Senate Republicans Free to Request Earmarks for Federal Spending
- GOP lawmakers keep in place non-binding opposition to practice
- Advocates say earmarks could help compromise on infrastructure
Senator Richard Shelby
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Senate Republicans who want earmarks for projects in their states will be free to request them a decade after the practice was ended following a series of scandals.
Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee, said the chamber’s GOP lawmakers at a meeting Wednesday decided to leave in place their existing policy, which opposes earmarking money for special projects but isn’t binding on individual members.