Earmarks Make For Strange Bedfellows Among GOP Lawmakers

Earmarks, long derided by some conservative GOP lawmakers, could make a reappearance in a government funding deal this fall.

A diverse coalition of House Republicans from moderate frontliners to fiscal hawks are advocating for the inclusion of earmarks, commonly known as “community project funding,” in the fiscal year 2026 budget. Though conservative GOP lawmakers have traditionally viewed earmarks as synonymous with pork-barrel spending, some fiscal hawks are promoting the congressionally-directed spending in an effort to get buy-in from other members of the GOP conference to spend less money overall for the upcoming fiscal year. (RELATED: ‘Frankly Politically Corrupt’: Democrats Jam Government Funding Bills With Climate, ‘Equity’ Earmarks)

Republicans are up against a Sept. 30 deadline to avert a partial government shutdown and fund government operations for the fiscal year 2026. Speaker Mike Johnson can afford to lose just a handful of votes given House Republicans’ slim majority.

Just one House Democrat voted for a GOP spending bill in March to prevent a lapse in government operations. That spending measure notably removed previously-approved congressionally-directed spending to help persuade fiscal hawks to back the funding deal.

However, some conservative House Republicans are not expected to put up the same opposition to earmarks in a government funding package in September if lawmakers agree to freeze current spending levels.

Fiscal hawks, including members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, are advocating for a short-term stopgap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), that would keep current government funding levels flat. Conservative GOP lawmakers are likely to oppose a more comprehensive, full-year government funding package — referred to as an omnibus — that would set spending at higher levels.

Combining earmarks with a stopgap funding measure could net enough votes to fund the government in the short-run while freezing current spending levels for the upcoming fiscal year.

“Allowing earmarks on a CR is a hell of a lot cheaper than an omnibus if that’s what it takes to keep spending at least flat,” one Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly about ongoing deliberations told Politico.

House Freedom Caucus chair Andy Harris has requested more than $99 million in community project funding for his Eastern Maryland district, according to the Baltimore Banner.

However, the inclusion of earmarks in a government funding deal is likely to face a cool reception from leading fiscal hawks in the upper chamber.

Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who has long advocated for a return to pre-pandemic spending levels, has called the inclusion of earmarks in spending bills “offensive.”

“It is offensive that I don’t know what they are yet,” Johnson told the Hill. “That’s the problem. This stuff is all secret until you’re ready to vote on it.”

Johnson notably forced the upper chamber to vote on a measure in August that would automatically rescind community project funding if lawmakers tout their appropriations requests in a political context, including in press releases, ads or in speeches outside of normal legislative business. The amendment was rejected by a Senate vote of 21 to 75.

Some GOP lawmakers who are proponents of earmarks argue that congressionally-directed spending allows members, including those in competitive districts, to fund hyperlocal projects and tout the wins to their constituents. Members’ earmarks requests are also subject to strict ethical and financial requirements with accompanying disclosures stating they will not benefit financially from the project.

Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene signaled that she would not support a CR in September if the stopgap funding measure did not include earmarks.

“If the plan of action is another CR that will leave out much needed appropriation requests that benefit our districts,” Greene wrote in a post on the social media platform X on August 4. “Funding to support critical infrastructure projects like water, roads, and community projects will AGAIN be left not funded. The American people pay ALL the taxes and deserve their representatives to do our jobs and put Americans needs and interests FIRST.”

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