Earmark Requests
As a Member of Congress, I do not request congressional earmarks, and have been a leading advocate in the House of Representatives to reform the current earmark system. I believe the current earmark system represents the triumph of seniority over merit, secrecy over transparency, and special interests over the national interest. I was a leading voice within the House Republican Conference calling for a conference-wide moratorium on requesting earmarks, which the House Republican Conference voted in favor of earlier in 2010.