The Lawmakers Who Sponsor the Most Earmarks (US News & World Report)

Nov 22, 2010 | 2 min read | Print Article

Here are the top 10 senators and top 10 representatives who get the most cash for their states

Some of the most powerful politicians in Washington are calling for a change in one of the fundamental ways that Congress does business. Members of Congress have allotted over $16.5 billion in 2010 towards earmarks, provisions that lawmakers insert into bills to direct money to specific projects, usually in their home states or districts. These projects can cover a variety of functions, like agricultural research, road-building, and after-school programs. Now, in the final weeks of the 111th Congress, President Obama is calling for legislation to limit earmark spending. Top Republicans like Ohio Rep. John Boehner and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint have been leading the charge to ban earmarking altogether, citing it as a cause of wasteful spending.
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Of course, some lawmakers are far more prolific than their colleagues in penning legislation that brings federal money to their states. Below are the top ten current senators and representatives who have sponsored the largest amount of earmarks in fiscal year 2010.

Senator	State	Party	Earmark Amount Sponsored	Number of Earmarks
Thad Cochran	MS	R	$497,591,000	242
Daniel Inouye	HI	D	392,432,850	158
Roger Wicker	MS	R	368,039,000	163
Tom Harkin	IA	D	267,589,200	194
Chuck Schumer	NY	D	243,485,190	195
Carl Levin	MI	D	243,133,400	215
Harry Reid	NV	D	222,796,675	162
Patty Murray	WA	D	219,538,750	187
Dianne Feinstein	CA	D	211,298,500	158
Bob Bennett	UT	R	204,740,000	113

Representative	State	Party	Earmark Amount Sponsored	Number of Earmarks
Bill Young	FL	R	$128,573,000	63
Earl Pomeroy	ND	D	121,740,350	48
Mazie Hirono	HI	D	116,633,900	63
Jim Moran	VA	D	107,440,000	83
Denny Rehberg	MT	R	103,514,200	89
Gregg Harper	MS	R	101,267,000	27
Jerry Lewis	CA	R	97,583,200	62
Rob Bishop	UT	R	93,980,000	47
Harold Rogers	KY	R	93,408,000	50
Chet Edwards	TX	D	90,450,000	56

Source: Data obtained from Taxpayers for Common Sense, an independent, nonpartisan government watchdog organization.

In addition, eight Senators and 43 representatives did not request any earmarks for fiscal year 2010. Among these are several Republican Congress members who are among the most outspoken proponents of earmark reform, like DeMint and Boehner, as well as Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn and Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor.

The Lawmakers Who Sponsor the Most Earmarks (US News & World Report)