earmarks news stories on Newser

Lawmakers Shuffled Millions to Relatives' Causes

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:36:44 CST

A Washington Post investigation finds that 16 members of Congress have sent tax dollars, sometimes in the millions, to companies or other organizations with links to their family trees. Through direct funding or earmarking, these lawmakers have boosted the budgets of Pentagon programs, environmental groups, schools, and other places where...

Lawmakers Use Earmarks to Aid Own Properties

Rob Quinn — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:55:13 CST

Members of Congress are not only steering earmarks to their own districts, but also their own backyards, funding projects that boost the value of properties they own, a Washington Post investigation finds. Comparing disclosure forms against public records revealed that over the last few years, some 33 members of Congress...

Congress Dodging Earmark Ban: Watchdogs

Matt Cantor — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:58:05 CST

Congress' ban on earmarks doesn't seem to be stopping members from channeling money to home-state projects. These days, instead of tacking such projects on to bills, legislators are creating "slush funds" that ultimately serve the same purpose, watchdog groups tell the New York Times . Included in the Army Corps of...

Rick Brought Home $1B in Pork—and Big Donations

Kevin Spak — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:09:27 CST

In Rick Santorum's days in the Senate, lawmakers didn't have to disclose their earmarks—but a New York Times analysis shows that Santorum had a lot of them, and that they were often followed by large campaign contributions from the companies they benefited. In one defense bill, for example, Santorum...

Lawmakers Ignore Earmark Ban

Kevin Spak — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:00:48 CST

Remember that informal ban on earmarks lawmakers agreed to last year to great fanfare? Well, they’ve been doing their best to ignore it, the Washington Post reports. Lawmakers have tried to slap hundreds of earmarks on at least 10 bills this summer and fall. While some have insisted their additions...

Reid: Earmarks Will Be Back

Mark Russell — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 03:58:55 CST

"They'll be back." No, not Terminator robots from the future, but something that some may consider nearly as deadly—earmarks. Harry Reid says President Obama is wrong to try to end the practice that allows members of Congress to insert benefits for their home states into bills. "The executive branch...

Syrup Research No Joke: Industry to McCain

Matt Cantor — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:19:05 CST

The omnibus spending bill may have failed , but one sticky situation persists: In compiling his list of the bill's 10 most egregious wastes of money, John McCain ridiculed a $165,000 earmark for maple syrup research as an example of absurd pork—but the maple industry says it’s anything but....

Earmarks' Last Hurrah: Bill Stuffed With $8B

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:31:30 CST

Well, don’t say goodbye to earmarks just yet: A $1.2 trillion spending bill released yesterday has more than 6,000 earmarks—adding up to $8 billion. "The American people said just 42 days ago, 'Enough!' … Are we tone deaf? Are we stricken with amnesia?" asked John McCain...

Uh, Oh: GOP Wakes to World Without Earmarks

Polly Davis Doig — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 08:42:53 CST

Killing earmarks in an era of big government and bigger deficits sure sounded like great conservative politics at the party last night, but none other than the House GOP is waking up with a hangover, wondering "What were we thinking?" As Politico reports, it turns out that ix-naying porky projects...