FreedomWorks’ Congressman of the Month – Mark Sanford

FreedomWorks is pleased to name Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) our Congressman of the Month of May 2016 for his steadfast commitment to conservative principles. Just last month, Rep. Sanford took on Washington’s corporate interests on behalf of the taxpayers.

Rep. Sanford identified a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would cost taxpayers over $300 million to benefit one company, New Balance. He introduced an amendment to thwart the egregious earmark, but the House Rules Committee did not allow him to bring it to the floor for a vote.

The NDAA debated by the House last month proposes to reverse previous policy and grant New Balance a virtual monopoly on footwear for service members.

Previously absent from NDAA legislation, this new provision reinterprets years of precedent and understanding among military personnel that footwear is a personal choice item for service members and is budgeted accordingly. However, the House’s version of the NDDA has extended the Berry Amendment—Department of Defense (DOD) regulatory law requiring all products issued to and worn by service members to be 100% American made—to include footwear.

Service members will no longer receive a cash allowance for footwear of their choosing but will now be forced to use footwear made strictly in the U.S.—the sole provider of which is New Balance. Rep. Sanford acted quickly to offer an amendment to strike this language so that service members could continue to determine what shoes they should wear, and save the taxpayers millions. The powerful House Rules Committee – known as the Speaker’s Committee – didn’t even allow Rep. Sanford’s amendment to be debated on the House floor. Rep. Sanford’s common sense, conservative proposal shook up the congressional and corporate elites.

Additionally, Rep. Sanford has authored several prominent bills, including H.R. 2185, the Debt Limit Control and Accountability Act of 2015. This cost-cutting legislation prohibits the Department of the Treasury from taking “extraordinary measures,” such as cutting funding from overtly sensitive entities, in an attempt to pressure Congress to increase the debt limit. This bill aims to restore the proper role of the executive branch by repealing statutes that allow the president to raise the debt ceiling.

Finally, Sanford has worked to advance principled legislation by his fellow House members. He has co-sponsored legislation such as Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) H.R. 24 for a full audit of the Federal Reserve, Rep. Tom Price’s (R-Ga.) H.R. 4956 to restrict the funding of unconstitutional executive orders, and Rep. Kevin Yoder’s (R-Kan.) H.R. 699 to protect third-party emails from the prying eyes of government without a proper warrant as required by the Fourth Amendment.

With a FreedomWorks scorecard lifetime rating of 93% and a perfect score of 100% in 2015, Rep. Sanford has demonstrated a consistent commitment to limiting waste and breaking through bureaucratic obstruction. It is clear that Rep. Sanford is not afraid to take on special interests, whether corporate or congressional.

Because of his strong stance on both free market principles and his work in the House on behalf of the taxpayers, FreedomWorks is proud to select Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) as FreedomWorks Congressman of the Month for May 2016.