“Far-right Republicans in Congress have pushed the federal government near the brink of shutting down in recent months in their quest to cut the budget. But many of them have also signaled that they do like some federal spending — at least when they’re steering the money to their own districts,” the Washington Post reports.
“Lawmakers have long used what are known as earmarks, where members of Congress can request funding for pet projects, to help move spending legislation along. The practice was cut back in 2011 but has since returned, with new rules and more transparency.”
“Now a bloc of conservatives in the House — who have loudly opposed several measures to fund the government since the fall — are on track to direct a total of $371.8 million back to their home districts through individual requests. They stand to take credit for federal funding for projects important to their constituents even if they vote against the legislation that includes the money.”
