Overview

• Sen. Ron Johnson’s amendment to strip earmarks if lawmakers publicly tout them fell 21–75 in the Senate despite backing from 21 GOP colleagues
• Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins requested over $810 million in Maine earmarks and House Republicans sought nearly $8 billion in community project funding, according to Punchbowl News and Roll Call
• Fiscal conservatives are weighing a stopgap continuing resolution to freeze spending and curb earmarks while others favor a full-year omnibus that could expand project allocations
• Appropriators and members from competitive districts defend earmarks as critical for local infrastructure and constituent outreach ahead of tough reelection battles
• The intraparty dispute reflects broader concerns about Republican fiscal credibility after President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act added an estimated $3.4 trillion to the national debt