Senate Republicans Renew Earmark Ban and Make It Permanent

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Heritage Foundation

The Senate Republican Conference adopted an amendment Thursday, pushed by Sen. Ben Sasse, to retain the Senate’s ban on spending earmarks. 

“The last thing taxpayers need is for the same politicians who racked up a $22 trillion national debt to go on an earmark binge,” the Nebraska Republican said in a statement. 

Congress enacted a ban on earmarks that expired in January at the beginning of the 116th Congress. The Nebraska senator’s amendment re-establishes the earmark ban for the 116th Congress, as well as for future congresses. It passed the Senate Republican Conference on a 28-12 vote. 

“It’s pretty simple: Earmarks are a crummy way to govern, and they have no business in Congress. Backroom deals, kickbacks, and earmarks feed a culture of constant incumbency, and that’s poisonous to healthy self-government,” Sasse said. “This is an important fight, and I’m glad that my Republican colleagues agreed with my rules change to make the earmark ban permanent.”