House Republicans voted to reverse its ban on earmarks Wednesday, a stunning reversal that comes a little over a decade after the GOP caucus banned the practice in the first place.

What You Need To Know

  • House Republicans voted to reverse its ban on earmarks Wednesday in a 102-84 secret ballot

  • Republicans voted to ban the practice in 2011

  • Earmarks, better known as legislative "sweetners" or "pet projects," could incentivize bipartisan cooperation from the Republican minority for a number of bills

  • A number of Republicans and Democrats have voiced opposition to the return of earmarks, including Republican Rep. Chip Roy (TX) and Rep. Democrat Katie Porter (CA)

In a 102-84 vote, the House GOP caucus voted to bring back the practice of allowing members of Congress to add provisions for so-called "pet projects" back into spending bills, ahead of consideration of spending bills and an anticipated large infrastructure bill championed by the Biden administration.

The proposal, presented by Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers, would allow earmarks, so long as Republican lawmakers publicly disclosed them, including a written justification for why they're necessary and verifying they have no financial stake in the proposed project.

Republicans in the House ceased the practice when they retook the chamber in 2011 after a number of earmark-related controversies, including the Jack Abramoff scandal and the proposed Gravina Island Bridge, better known as the "Bridge to Nowhere," in Alaska.

Earmarks, better known as legislative "sweetners" or "pet projects," could incentivize bipartisan cooperation from the Republican minority for a number of bills, including the upcoming Biden infrastructure measure, as well as potentially dissuade dissent from Democrats.

Democrats have already approved bringing back earmarks, which now puts the ball in the court of Senate Republicans. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has deferred to Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, the ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, who has signaled support for bringing back the practice.

But earmarks are a controversial practice among a number of lawmakers.

Texas Rep. Chip Roy, who said after the vote that "the Republican Party should be ashamed of itself for embracing earmarks" and sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) co-signed by 18 members of Congress, including Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) that pledges they "will not request earmarks, or the preferred euphemism of the day, 'Community Project Funding."

"We’ve got $30 trillion in debt, and people are tired of the swamp. And the GOP should be ashamed of itself if it jumps headfirst right back into the swamp," Roy said.

Indiana Sen. Mike Braun said he is "absolutely against bringing back earmarks," adding that "can't let any individual senator put pork into spending bills."

It's not just Republicans who oppose earmarks – Democrats, such as Rep. Katie Porter of California, have come out in opposition of the practice.

In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Porter urged her fellow Democrats to oppose earmarks and not participate in the process, writing, "earmarking deviates from this process. Instead of a neutral government agency, individual lawmakers, facing re-election pressures, divert millions of dollars for specific projects, often based in their own districts. Inevitably, this invites waste, fraud and abuse."