WASHINGTON, March 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on the joint announcement by Congressman David Obey, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Congressman Norm Dicks, Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman, that the House Appropriations Committee will not approve requests for earmarks that are directed to for-profit entities:

"When Democrats assumed the majority of Congress in 2007, we pledged to place people ahead of lobbyists and the public interest before special interests.  Over the last three years, we fought to replace a culture of corruption with a new direction of transparency and accountability, including earmark reforms in the last Congress.  

"Today's proposal totally bans corporate earmarks -- critical reform that addresses concerns that many Americans have.  It ensures that for-profit companies no longer reap the rewards of congressional earmarks and limits the influence of lobbyists on Members of Congress.  This ban will ensure good stewardship of taxpayer dollars by the federal government across all agencies.

"To prevent any conflicts of interest, this initiative will empower the Defense Department -- not Members of Congress -- to choose which businesses and projects will receive funding.  It will open the doors of the Pentagon to small start-ups with no inside connections.  It will also require federal agencies to audit 5 percent of all earmarks directed to non-profit entities, to help ensure that non-profit earmarks go for their intended purpose.

"This measure builds on a record that began on the first day of the 110th Congress, when we passed the toughest ethics reform in a generation.  The House created an independent ethics panel to fundamentally change how we investigate ourselves.  We required that every earmark be listed online, next to the name of the Member who requested it.  And the landmark Honest Leadership and Open Government Act demanded an unprecedented level of disclosure, closed the revolving between the Capitol and K Street, banned gifts from lobbyists and limited privately funded travel. Previous Republican Congresses had years to act on these reforms.  This New Direction Congress is actually implementing them."

"Thanks to the leadership of Chairman Obey and Chairman Dicks, this Congress is continuing to uphold our pledge to bring honesty back to government."

SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House

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