Last year, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees brought back “earmarks” after a decade-long moratorium. The thousands of requests for funding for local projects in the FY22 omnibus spending bill are a reflection of the hundreds of thousands of staff hours that went into implementing these reforms.

With Member-Directed Spending submissions opening for FY23, how do staff see the process, lessons learned, and directions for the future?

Join POPVOX Foundation, Bipartisan Policy Center, and Black Women’s Congressional Alliance in collaboration with the House elect Committee on the Modernization of Congress for a discussion on the return of earmark funding from a staff perspective from 9-10am in Cannon 121, Thursday March 31st. Panelists will discuss the reinstatement of Member-Directed Spending and lessons learned from the FY22 process, and share what’s worked well to help:

• Streamline staff workload

• Enhance outreach to potential requestors, and 

• Build community buy-in around requested projects.

This event is hosted in collaboration with the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. Register to attend below.

PANELISTS

Yuri Beckelman, Staff Director, House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress

Matt Washington, Deputy Staff Director, House Committee on Appropriations

Franz Wuerfmannsdobler, Senior Advisor, Bipartisan Policy Center

Heather Painter, Legislative Director, Rep Derek Kilmer [D, WA]

Richie O’Connell, Legislative Director, Rep Ken Calvert [R, CA]

Kayla Williams, Deputy Chief of Staff, Rep Barbara Lee [D, CA]