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Earmarks

7-25-25-v1-a | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Elena Elisseeva Feverpitched | Dreamstime.com | Midjourney

Crony Capitalism

If Trump Wants American Businesses To Thrive, He Should Get Rid of Government Subsidies

Federal subsidies undermine American companies, breed dependency, and stifle competition.

Tosin Akintola | 7.25.2025 6:15 PM

House Speaker Mike Johnson moves through a crowd of people | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

Government Spending

The House's Budget Bill Cuts Earmarks, but Spending Will Be Going Up Anyway

Every cut helps, but that's not where the money is.

Jeff Luse | 3.12.2025 3:19 PM

Protesters demonstrating for and against U.S. military aid | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

Defense Spending

Worst 4/20 Ever

Plus: A listener asks the editors to steel man the case for the Jones Act, an antiquated law that regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters.

Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Eric Boehm | 4.22.2024 5:30 PM

Unfinished 155mm shells at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant. | Aimee Dilger / SOPA Images/Sipa USA/Newscom

Defense Spending

Democrats and Republicans Unite To Give Weapons Manufacturers $59 Billion

House Speaker Mike Johnson worked with President Biden to push through a $95 billion foreign military aid package—most of which goes to the American military-industrial complex.

Matthew Petti | 4.22.2024 9:45 AM

Money falls against a white background | Photo 11098381 © Dibrova | Dreamstime.com

Government Spending

The Budget Deal Is Overflowing With $12 Billion of Earmarks

Why are federal taxpayers paying for upgrades at tiny rural airports, Thanksgiving Day parades, and enhancements for Alaskan king crabs?

Eric Boehm | 3.6.2024 2:35 PM

With federal spending and the debt limit shaping up to be the pivotal political fights of the next two years, federal handouts for tourist-trap museums could be an unexpectedly telling battleground. | Illustration: Lex Villena

Government Spending

Ridiculous Spending on Museums May Be Here To Stay

Handouts for tourist-trap museums will be part of the federal funding battleground in the next two years.

David Ditch | 3.10.2023 11:30 AM

Kevin McCarthy speaks to other members of Congress | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

Congress

Why Are Some Republicans Revolting Against Kevin McCarthy's Bid To Be Speaker of the House?

The insurgent Republicans want to balance the budget, impose new barriers to immigration, and increase transparency for future earmark spending.

Eric Boehm | 1.3.2023 4:55 PM

topicseconomics | Illustration: Joanna Andreasson; Source image: smartboy10/iStock

Economics

The Return of Earmarks Means More Pork-Barrel Spending by Congress

Lawmakers stuffed more than $8 billion in pet projects into an omnibus federal spending bill passed in March. But wait, didn't Congress ban earmarks back in 2011?

Eric Boehm | 5.30.2022 6:00 AM

dreamstime_xl_99397039 | Photo 99397039 © Les Cunliffe | Dreamstime.com

Government Spending

Earmarks Are Back, and They're Just as Sleazy and Secretive as Ever

Lawmakers packed $8 billion of pork into the omnibus bill that passed Congress last night.

Eric Boehm | 3.11.2022 11:20 AM

matthias-oberholzer-IdpH__FGkro-unsplash | <span>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@matthiasoberholzer?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Matthias Oberholzer</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/bridge?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></span>

Earmarks

Federal Spending Is Out of Control. No, Earmarks Won't Change That.

Congress throws far too much money at special interests.

Veronique de Rugy | 3.4.2021 12:01 AM

earmarks | Image: Nicholas A. Tonelli/Creative Commons; Shashank Sahay/Unsplash

Earmarks

Bringing Earmarks Back Won't Fix Congress

Eliminating earmarks didn't make the government smaller. But reinstating them would facilitate legislative corruption.

Eric Boehm | 2.17.2021 3:00 PM

Large image on homepages

Earmarks

Republicans Have Made Two Arguments for Bringing Back Earmarks. They're Both Wrong.

Republicans took control of Congress in 2010, in part, by promising to kill earmarks. They might lose Congress in 2018 by bringing them back to life.

Eric Boehm | 1.11.2018 10:59 AM

Large image on homepages

Politics

The Case For Back-Room Deals, Party Hacks & Unlimited Money in Politics

Jonathan Rauch's Political Realism argues that libertarians should embrace "transactional politics" if they want big changes.

Nick Gillespie and Todd Krainin | 9.22.2015 11:30 AM

Politics

$174K For Senator's Widow, Other Goodies Included in Government Shutdown, Debt Ceiling Bill

Surprised?

Reason Staff | 10.17.2013 7:30 AM

Politics

Hero Guy Federal Employee Tries to Get Himself and All of His Colleagues Fired

Katherine Mangu-Ward | 9.27.2013 2:40 PM

Politics

White House's Jay Carney, circa 1997: "Pork Lives!"

Nick Gillespie | 5.28.2013 1:26 PM

Politics

Rick Santorum Is For Freedom, Except When He's Not

Peter Suderman | 1.4.2012 3:17 PM

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