Washington, D.C. – The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), the nation’s premier taxpayer watchdog, in conjunction with Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and other advocacy groups, will hold a press conference today urging senators to restore earmark reform in the Senate ethics and lobbying bill.

WHAT: Earmark Reform Press Conference

WHO:  Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina                        
             Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma                          
             David Williams, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
             Steve Ellis, Taxpayers for Common Sense
             Phil Kerpen, Americans for Prosperity
             Pete Sepp, National TaxpayerUnion                        
             Andy Roth, Club for Growth

WHEN: Wednesday, August 1, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. (ET)

WHERE:  Senate “Swamp” in Upper Senate Park, next toRussell Building

DESCRIPTION:  Following the conclusion of secret negotiations intended to bypass the normal legislative process, compromise language on earmark reform was announced.  If enacted, the new language will gut the earmark reform provisions that were passed in January in S. 1, the Senate ethics and lobbying reform bill, and which are already in effect in the House of Representatives.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is blocking all amendments and has filed cloture to cut off debate on the measure.  Government watchdog and taxpayer advocacy groups join Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), in a call to oppose cloture and allow the senators to offer an amendment to restore the original earmark reform language.  The message from taxpayers to the Congress is clear: STOP SECRET EARMARKS NOW!

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.