Reporting on Earmarks: Resources for Journalists
Anne Meeker Anne Meeker

Reporting on Earmarks: Resources for Journalists

The return of “earmarks” or Member-Directed Spending requests in 2021 was a significant change for the annual appropriations cycle. In this guide, we cover the basics of the reformed ‘earmark’ programs, including some common misconceptions, and examples of earmarks coverage from around the country.

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House vs. Senate Earmark Accounts FY23
Anne Meeker Anne Meeker

House vs. Senate Earmark Accounts FY23

Last year, the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations announced the return of Member-Directed Spending, also known as “earmarks.” In the FY22 appropriations cycle, differences between the House and Senate processes, including mismatched eligible spending accounts, were some of the biggest unanswered questions of the reinstated process. This year, while there are still some discrepancies, the lists of eligible accounts in the House and Senate are very similar. We have provided a list below.

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Earmarks word for FY23: “executability”
Marci Harris Marci Harris

Earmarks word for FY23: “executability”

On March 31, POPVOX Foundation joined Bipartisan Policy Center and the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance to host a staff information-sharing session in collaboration with the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.

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So you submitted an appropriations request… now what?
Congress Anne Meeker Congress Anne Meeker

So you submitted an appropriations request… now what?

Congratulations! Your Community Project Funding grant request (House) or Congressionally Directed Spending request (Senate) made it through the thorough internal vetting process of the congressional office and was submitted to the right subcommittee within either the House or Senate Committee on Appropriations. You may be wondering: what happens now? 

In this post, we’ll walk through the timeline to expect, and how to track the progress of your request to see if it might be ultimately included in the final appropriations bill(s) for Fiscal Year 2022.

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