Recently House Leadership announced intentions to bring earmark reform to the floor after the August recess, something conservatives in congress have been waiting for.

Here's the official statement from House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R.-Ill.), Majority Leader John Boehner (R.-Ohio), and Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R.-Calif.):

"The House-passed lobbying and ethics reform bill includes a series of significant reforms meant to bring greater transparency and accountability to the congressional earmarking practice. House Republicans are committed to extending these reforms to all committees and implementing them during the current session of Congress, before any spending or tax bill for the upcoming fiscal year goes to the President's desk.

"After Labor Day, the House is likely to consider, among other items, a number of important appropriations conference reports for the upcoming fiscal year. If the House and Senate have not produced a final lobbying and ethics reform conference report by the time we return from our August district work period in September, the House will move to immediately adopt and implement a comprehensive earmark reform rules change independent of the ongoing lobbying and ethics reform discussions to ensure these new rules apply to all spending and tax measures that will go to the President's desk this fall.

"The American people want meaningful change in the way in which Congress spends their money. House Republicans are committed to delivering this change."

In response, porkbuster Rep. Jeff Flake (R.-Ariz.) said:

“I applaud the House Leadership for moving forward with earmark reform. It’s important that the House’s reforms apply not only to earmarks added in conference committees, but also to the earmarks contained in the appropriations bills and committee reports that the House has already approved this year.”

Flake has led the charge against earmarks on the House floor over the past few months -- even when the earmarks' sponsors were afraid to show their faces and defend their pork projects in person.

“After floor debate and a roll call vote, we still have little or no information on some of these earmarks, including who sponsored them.”

Rep. John Shadegg (R.-Ariz.) added his support as well:

"As I said many times during my race for Majority Leader, earmark reform is a critical step toward regaining the trust of the American people. As Sen. Tom Coburn has said, 'earmarks are the gateway drug on the road to spending addiction.' Sadly, spending has become a habit that Congress can't kick. Taxpayers deserve to know that their government is spending their money honestly and wisely. A smaller government is less susceptible to influence peddling and corruption, and as Republicans we should champion that cause."