WASHINGTON, DC – Continuing his efforts to block federal funding for ACORN, Senator Roberts (R-KS) today endorsed legislation to permanently deny ACORN of all federal funds including stimulus money, building on legislation that Roberts helped pass earlier this week in the Senate to block ACORN from receiving federal grant money.

"The Protect Taxpayers from ACORN Act" was introduced by U.S. Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) and co-sponsored by Senator Roberts. This legislation is needed to prohibit funding from any federal government source to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). Currently ACORN, an organization under criminal indictment, is still eligible for some taxpayer dollars through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was passed earlier this year. This legislation would permanently deny ACORN any federal dollars from any federal government program.

"I will continue to be vigilant and exhaust all avenues to block any taxpayer dollars from going to ACORN," Senator Roberts said. "Americans are outraged at their tax dollars funding this organization and are demanding Congress spend their money wisely. ACORN has for years, been entangled in tax evasion, voter fraud and other controversial and politically skewed behaviors. I fully support cutting off all funding, from any government source, to this group and I hope this bill and our recent amendments on the floor will accomplish that."

Senator Roberts has a history of fighting to protect taxpayer money from going to ACORN. In addition to this newly introduced bill, Roberts is a co-sponsor of an amendment to the Department of Interior appropriations bill which was approved by the Senate today with a vote of 85-11, which would prohibit ACORN from receiving federal funding from grant programs within the Department of Interior.

Earlier this week, Roberts voted in favor of an amendment authored by Senator Johanns, which Senator Roberts co-sponsored, to the Department of Treasury and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) appropriations bill to prohibit ACORN from receiving federal funding from grant programs within HUD. The amendment was agreed to with a vote of 83-7. Earlier this year, Senator Roberts voted for a similar amendment during consideration of H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

-30-