website and this page as a resource to see current news and legislation about reforming the process.
My Pledges
Citizens Against Government Waste Earmark Reform Pledge
Freedomworks Earmark Reform Pledge
Legislation
H.R. 631, the Earmark Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007- prohibits a federal agency from funding earmarks in a federal spending bill or implementing an earmark that is included in a congressional report accompanying such legislation (a process known as “airdropping”), unless it is specifically within the text of the bill.
H.CON.RES.263- To establish the Joint Select Committee on Earmark Reform, and for other purposes.
H.CON.RES.314- Establishing a Joint Select Committee on Earmark Reform.
Media Items
One of the ways to move this issue along is to highlight the egregious earmarks that plague the Congressional earmarking process. I have taken a leadership role in highlighting some of the most infamous and egregious earmarks. Click on the links below for more information:
April 16, 2008 - Fox News Sunday: Campbell discusses the CAGW Pig Book
March 5, 2008 - Budget Committee: Campbell on an Earmark Moratorium
September 19, 2007 - CBS Evening News: Campbell calls out Monument to Me
August 10, 2007 - Fox News: Campbell takes on Pork
News Stand
March 3, 2008 - Earmark Season Arrives-Roll Call
February 6, 2008 - Rep. Says No Funding for Berkeley-The Daily Pilot
December 12, 2007 - House Republicans Press on in Attack on Earmarks-The Hill
November 13, 2007 - One Lawmaker’s Waste Is Another’s Namesake-New York Times
November 6, 2007 - Fiscal Conservatives Promote Anti-Earmark Pledge-CongressNow
November 6, 2007- Name Dropping: To honor or not to honor- Seattle Post Intelligencer
November 5, 2007- Take the Pledge: Why Wait for New Earmark Rules?-Congressional Quarterly
October 4, 2007 - Mica Seeking to Cut Pork at Coconut Road-The Hill
May 1, 2008 - Young blasts Mack Over Coconut Road- The Hill
"The culture of earmarks inside Washington is so strong, persuasive, and corrupting that it will take press from regular citizens outside the beltway to correct. That is why I spend so much time highlighting some of the most egregious examples of earmarks."
-- Congressman John Campbell
Watchdog Groups
![2007 CAGW Pig Book](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090118092326im_/http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee270/brentshall21/Pigbookcover.jpg)
National Taxpayer's Union
Americans for Tax Reform
Citizens Against Government Waste
Club for Growth
Taxpayers for Common Sense
Americans for Prosperity
The Sunlight Foundation