FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2008
Contact: Susan Miller
423/929-8753
smiller@osm-adv.co
Roe Calls on Davis to Take Earmark Pledge
KINGSPORT, July 1 – In 2006, then-candidate David Davis made earmark reform one of the central themes of his campaign for Congress.
This time, he’s being asked to put it in writing.
Davis is being opposed in the Aug. 7 Republican primary by Johnson City Mayor Phil Roe. On Tuesday, Roe called on Davis to join other Republican members of Congress in signing the Earmark Reform Pledge proposed by taxpayer watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste.“Last time, David Davis said one thing and then did another,” said Roe. “He should sign this pledge and then, more importantly, keep his word for his remaining months in Congress.”
By signing the pledge, members of Congress agree to 10 provisions, including that they will:
- Fully disclose all earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit requests on their congressional websites;
- not request any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision that would be directed toward a specific private entity that was not requested by an agency; and,
- support legislation that would end linkage between campaign contributions and earmarks.
Davis has been at the center of controversy since it was revealed in June that he is the top congressional recipient of campaign contributions from federal defense contractor BAE Systems, for which he sought budget earmarks. In a June 13 editorial, the Bristol Herald Courier noted: “Interestingly, Davis made opposition to earmarks one of his campaign planks in 2006. We even praised him for the stance in an editorial. Guess he had a change of heart.”
“The BAE deal is only a single example of Davis’ corporate entanglements,” the newspaper’s editorial continued. “We took Davis to task for his full-on-the-lips smooch of any special interest waving a wad of cash – not for the BAE deal alone.”
Since being elected to Congress, Davis has sponsored 18 pieces of legislation. The only one to pass to date is a bill designating June 20, 2007, as “American Eagle Day.”
In a separate editorial published on June 15, Herald Courier editorial page editor Andrea Hopkins wrote: “Twelve of Davis’ other bills deal with tariffs on various chemicals. All of those are parked in committee – unable to attract a co-sponsor. It isn’t quite clear what Davis’ interest is in substances like crotonaldehyde, a precursor chemical used in the manufacture of the food preservative sorbic acid, or phenyl salicylate, used in the manufacture of some adhesives and waxes. Either chemistry is a hobby, or some corporate interest asked Davis to carry this legislation. Odds are good it’s the latter.”
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