With Roger Wicker being named a United States Senator, there is an opening on the Appropriations Committee for the U.S. House of Representatives. The Republicans get the fill the seat. The Republican leadership has a great opportunity to prove that it is serious about earmark reform and a conservative approach to spending. Its time to put some action behind their rhetoric.

Rep. Tom Cole, the Chairman of the NRCC, the campaign arm of the House Republicans, claims that putting him on the Appropriations Committee will help improve Republican fundraising successes. That, in and of itself, should tell you everything you need to know about why Tom Cole is a poor choice.

We encourage you to call your Republican member of Congress (or the closest one to you if you don’t have one) and encourage them to support Rep. Jeff Flake for the Appropriations Committee.

The GOP will not earn the trust of voters again, until the GOP proves it is fiscally responsible. Jeff Flake has led the fight on the House floor against earmarks and wasteful spending. Jeff Flake gets it. Our party needs Jeff Flake as the face for reform on the Appropriations Committee. He is also one of the few men who could change the committee instead of the committee changing him.

The way this will work is the Republican Steering Committee will nominate someone. Generally, the Republican Conference as a whole rubber stamps that nomination. But it does not have to be that way. Already, Republican back benchers and members of the Republican Study Committee are gearing up for a fight to nominate Jeff Flake.

If the Steering Committee does not nominate Flake, the Conference can. Let’s help them out. Call your Republican member of Congress and encourage him or her to support Jeff Flake.

We will not take back the House of Representatives until we’ve taken back our principles. Jeff Flake on Appropriations is a good first step. As we said at the top of this post, the Republican leadership has a great opportunity to prove that it is serious about earmark reform and a conservative approach to spending. Its time to put some action behind their rhetoric.