At the end of February, House Appropriations Chairwoman Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) announced that the House would restore earmarks, albeit a more transparent and limited version, ending a decade-long prohibition. An earmark is a provision that is inserted into an appropriations bill that gives policymakers the power to direct specific funds to their district to pay for special projects, most typically infrastructure projects.
Under the new proposal, earmarks are capped at 1% of all discretionary spending, which is currently around $1.4 trillion. Aside from the 1% cap, there are other restrictions put in place to increase transparency and oversight. These include:
- Each House member is limited to a maximum of 10 requests.
- All requests and explanations will be public.
- For-profit institutions are ineligible.
- Members must provide proof that the community supports the project.
- Members have to certify that they nor their family have financial interest in the project.
Although the House Democrats have decided to bring back earmarks, it is not yet a done deal. The Senate, although currently debating the merits of the proposal, has not yet decided how to proceed, if at all. Further complicating the process is the fact that Republicans in both chambers are barred by party rules from participating with earmarks. Although the process remains complicated, there are bipartisan talks currently taking place between congressional leaders, and there seems to be sentiment on both sides of the aisle in deal making.
One thing remains clear: If brought back, education stands to benefit. Infrastructure aside, higher education was historically one of the larger recipients of earmarked funds, having received nearly $2 billion in FY 2010 for 875 institutions. These funds have been largely used to support academic research, but could be utilized for other projects and programs, including the start of new programs, acquisition of technology for distance learning, commercialization of intellectual property, or other pursuits. As for k-12, the funding could be used, and as been previously, for various pursuits ranging from after school programs to school construction. Given the demand for resources created by the pandemic, schools could use these funds for things like upgraded HVAC systems, extended learning programs that extend beyond the regular school day, and other needs.
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