‘Porkbusters’ boot GOP leadership rep from list

Angered by the decision of Republican leaders to not give earmark foe Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) a coveted seat on the Appropriations Committee, a coalition of fiscal conservative groups is kicking the GOP leadership’s representative off its mailing list.

“At the request of several key groups in the porkbusting coalition, I have decided to eject the House GOP leadership’s representative, Bill Greene, from the Coalition mailing list,” said blogger Rob Neppell.

{mosads}The Porkbusters coalition is made up of conservative groups, such as the Club for Growth, the Heritage Foundation and the National Taxpayer’s Union, and bloggers.

Anti-earmark advocates had called for Flake to get a seat on the appropriations panel and were dismayed when leadership gave the slot to Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.).

“While I have no beef at all with Bill personally, he represents a leadership that has shown its indifference to true reform with the appointment of Jo Bonner to the Appropriations Committee (and the passing-over of Jeff Flake),” Neppell added.

Andrew Roth, director of government affairs of the Club for Growth, said, “Bonner’s track record on earmark reform is tremendously weak.

“How can we take the House GOP leadership seriously if they talk about enacting serious earmark reform one day and then appoint a big-spending porker to Appropriations the next?” Roth asked.

Neppell called the omission of Flake evidence that the Republican leadership wishes “to remain part of the problem, not the solution, and as such, have no place on the discussion list.”

In response to the decision, an aide to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said GOP leaders are committed to earmark reform. 

“Republican Leaders in the House are committed to an immediate moratorium on earmarks and fundamental earmark reform,” said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel. "The only thing that stands in the way of working to end wasteful pork-barrel spending is House Democrats. We will continue to work with anyone and everyone who has an interest in earmark reform and fixing a broken Washington.”

The decision to exclude the GOP leadership aide from the list was reached by representatives from the conservative groups and blogs that make up the Porkbusters coalition.