Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus secured nearly $450 million in earmarks from recently passed government funding legislation, with the average member getting almost twice as much as far-left “Squad” members. The taxpayer watchdog OpenTheBooks released a report cataloging the pork barrel spending totals for more than a dozen Republican members who voted against the $1.66 trillion in fiscal year 2024 spending as part of two packages in March. The report found 17 current Freedom Caucus members, as well as now-former member Randy Weber, secured $25 million per member – far higher than the $13.9 million that the average “Squad” member took in for their district projects. Many of the Republican fiscal hawks stressed that the funding would go to important infrastructure or other projects in their district, in contradiction to what they saw as partisan earmarks pushed by “Squad” lawmakers.
Weber, who received the largest share of earmarks, railed against earmarks for open-border, climate, and LGBTQ initiatives tucked into the second six-bill package weeks later. Far-right Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz secured the second-highest amount with $50 million in earmarks, followed by other members of the Freedom Caucus who secured significant amounts for their districts. Since Congress lifted its ban on earmarks in 2021, member-directed federal funding for localities has been a favorite target of conservatives who argue many of the projects are thrown in at the last minute and favor left-wing initiatives. Congressional appropriators have defended the practice as transparent, with many of the community projects listed months in advance and guided by rules that cap the number of projects members can request funding for at 15, as well as disclosure requirements to prevent conflicts of financial interest.
The report also highlighted two dozen other members of the Freedom Caucus who voted against the spending legislation and expressed strong opposition to the earmarks, including the group’s chairman, Rep. Bob Good. Despite this, several members of the Freedom Caucus secured significant earmarks for their districts, such as Rep. Lauren Boebert and Rep. Byron Donalds. Florida GOP Rep. Greg Steube, who had previously supported banning congressional earmarks, secured nearly $10 million through the fiscal year 2024 spending bills. Some members of Congress, such as Rep. Keith Self and Rep. Mike Collins, received smaller amounts but stood by their “no” votes on the funding packages.
Even some allies or former members of the Freedom Caucus, like House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Max Miller, voted in favor of the spending packages in March. Rep. Harriet Hageman, who is not a member of the Freedom Caucus but is aligned with its agenda, voted against the spending but was in favor of the earmarks. Overall, the report by OpenTheBooks sheds light on the significant amount of earmarks secured by members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, highlighting the divide between those who accepted earmarks and those who stood against them. The issue of earmarks continues to be controversial, with some defending the practice as transparent and necessary for funding important community projects.
