(Roll Call)
House Democrats don’t plan to revive home-state earmarks during the upcoming appropriations process, though they expect to continue discussing the issue with their Republican colleagues.
“Unfortunately, there is currently not the necessary bipartisan, bicameral agreement to allow the Appropriations Committee to earmark,” Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey wrote in a letter sent to members of the panel Thursday and released publicly on Friday. “For that reason, I do not expect fiscal year 2020 House spending bills to include congressionally-directed spending.”
Earmarks have been banned in the House since former Speaker John A. Boehner received enough support to add the prohibition to the House GOP rules package in January 2011, when his party regained control of that chamber. Democrats have continued with the practice since taking the majority this year, even though they have not formally adopted a ban. Read more