Washington—According to reports, President Donald Trump suggested Congress should at least consider bringing back earmarks to help pass a massive infrastructure package later this year. Earmarks were traditionally used as a form of pork-barrel spending to buy votes and undermine conservative opposition to big-government legislation. After the Tea Party wave of 2010, Republicans in Congress courageously passed a ban on earmarks in an effort to end cronyism. In 2016, House Speaker Paul Ryan reportedly prevented their reinstatement after President Trump won a national election on a promise to “drain the swamp.” Heritage Action released the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Needham:
“It is nearly unthinkable that after President Trump ran a historically successful election to ‘drain the swamp’ in Washington, D.C., Congress would consider reinstating one of the most egregious examples of cronyism on Capitol Hill. President Trump should continue to work with conservatives in Congress to drain the swamp and stop any congressional efforts to reinstate earmarks. Heritage Action is dedicated to working alongside President Trump to end cronyism and pass real conservative solutions that actually help hard working Americans.”