TEA Party: Taxes Enough Already. A general philosophy that Government has become too enthralled with using other peoples’ money. That it has become too big, too intrusive, too cumbersome, way too inefficient, and too far removed from the principles enshrined in our Founding documents: protecting individual Rights and property and a limited government.
Earmarks have certainly been in the news – those "small" incidentals added by our Federal legislators that tack on costs and direct spending. While small only in comparison with the humungeous Federal spending overall, they became a focal point as an indicator of the crass indifference to what most TEA Partiers believe to be the jobs to which these folks are elected.
First there was "November is coming". Now, it is "Hold them Accountable", and indeed, we shall. Especially true in the case of those legislators that have self-identified themselves aligned with TEA Party philosophy.
In this case, of calling for "no earmarks" yet asking and receiving such. Smooth move? Not really, Jackson. Sure, there are those within this caucus that have called for no earmarks and have walked the talk:
| NAME | AMOUNT |
| Bachmann (R-MN) | 0 |
| Broun (R-GA) | 0 |
| Burton (R-IN) | 0 |
| Coffman (R-CO) | 0 |
| Luetkemeyer (R-MO) | 0 |
| Lummis (R-WY) | 0 |
| Marchant (R-TX) | 0 |
| McClintock (R-CA) | 0 |
| Myrick (R-NC) | 0 |
| Neugebauer (R-TX) | 0 |
| P. Sessions (R-TX) | 0 |
| Pence (R-IN) | 0 |
| Roe (R-TN) | 0 |
| Shadegg (R-AZ) | 0 |
| T. Price (R-GA) | 0 |
| Westmoreland (R-GA) | 0 |
But alas…
…there are those that may have decided to "ride the coattails"; time to show them that we are watching:
| NAME | AMOUNT |
| Adrian Smith (R-NE) | $350,000 |
| Herger (R-CA) | $5,946,000 |
| Hoekstra (R-MI) | $6,392,000 |
| Royce (R-CA) | $6,545,000 |
| S. King (R-IA) | $6,650,000 |
| Gohmert (R-TX) | $7,099,000 |
| Poe (R-TX) | $7,913,000 |
| S. Graves (R-MO) | $8,331,000 |
| R. Hall (R-TX) | $12,232,000 |
| Barton (R-TX) | $12,269,400 |
| Bilirakis (R-FL) | $13,600,000 |
| L. Smith (R-TX) | $14,078,000 |
| Franks (R-AZ) | $14,300,000 |
| Akin (R-MO) | $14,709,000 |
| Stearns (R-FL) | $15,472,000 |
| Burgess (R-TX) | $15,804,400 |
| Lamborn (R-CO) | $16,020,000 |
| Gingrey (R-GA) | $16,100,000 |
| Scalise (R-LA) | $17,388,000 |
| Coble (R-NC) | $18,755,000 |
| Jerry Moran (R-KS) | $19,400,000 |
| Gary Miller (R-CA) | $19,627,500 |
| Wilson (R-SC) | $23,334,000 |
| Jenkins (R-KS) | $24,628,000 |
| Fleming (R-LA) | $31,489,000 |
| Culberson (R-TX) | $33,792,000 |
| Wamp (R-TN) | $34,544,000 |
| Carter (R-TX) | $42,232,000 |
| Bartlett (R-MD) | $43,060,650 |
| Crenshaw (R-FL) | $54,424,000 |
| Tiahrt (R-KS) | $63,400,000 |
| Alexander (R-LA) | $65,395,000 |
| Aderholt (R-AL) | $78,263,000 |
| Harper (R-MS) | $80,402,000 |
| R. Bishop (R-UT) | $93,980,000 |
| Rehberg (R-MT) | $100,514,200 |
| TOTAL | $1,049,783,150 |
Thus far, our new Senator Kelly Ayotte has not expressed joining in with a TEA Party type caucus in the Senate, but has pledged a ‘no earmark’ policy and standing with Senator Jim Demint on this (here). It will remain to be seen how our new Congressman Frank Guinta will fare as he has seemingly declared his intention to join this caucus.
Er, Congressman Charlie Bass? We’re watching as well.
