The term “earmark” refers to federal spending on a specific project for a particular congressional district, often referred to as “pet projects.”
For example, a local congressional member might insert funding for a local university or money for a new park into a spending bill. Over the years, conservative groups have argued that earmarks lead to wasteful or corrupt spending.
For 11 years, from 2011 to 2021, a ban was put in place on earmarks.
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) said that during that time, the earmark ban saved taxpayers an estimated $141 billion in just 11 years.
If you do the math, the savings from that 10-year ban is more than the $1 billion in DEI cuts. More than $103 billion of Department of Education funding for a year. More than the USAID spending ($43 billion) for more than three years. While there were billions in savings, CAGW says Congress found a way to get around the ban.
Will this stop under a GOP-controlled congress? “Not sure,” said David Williams from the Taxpayers Protection Alliance. “They campaign on supporting the ban, but when it comes to spending, their verbiage doesn’t match up to their actions,” said Williams.
In fiscal year 2022, both parties voted to bring back earmarks, and spending multiplied. Earmarks cost $18.9 billion in 2022, the most since 2009.
Last year, a Politico article entitled “The Florida Republicans who oppose earmarks—and took the money anyway” showed the millions some Florida GOP congressional members voted to bring back to their district.
The article says Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds signed a pledge in 2021 promising not to ask for any earmarks. But in 2024, Congressman Donalds requested over $185 million and ended up with about $18 million for “community-funded projects” earmarks.
Another Florida Republican Congressman Greg Steube supported banning earmarks in 2021, but in 2024 brough back almost $10 million for his district.
“I’m not going to allow my district to miss out on federal funding opportunities for good, fiscally responsible projects while the Democrats spend, spend, spend like drunken sailors on ridiculous progressive priorities. I would support ending earmarks once again, but until that day, my district has a right to submit projects like every other district,” said Congressman Steube.
Conservative groups support reinstating a ban on earmarks, stating it would help Elon Musk and the DOGE commission in their efforts to cut government waste.
Earmarks are wasteful, and even though Republican leadership says they are the party of fiscal responsibility, there is no indication that current GOP leadership will do anything to eliminate earmarks.
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