Earmark ban has backing of 13 Republican senators

Republican Sen. Jim DeMint (S.C.) will propose an earmark ban at the Republican Conference meeting next week with the backing of at least 13 lawmakers. 

The earmark moratorium is supported by Sens. DeMint, Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), John Ensign (R-Nev.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas). Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) have also signed as co-sponsors, along with Sens.-elect Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.).

"Americans want Congress to shut down the earmark favor factory, and next week I believe House and Senate Republicans will unite to stop pork-barrel spending," DeMint said Wednesday in a statement. "Instead of spending time chasing money for pet projects, lawmakers will be able to focus on balancing the budget, reforming the tax code and repealing the costly healthcare takeover."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said any campaign to eliminate earmarks is a distraction from larger spending cuts that need to be made. He's also argued that giving up earmarks would give the executive branch too much power to spend money on its priorities. 

DeMint also is backing a balanced-budget amendment authored by Cornyn that "forces Congress to lower spending and requires a supermajority to raise taxes."

“Republicans should fully support a balanced-budget amendment that would require us to end the skyrocketing debt without raising taxes on American families," he said.