Jun 19, 2006

Representative E. Shaw
United States House of Representatives
1236 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-0001

Dear Representative Shaw,

This week you are scheduled to vote on H.R. 4890, the Legislative Line-Item Veto Act of 2006.  This legislation will provide the President with the ability to remove wasteful spending and special-interest tax breaks from legislation while preserving congressional power to appropriate funds.

With Line-Item Veto authority, the President can help ensure that taxpayer dollars are not wasted on costly earmarks or wasteful programs that are often tucked into bills behind closed doors, in the dead of night.  As a taxpayer, I am disgusted by the proliferation of self-serving, pork-barrel spending and outraged that during this time of war and record deficits you are spending my hard-earned tax dollars on "Bridges to Nowhere," indoor tropical rainforests, teapot museums, and other frivolous projects.

The scandals surrounding convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham have highlighted all too clearly how parochial and special-interest earmarks corrupt Congress and the legislative process.  Mr. Abramoff even called the appropriations committees, "earmark favor factories"!

Your vote in favor of the Legislative Line-Item Veto Act of 2006 will help restore fiscal discipline and accountability to Washington.  I urge you to vote YES on H.R. 4890.

Sincerely,

Karl Dickey