Change Conservatives Can Believe In
Appoint Jeff Flake and Jim DeMint.

By Pat Toomey

Senator Mitch McConnell and Rep. John Boehner have a tough two years ahead of them. For the second election cycle in a row, conservative-leaning voters gave the Republican party an ultimatum: Shape up or ship out. And now the leaders of the GOP better deliver if they want 2010 to go any differently. They can start by changing business as usual in the House and Senate.

In the House of Representatives, John Boehner should use his influence and leadership position to appoint Rep. Jeff Flake to the Appropriations Committee. Flake fans may recall the Arizona representative’s pursuit of an appropriations seat nearly a year ago. Though conservatives rallied to Flake’s cause, the House Republican Steering Committee rejected his bid.

This year, the GOP doesn’t have the luxury of choosing the status quo. If the GOP is serious about changing, its members can prove it by giving the most anti-pork congressman in Washington a seat in the heart of the lion’s den.

For years, Rep. Flake has shined a glaring light on Congress’s worst excesses, sponsoring amendments to strip the most outrageous pork projects from the various appropriations bills. Though only one of these amendments has passed to date, they serve a vital purpose in the ongoing fight to broadcast congressional profligacy. These amendments put all congressmen on record in support of or opposed to saving taxpayer money, allowing taxpayers to easily see where their congressmen stand. Flake’s crusade has also inspired over 40 House members to reject earmarks altogether this year. Now, imagine how much more effective Rep. Flake can be with a seat on the Appropriations Committee. In the world of earmarking, the members of the Appropriations Committee hold all the power. They decide who gets what and how much as they write the spending bills. Who better than the anti-pork hero Flake to have a seat — and a vote — at that table?

Rep. Boehner is known for a career of refusing earmarks and he deserves credit for leading by example. He recognizes that the party has been tarnished by its ethical and spending lapses. In a post-mortem op-ed, Boehner recommitted the GOP to “fight vigorously” against “wasteful pork-barrel projects, including taxpayer-funded ‘monuments to me’ and earmarks ‘airdropped’ into bills at the last possible minute to avoid scrutiny.” The best way to do that is to help appoint Flake to the Appropriations Committee.

In the same vein, Senator Mitch McConnell should appoint Senator Jim DeMint to the Senate Finance Committee — one of the most powerful committees with jurisdiction over all tax issues and entitlement programs. With the defeat of New Hampshire Senator John Sununu and Oregon Senator Gordon Smith, at least one Republican seat on the committee will be open for the taking.

Already, Sens. Jim DeMint, Mike Enzi, and George Voinovich have expressed interest in serving on the committee.

With no disrespect to Sens. Enzi and Voinovich, Senator DeMint is exactly the kind of leader the GOP could use at this low point in its history. Not only does DeMint have a business background, he has demonstrated a sophisticated grasp of the country’s tax and entitlement problems. He is one of the few members of Congress to think creatively about solving these problems in a manner that increases personal freedom and prosperity.

He sponsored the Economic Growth Act this year, which would cut the corporate income tax rate to a more competitive level, adjust capital gains for inflation, and reduce the alternative capital gains tax rate for corporations. On Social Security, he has insisted on free-market reforms, sponsoring several bills to create personal Social Security accounts.

Over the next two years, the Senate Finance Committee will tackle such important issues as the Bush tax cuts, the Alternative Minimum Tax, and the looming bankruptcy of Social Security and Medicare. The Democrats will surely push for eliminating the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and raising Social Security taxes. And some Republicans may join the Democrats in pushing this agenda. It is crucial that Republicans have a voice on the committee that can be counted on to lead the fight against these policies. Senator DeMint is that voice.

Filling the first empty seat on the Finance Committee is Senator McConnell’s decision to make, and it will be one of his first decisions as the leader of the Republican Party in 2009. That decision will set the tone for the weeks and months ahead.

Uncle Ben had it right when he said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Both Senator McConnell and Rep. Boehner occupy the highest positions of leadership within the Republican party. Both have acknowledged the need for the Party to recapture the faith of the American people. All the talk about rebuilding the GOP will not amount to a flea on the tail of a dog, if there is no action behind those words. Action can begin with putting limited-government, free-market conservatives like Jeff Flake and Jim DeMint in positions to affect real change.

— Pat Toomey is the president of the Club for Growth.