Earmarks & AppropriationsEarmarks & Appropriations

Congressional earmarks are one of the best examples of how Congress’ appetite for parochial spending led the nation into our current budgetary hole. Too often, lawmakers have based federal spending decisions on the needs of narrow private interests, rather than appropriating funds...More

only for effective, efficient programs that deliver taxpayers the greatest value. Though technically banned, earmark spending still exists in different forms, and is just one of many ways Congress sidesteps responsible budgeting and spending.

Although Congress is responsible for our nation’s finances, it continues to fail in its national budgeting, as evidenced by a national debt larger than our entire economy. The way forward lies in the legislative and executive branches working together to establish clear and transparent criteria and metrics for spending. They must ensure that all spending decisions are based on merit, competition, or well-designed and effective formulas.

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All the latest content from TCS in Earmarks & Appropriations
Our Take

Sandy Spending Accountability

January 31, 2013

Sandy Spending Accountability With the Senate's 62-36 vote, lawmakers have sent in aggregate more than $60 billion to help those affected by Superstorm Sandy. You can see... Read More

Letters & Testimony

Congress: Only Fund Emergency Needs in Sandy Supplemental

January 11, 2013

Congress: Only Fund Emergency Needs in Sandy Supplemental   January 11, 2012 Dear Representative, As you know, the House of... Read More

Statements

TCS Letter to the Editor in St. Louis Post-Dispatch - “Solution to flood protection is not new earmarks”

June 13, 2011

Letters to the editor, June 14 Joshua Sewell • Washington, D.C. Policy Analyst, Taxpayers for Common Sense It is disappointing to see... Read More

Our Take

Updates & Budgetary Gimmicks in the Final Continuing Resolution Unveiled by House Appropriations

April 13, 2011

The House Appropriations Committee released the final Continuing Resolution (CR) funding the federal government for the rest of the 2011... Read More

Press Releases

TCS VP Steve Ellis Op-Ed: Earmarks are dead. Long live earmarks (CNN)

April 06, 2011

By Steve Ellis, CNNMoney guest columnist April 7, 2011: 11:31 AM ET Earmark reform: The end-arounds have begun -- Steve Ellis is Vice... Read More

Letters & Testimony

A Taxpayer Victory!  Thank You!

February 02, 2011

With the Senate's begrudging acceptance of an earmark moratorium, taxpayers just achieved a well-earned victory on the road to fiscal... Read More

More in-depth material from TCS in Earmarks & Appropriations
Policy Briefs

Analysis of Selected Provisions in Hurricane Sandy Emergency Spending Proposals

December 17, 2012 > Updated: January 10, 2013

Analysis of Selected Provisions in Hurricane Sandy Emergency Spending Proposals Update January 10, 2013: We’ve combed through the House Appropriations Chairman Rogers Sandy Supplemental bill (HR 152 and his amendment... Read More

Fact Sheets

Evolution of Earmarks

November 07, 2012

Evolution of Earmarks and Earmark Disclosure in Recent Years... Read More

Fact Sheets

Zombie Earmarks in Defense Spending Bill

July 15, 2012

The Fiscal Year 2013 defense spending bill heading to the House floor Wednesday is a lesson in why it’s so hard to cut defense spending even... Read More

Reports & Data

Sandy Supplemental Data

February 12, 2012

Sandy Supplemental Data As Washington debates the merits of a supplemental spending bill in response to superstorm Sandy, this database lists of all the spending in... Read More

TCS appearances in the media in Earmarks & Appropriations

Congressmen wary of ‘wasteful, unrelated’ hurricane spending

February 13, 2013 | PhillyBurbs.com

One month after voting in support of a $60 billion relief package for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, some lawmakers in Bucks and Burlington... Read More

Fiscal reform needs accountability, less agency overlap

February 11, 2013 | Fierce Government

Government fiscal reform needs to come in the form of accountability, prioritizing by need and training if long term success is to be seen,... Read More

Claire McCaskill re-introduces Earmark Elimination Act in Senate

February 11, 2013 | University of Missouri - Maneater

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., re-introduced bipartisan legislation that would permanently ban earmark spending in Congress. The Earmark... Read More

Rethinking Our Place In A Post-Hurricane Sandy World

February 08, 2013 | Forbes

The financial sting from Hurricane Sandy lingers, but it is encouraging to see more businesses and policymakers embracing bold measures to... Read More

Even Without Earmarks, Tax Breaks And Special Deals Fill Bills

February 08, 2013 | NPR - Morning Edition

Congress likes to say it no longer does earmarks, the provisions that direct federal dollars to serve local interests or campaign... Read More

Weekly Wastebasket

Our weekly reality-check for federal spending. View All

February 01, 2013

Broken Budgeting

Normally, Taxpayers for Common Sense staff would spend this weekend resting up, getting ready for the... Read More