La. Republicans join effort to deny funds to advocacy group
by Deborah Barfield Berry - Shreveport Times (excerpt)

WASHINGTON — Sen. David Vitter and Rep. Charles Boustany were among the Republicans this week calling for the government to cut off federal funding to the advocacy group ACORN. House Republican leaders introduced legislation Tuesday to deny federal funding and called for an investigation of the group, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. The group advocates on behalf of low-income families.

Boustany, ranking member of the Oversight Subcommittee for the House Ways and Means Committee, also called for a hearing into whether the group conducted tax fraud. "These serious allegations involve the administration and enforcement of our federal tax laws," Boustany said in a statement.

Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Quinton, also signed on to the Republican bill to cut funding. "We must stop this blatant waste of our taxpayers' dollars," Alexander said. On Monday, the Senate voted 83-7 to adopt an amendment that would bar the group from getting federal funding from a transportation and housing spending bill.