All articles tagged with #earmarks
After nearly 24 hours, Michigan lawmakers approved an $84 billion budget for FY2027 and sent 67 policy bills to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, missing the July 1 deadline but avoiding a government shutdown; the package relies on accounting tricks to mask federal education funding shifts, increases per-pupil funding and literacy investments, includes $125 million in earmarks, and rejects new taxes while reallocating funds elsewhere.
Governor Mikie Sherrill signed New Jersey’s $60.7 billion budget, delivering on key campaign promises—full annual $6.1 billion pension payment, a temporary 25% child tax credit, record K-12 funding and direct property tax relief—while also embracing traditional budget practices she criticized, including late-night passage and restored legislative earmarks. The plan scales back StayNJ for seniors, imposes new business taxes and fees (including a per-employee Medicaid charge and data-privacy fees), directs $120 million to Jersey City, and reduces the surplus to about $6 billion. Sherrill defended some district-friendly allocations, but Republicans decried the spending as pork, and critics argued the process remained opaque and rushed.
Republican leaders revived earmarks, steering about $16 billion in targeted projects into a sprawling funding package. Supporters argue the practice helped secure bipartisan deals to fund defense and other agencies while keeping overall spending steady, while hard-liners warn about corruption risks and push to curb the mechanism. The House voted to keep hundreds of earmarks intact as negotiations continue in the Senate, with funds aimed at avoiding a government shutdown.
The article discusses the unusual alliance within the GOP pushing for earmarks in this fall’s funding fight, highlighting how both parties are requesting community project funding to benefit their districts, with Republicans especially leveraging earmarks to support vulnerable incumbents ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Rep. Adam Schiff, who is running for Senate in California, is promoting his support for earmarks for local causes such as homelessness and drug treatment programs. However, a closer look at his record reveals that he secured generous earmarks for corporate beneficiaries, including recipients who were major donors to his political campaigns. Schiff's embrace of earmarks has sparked debate in the Senate primary, with his opponent Rep. Katie Porter opposing pork-barrel spending. Schiff's campaign downplayed the connection between his earmarks and campaign donations, stating that the public has confidence in him. Earmarks, now referred to as Community Project Funding, were banned for private industry in 2010 but were reinstated in 2021. Schiff is banking on the idea that earmarks have been rehabilitated with the public as he seeks the Senate seat.