U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Illinois, is among those asking for an end to federal funding for ACORN, the controversial Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

The organization has come under scrutiny most recently after a series of undercover videotapes were released showing ACORN employees offering advice on, among other things, ways to avoid paying taxes and cover up prostitution activity.

Shimkus and other members of the House GOP called Tuesday for an end to ACORN's taxpayer funding.

"I have signed a letter with many of colleagues to President Obama asking him to end all federal funding for ACORN immediately. I am also joining as a cosponsor of legislation (the Defund ACORN Act) that would do the same. ACORN has shown itself to not be worthy of taxpayers' funds any longer, and we need to end this abuse and waste of money," Shimkus said.

The move came a day after Illinois' two Democrat Senators, Richard Durbin and Roland Burris, were among seven Senators who voted against a Senate action calling for an end to Housing and Urban Development Department grants for ACORN.

The Senate action passed by a vote of 83-7.

"On Monday the Senate voted to bar federal housing money from going to ACORN in the 2010 fiscal year, and last week the Census Bureau announced it was cutting off ACORN," Shimkus said. "This is being precipitated by the firing of two ACORN employees in their Baltimore office after damning evidence of wrongdoing was seen in videotapes. In addition, charges are pending against ACORN in Pennsylvania and Nevada."

Burris defended his vote in a statement Tuesday. The group, he said, performs many valuable services and should not be judged by a "few isolated incidents. Those responsible for these incidents should be held accountable, but a few bad apples don't spoil the whole bunch," Burris said.

Durbin said in a statement Tuesday that while he was "appalled" by the behavior revealed in the videotapes, he felt the Senate amendment "went too far. It prohibited all federal housing funding from going to ACORN, an organization that has helped more than 100,000 families acquire homes totaling more than $14.7 billion since its inception in 1986. Congress should not deny assistance to thousands of families struggling to avoid foreclosure because of the misconduct of these ACORN employees who have now been terminated."

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jerry Costell, D- Belleville, could not be reached Tuesday evening.

beckymalk@gmail.com

618-927-5633