DeMint's Turn

Dear Fellow Conservative:

I want to give you a quick update on our efforts to pass the Republican earmark ban in the Senate.

First, the number of senators who have publicly pledged to support the ban has grown to 14. Here's the current list of cosponsors. You will be pleased to know that all five of the SCF-backed candidates have taken a bold, public stand as they promised.

Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Pat Toomey (R-PA)
Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Rand Paul (R-KY)
Mike Lee (R-UT)
Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
John Ensign (R-NV)
Mike Enzi (R-WY)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Bob Corker (R-TN)

Second, Senator Tom Coburn has written an important piece for National Review Online outlining the myths and facts about earmarks. Please take a moment to read it and then forward it to your friends and family.

Senator Coburn has been fighting wasteful Washington spending since he was first elected to Congress in 1994. He was battling earmarks before I even knew what an earmark was. Senator Coburn is an expert at dismantling all the phony arguments used to defend pork barrel politics.

This is an important battle for our nation's future. Republicans will never be able to stand up to the big-spending policies being pushed by President Obama and congressional Democrats if we're addicted to pork. And, we're never going to be able to get the American people to give us a second chance if we don't lead by example and stop business as usual.

Thank you for your continued encouragement and prayers. You've given many of my colleagues the support they need to take a stand for the principles of freedom, and it means very much to me.

Respectfully,