Why Should Congress Dump Earmarks in 2026? | Chip Wyatt

In the 20th century, the traditional agriculture term “earmarking” gained traction in US politics, becoming slang for the mechanism of including smaller, regionally targeted spending for particular constituencies in larger spending bills. This was often done to appease a particular group or to provide leverage to get an individual legislator on board with a bill. But do they really serve the American public? At Heritage, we don’t think so. I sat down with Chip Wyatt, Government Relations Director at Heritage Action for America, to learn why. —Check out Heritage Action: heritageaction.com—Have thoughts? Let us know at [email protected]