Overview

• House Freedom Caucus chair Andy Harris is pressing to include community project funding in the next spending bill, with Maryland members seeking over $341 million and Harris requesting more than $99 million for district projects.
• Some Republicans are exploring a short-term continuing resolution that keeps spending flat while allowing earmarks to secure votes to avert a shutdown.
• Senate conservatives including Ron Johnson and Mike Lee argue earmarks violate GOP conference policy and are pushing new limits or rescissions.
• Johnson’s amendment to rescind earmarks if lawmakers tout them in political contexts failed on a 21–75 vote after drawing support from 21 Republicans.
• Analyses highlight the scale of requests, with nearly $8 billion in House earmarks for fiscal 2026 and reports of more than $810 million directed to Maine by Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, intensifying internal backlash.