Graves Opposes Earmarks and Wasteful Washington Spending

Graves Opposes Earmarks and Wasteful Washington Spending
Hawkins circulating talking points supporting earmarks
 
(ELLIJAY, GA) – Campaigning today alongside the owner of Poole’s BBQ in Ellijay, conservative Republican Tom Graves continued his strong stance in favor of Col. Oscar Poole’s BBQ and his opposition to the pork-barrel spending and the wasteful earmarks that come out of Washington.
 
“Poole’s BBQ has some of the best pork in North Georgia, but we need to cut the pork out of Washington, DC,” said Graves.  “Spending is out of control, Democrats’ Pay-As-You-Go rule is a joke and despite outrage from the taxpayers, Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress have done nothing to reduce spending.  Reining in wasteful Washington spending will take a disciplined approach.  I have taken a no-earmark pledge.  We must get spending under control before it bankrupts this country.”
 
Last week House Republicans announced plans to eliminate $1.3 trillion in spending and Graves said he will support this effort.
 
However, in recent days Graves’ opponent in the June 8th Special General Election Runoff, Lee Hawkins, has come out in support of earmarks.
 
Last week Hawkins circulated Hall County Talking Points asking voters to support him because “We need a Congressman who will stop our tax dollars from being shipped elsewhere” and “No one will work harder than someone from Hall to protect our economic interests. Tens of millions of dollars of transportation and infrastructure is at stake.”
 
“With our children and now grandchildren on the hook for tens of thousands in debt, now is not the time to play guessing games or close our eyes and hope for the best before we jump in—we need a tested, proven, conservative who’ll reject special interest earmarks and stand up to wasteful Washington spending,” said Graves.  “If we are going to stop wasteful Washington spending and this generational theft, then we need a conservative philosophy in Washington.”
 
“There is a clear difference between me and my opponent.  I oppose earmarks and he supports them,” said Graves.
 
Graves and Hawkins also differ on tax cuts.
 
Hawkins opposes Georgia Jobs, Opportunity and Business Success Act (JOBS Act), which provided tax credits, cuts and eliminations to spur job creation in Georgia.  The JOBS Act specifically provides tax credit to employers who hire out of work Georgians, cuts Georgia’s capital gains tax in half and eliminates the net worth tax.
 
Graves wrote the JOBS Act when he was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives.
 
Graves finished first in the May 11th Special General Election, receiving 35.4 percent of the vote and out polled his runoff opponent by 12 points.
 
Graves has been endorsed by FreedomWorks, RedState’s Erick Erickson, the Club for Growth PAC, Jim Gilchrist’s Minuteman Project, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor, Congressman Lynn Westmoreland and former 9th District candidates Bert Loftman and Eugene Moon.  Graves was the first candidate to be certified 100 percent pro-life by the Georgia Right to Life PAC.
 
Graves represented the 12th House District from 2003 until March 23, 2010.  Graves announced over a year ago that he would seek the 9th District Congressional seat that was vacated by Congressman Nathan Deal, who is running for Governor.
 
For more information about the Graves campaign, visit www.GravesForCongress.org.
 
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Graves, who was in his fourth term representing House District 12, was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2002.  He has chaired numerous subcommittees, served in several leadership positions and been recognized statewide as a conservative leader.  He received a 2009 “National Legislator of the Year” from the American Legislative Exchange Council, a 2009 “Guardian of Small Business” Award from the National Federation of Independent Business, the 2009 “Legislator of the Year” Award from the Georgia Retail Association, the 2009 “Legislator of the Year” from the 9th Congressional District of Georgia and was nationally recognized as the “Legislative Entrepreneur of the Year Award” by the Freedom Works Foundation for his tireless effort to stem the tide of expansive government and reduce the tax burden on Georgians.   Georgia Trend named Graves to its 2009 “40 under 40, Georgia’s Best and the Brightest.”  Graves has been endorsed by Club for Growth PAC, the nation’s premier free-market, free enterprise group of conservatives, FreedomWorks PAC, RedState’s Erick Erickson and was the first candidate to be certified 100 percent pro-life by the Georgia Right to Life PAC.
 
Graves grew up in White, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia, where he earned a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance.  Graves is a small businessman, past member of the Gordon County Board of Elections and an active member of the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce.  He is married to Julie, a native of Marietta, and the couple has three children, JoAnn, John and Janey. They attend the Belmont Baptist Church in Calhoun.
 
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Graves for Congress
475 Craig Road • Ranger, GA • 30734
GravesForCongress.org