Senator Jim DeMint has long been one of conservatives’ mosteffective allies in the Senate. His consistent support for low taxes, limitedgovernment, and reduced spending made him the top scorer in NTU’s annual Ratingof Congress in 2006, 2007, and 2008. He was also one of the first Senators toembrace the Tea Party movement, recognizingit as a useful tool to provide “a voice to people who are very frustrated thatWashington’s not listening.” And now, Republicans have a chance to appoint thisvocal leader to a position where he could continue to shake up Washington forthe good of the taxpayer – the Senate Finance Committee.
The opening on the Committee comes about as the result ofthe resignation of Nevada Senator John Ensign. Appointing Sen. DeMint to fillthe coveted opening would not only send a clear signal to taxpayers thatRepublicans are listening to their concerns, it would show tax-and-spendDemocrats that they mean business. Senator DeMint has become beloved byconservatives, in no small part because of his willingness to be “in thedoghouse” among the Washington establishment. But this deep-rootedunwillingness to bend to politics when it means sacrificing principle isexactly the sort of traits needed on the increasingly important Senate FinanceCommittee.
Senator DeMint has alreadyexpressed interest in the position. “[The Finance Committee] is whereentitlement reform will be written to balance the budget, and it’s where ourtax laws will be reformed to ensure that America remains the best place in theworld to do business,” said DeMint spokesman Wesley Denton. And it is whereDeMint belongs.
The upcoming months and years willbe a crucial time to ensure that America remains true to its heritage as abastion of free markets, low taxes, and limited government. The Senate FinanceCommittee will be one of the key fronts in that battle of ideas. Who better tohave in our corner than a principled conservative like Senator Jim DeMint?
Please help NTU’s grassrootseffort by calling Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) at 202-224-3135and asking him to appoint Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) to the Senate FinanceCommittee.