Staff Reports
Congressional Republicans have launched new rules to prevent embarrassing projects from slipping into spending bills in the future. This comes after some lawmakers discovered they had unintentionally funded multiple LGBTQ centers, including one that hosted “kink” parties.
The LGBTQ centers, which operate as nonprofits, had received money from Congress through Economic Development Initiative grants under the old rules. However, newly appointed House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, a Republican from Oklahoma, has announced a change. Going forward, nonprofits will no longer be eligible to receive earmarks from the EDI account.
House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole announces new guidelines for Congressional earmarks in 2025 spending bills: “Non-profits are no longer eligible for Community Project Funding in the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) account.” https://t.co/aAK6uYx2Tl
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) April 25, 2024
This decision has sparked criticism from Democrats, who accused the GOP of injecting partisan politics into the funding process. They argue that the new rule will also block money for religious organizations, privately run veterans’ groups, and senior centers, impacting nearly half of the EDI account in this year’s spending bills.
Earmarks were banned from 2011 to 2021 after a series of misuse and abuse, including funding for the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere” in Alaska and criminal activities surrounding earmarks. However, Democrats lifted the ban in 2021, renaming earmarks as Community Funding Projects and implementing new rules to prevent abuses.
Republicans have pushed back against the reinstatement of earmarks, arguing that taxpayer money should not fund organizations like the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia, which faced controversy over its allocation of space for kink parties. They believe that earmarks should be non-controversial projects that benefit communities without causing political trouble.
The new rules introduced by Mr. Cole will apply to the spending bills for fiscal year 2025, and lawmakers have until May 3 to submit their funding requests to the Appropriations Committee. They will also be required to publicly disclose their requests on their websites, along with a declaration of their financial interests and a description of how the project aligns with federal spending priorities.
