Letter from Shelley
Friends and Colleagues,
As the House continued work on appropriations spending bills this week, advocates for increased openness and transparency in government spending scored a big victory.
Making Government More Accountable
The House continued work on appropriations bill this week, approving three bills that will help fund our government in 2008: the Energy & Water, State & Foreign Operations, and Legislative Branch appropriations bills.
As we continue work on spending bills, the issue of transparency and accountability in government spending has risen to great importance.
I believe in providing as much openness and transparency as possible, and that is why this year I voluntarily released a list of my earmark requests. This was the first time I have released these requests, but I believe it is an important part of providing more transparency in government spending in order to allow taxpayers to hold their government more accountable.
I am not anti-earmark, but I do believe that taxpayer money should never be spent behind closed doors. If an earmark is worthy of one cent of taxpayers' money, then it must be able to withstand public scrutiny.
Sincerely,
Member of Congress
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CNN Says Capito "Gets it"...
During last night's Anderson Cooper 360, Rep. Capito was praised for being one of only 45 members of Congress to voluntarily disclose her earmark requests.
Click here to watch the segment in which Rep. Capito is praised for being part of a small group of members of Congress who "get it" when it comes to providing their constituents with increased transparency. (you can watch the rest of the story by clicking here.)
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Capito Meets with Moorefield High School FFA Officers
WASHINGTON, DC, June 21, 2007 – Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito met with members of the Moorefield High School FFA. Pictured above from left to right are: Rebekah Shaffer, Vice President; Crystal Simmons, Secretary; Roy Harper, advisor; and Michelle Biser, president.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT....
Charleston Daily Mail
Wednesday June 20, 2007
Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito has requested $23 million for U.S. 35 construction, $25 million for the Marmet Locks project and $250,000 for the Charleston YWCA renovation project.
The congresswoman also provided a list of many other funding requests today. She said the release was part of an effort to bring more transparency and accountability to government spending
To read the full text of this story, click here.
Capito releases list of earmark requests
Martinsburg Journal
Wednesday June 20, 2007
MARTINSBURG — A list of 36 requests for federal earmarks were submitted and released by U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. on Wednesday, making it the first time the fourth-term congresswoman has made the list of requests available to the public.
Capito said she made the decision out of a desire for increasing transparency and accountability in earmarking.
To read the full text of this story, click here.
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