FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 11, 2010

Charleston, SC - Today Republican Congressional Candidate Carroll Campbell joined Senator Jim DeMint in backing a one-year moratorium on earmarks and a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

He is encouraging the Senate and House to pass these bills and go one step further by calling for a federal employment freeze.

Two Senate bills - S.2990 and S.J.Res. 27 - would provide the earmarks moratorium, the balanced budget amendment, and include a further provision requiring a 2/3 vote by Congress to raise taxes. Campbell endorses both bills.

Additionally, Campbell is proposing that Congress go one step further - freeze new hires within the federal government for one year.

"Senator Jim DeMint said that our nation is headed for a fiscal catastrophe, and I agree," said Carroll Campbell. "The only way to stop the rampant spending is to put a moratorium on earmarks - which leads to pork barrel spending - and accept a balanced budget amendment that would also make it harder to raise taxes. As the next Congressman from South Carolina's First District, I will also propose another solution: the freezing of civilian federal government employment at its current level," added Campbell.

"My proposal - which would include all civilian, legislative, and judicial federal government employment - would help slow rampant spending and allow us to reevaluate government from the ground up. It would exempt uniformed military personnel who protect our nation while allowing departments to transfer full-time and part-time equivalent employees among themselves. Thus, this would allow for increases in our federal law enforcement capabilities, as needed," said Campbell.

(The federal Office of Personnel Management maintains federal employment figures; they can be seen here: http://main.opm.gov/feddata/HistoricalTables/TotalGovernmentSince1962.asp)

In addition to Sen. DeMint, the Senate bills include fellow sponsors Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tom Coburn (R-OK), John McCain (R-AZ) and more than 10 other Senators from across the nation. The earmark moratorium would prohibit the Senate from considering any legislation that contains earmarks. The balanced budget amendment would prohibit the federal government to spend more than it collects each year. In limited circumstances, such as during a time of war, Congress can waive the balanced budget requirement with a two-thirds majority. This amendment would also make it more difficult for Congress to increase the burden on taxpayers by requiring a two-thirds majority vote to raise taxes.

"After only his first year in office, President Obama, with the help of Nancy Pelosi, tripled - yes, tripled - the national deficit. Now, he wants a new $3.8 trillion spending plan that is a full 30 percent increase in government spending over 2008 alone. Under this plan, the federal government would run up a record budget deficit of $1.6 trillion. This is all after they raised the federal debt limit to the equivalent of $121,982 for every single American household," said Campbell.

"At a time when South Carolina's economy is struggling to recover and we desperately need new jobs, Washington needs to tighten its belt and focus on tax cuts - not more government spending - to spur private sector job growth," said Carroll Campbell.

Carroll Campbell served as Treasurer and Secretary of the South Carolina State Ports Authority's Board of Directors. He is a successful small businessman who previously worked for Fortune 500 South Carolina employers. Serving on past and current Boards of Directors for the South Carolina Economic Development Association, the University of South Carolina’s Board of Visitors, the Newberry College Board of Trustees, the Richland Memorial Hospital Center for Cancer Treatment, Ducks Unlimited, and as Past Chairman of the Palmetto Alzheimer's Association; Carroll Campbell has been a leader in the state of South Carolina.

Follow the campaign online at www.CarrollCampbell.com

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