Might Congress enact a compromise to end earmarks as we know them?

BY KEVIN R. KOSAR For the past several years, there have been murmurings on Capitol Hill about possibly bringing back earmarks. Now it appears possible that the scandal-tainted earmarks of old may never come back. This week, a congressional committee advocated establishing a “community-focused grant program.” It would authorize up to 1 percent of discretionary spending to be directed by legislators toward projects in their home states. The community grant concept was crafted by the bipartisan Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which was established in January 2019 to devise 21st-century upgrades to the operations of the House of Representatives. The […]