U.S. Senator Susan Collins, on her website, calls earmarks "Appropriations and congressionally directed spending requests."

Watchdogs call earmarks pork, pet projects, and the currency of corruption in Congress.

https://www.collins.senate.gov/services/appropriations-request

Joining us to discuss congressional earmarks and his group's new oversight report, Earmarks — The Return of the Swamp Creatures — is Adam Andrzejewski, CEO of OpenTheBooks.com. 

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Questions:

1. First of all, what's the definition of an earmark? And how many of these projects passed Congress for FY2023 and how many did Maine receive?

2. In our viewing area, what new earmarks are requested for 2024? 

Link to U.S. Senator Susan Collins FY2024 requests:

https://www.collins.senate.gov/services/appropriations-request

3. Bringing back earmarks after a ten-year ban was bipartisan. What's the inside story here?

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy held a secret caucus vote in December 2022. 158 Republicans voted to join Pelosi Democrats to endorse earmarks. Weeks later 7,509 earmarks costing $16 billion were inserted into the $1.7 trillion omnibus year-end spending bill. 

We are calling for an on the record, up or down U.S. House vote on an earmark resolution. 

Good Day Maine