In Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, Congress reinstated the popularly known “earmarks” process its members use to help fund constituent projects in annual funding bills. The Republican-controlled House during the Obama Administration banned earmarks to deliver on their campaign promise of reigning in government spending without raising taxes or threatening popular entitlement programs. Congressional leadership restored earmarks during the Biden administration’s first term, with the mandate of improving oversight of the funds. In the House, earmark funds are referred to as Community Project Funding while on the Senate side, they’re referred to as Congressionally Directed Spending.
