Lee calls on Senator Bennett and all Senators to commit to earmark moratorium and balanced budget amendment 

Salt Lake City, UT, February 4, 2010 — U.S. Senate candidate Mike Lee today announced his support for a one-year moratorium on earmarks and a balanced budget constitutional amendment. He also challenged Senator Bob Bennett and all Senators to work to enact the measures. U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) and John McCain (R-Arizona) put forward the proposals and called on their colleagues to stand up and do what is necessary to restrain wasteful spending and restore fiscal responsibility. 

In declaring his support and issuing the challenge, Lee stated: "The American people are tired of out-of-control spending, bridges to nowhere, endless unfunded entitlements, the steady diet of pork barrel projects for the well-connected and the purchasing of political support with taxpayer dollars. Our citizens have also had enough of the smooth sounding, soothing and reassuring rhetoric of campaign-year promises to reduce spending." Lee continued, "It is time for true leaders to lead by taking real action – these measures will drive real and lasting change, reduce spending and ensure fiscal discipline now and in the future. I applaud these leaders for their wisdom and courage and challenge all Senators and candidates to join the fight to pass these measures and ensure that our financial house is in order for our children and grandchildren."

In announcing the measures for the earmark moratorium and Balanced Budget Amendment, the co-sponsors stated: “The national debt is more than $12 trillion, the President’s budget predicts a $1.6 trillion deficit this year, and the unfunded liability to pay for entitlements in the future exceeds $100 trillion. According to the Congressional Research Service, last year’s pork barrel spending included 11,320 earmarks totaling nearly $32 billion.” (See full release at http://tinyurl.com/bba-earmark)

Senator Jim DeMint declared, “Our nation is headed for a fiscal catastrophe and we must take bold action to keep the politicians in Washington from running us off the cliff.” DeMint further commented, “Americans want real action to reduce spending, not rhetoric and not gimmicks. They know earmarks are at the heart of the spending addiction in Congress and they cannot understand why we don’t have to balance the budget, just like they have to. These two measures will force Congress to shut down the favor factory and begin the process of bold, long-term budget reform. We hear a lot of talk about the need to be fiscally responsible these days, but very few actually do anything about it. We’re giving our colleagues a chance to back up their rhetoric with action.”

Echoing Senator DeMint, Mike Lee observed: “This is an opportunity for Senators and Senate candidates to stand up and be counted, and more importantly, show by their actions, where they are, what they believe and what they are committed to do to move our country forward on the right fiscal path.”

With all of the critical challenges facing the country today there is no time to sit back and wait for poll results or prevailing pundits to determine whether or not a Senator should support a particular measure. Mike Lee was the first of the Senate candidates from Utah to sign a pledge to repeal President Obama’s health care plan and is again leading the way with his support for a one year moratorium on earmarks and a Constitutional Amendment for a balanced budget.   

Mike Lee is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Utah, currently held by three term incumbent Bob Bennett. In the past, Senator Bennett has been opposed to this type of legislation. 

About Mike Lee: An attorney from Alpine, Utah, Lee has served as a law clerk to Judge Dee Benson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, as a law clerk to Judge Samuel Alito of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, as General Counsel to Governor Jon Huntsman, and as a law clerk to Justice Samuel Alito of the U.S. Supreme Court. He has also held positions in private practice, and is currently a partner with the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Howrey LLP.  


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