The conservative movement has been adrift for the past several years, in part because it was closely tied to Republicans who claimed to embrace conservative principles about limited government, lower taxes and spending, increased choice in education and health care, and on several other points.
But most Republicans in Congress have abandoned those principles, in deed if not in word. And that abandonment has created a crisis of leadership in conservatism: Who shall stand up for conservative principles in word and deed? And where will they make their stand?
Earmark reform may be the answer.
Some members of Congress are making it their particular mission to:
- Root out earmarks;
- Expose the authors of those earmarks to the light of public opinion;
- Demand to know why taxpayers should be required to fund those earmarks; and
- Often propose a better alternative for that spending—if the money is going to be spent anyway.
Increasingly, conservatives are looking to these members of Congress as their inspirational leaders. Who are they? Recently, the Club for Growth released its “2007 RePORK Card” which identified 50 different anti-pork amendments and rated the votes.
Only 16 House members got a perfect score:
Jeff Flake (R-AZ-6)
John Campbell (R-CA-48)
Jeb Hensarling (R-TX-5)
Paul Broun (R-GA-10)
Nathan Deal (R-GA-9)
Trent Franks (R-AZ-2)
Scott Garrett (R-NJ-5)
Dean Heller (R-NV-2)
John Kline (R-MN-2)
Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5)
Mike Pence (R-IN-6)
Paul Ryan, P. (R-WI-1)
James Sensenbrenner (R-WI-5)
John Shadegg (R-AZ-3)
Mac Thornberry (R-TX-13)
Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA-3)
Of course there are others who got in the 90 percentile, and there are also several senators whose names pop up as pork-busters: Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) to name a few.
These names emerge again and again as the most principled fiscal conservatives in Congress.
May their tribe increase. It will have to, if there is any hope for the kind of spending and tax restraint necessary to deal with the entitlements crisis and maintain America’s global competitiveness.