congressional earmarks

After a ten-year absence, congressional earmarks appear to be on their way back. Earmarks – special budget items chosen by members of Congress specifically for their districts – were banned in 2011 but now, members of the House have voted to revive them, citing the oft-used rationale that members of Congress are more qualified to choose projects for their districts than federal bureaucrats.  In addition, it is widely thought that earmarks can help build bipartisan support for challenging legislation. Amid concern about the possibility of increasing federal spending at a time of rising deficits, the Senate still has not agreed [...]