Republican lawmakers remain eager to bring home earmarked money for local infrastructure and public safety projects, even as Elon Musk leads an aggressive effort to slash federal spending.
GOP lawmakers haven’t lost enthusiasm for earmarks, a system that allows Congress to directly put aside a small portion of federal dollars for handpicked local projects. But they see plenty of obstacles on the horizon. Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” effort has led to a surge in enthusiasm for cutting spending. And government-funding talks have languished, raising the prospect of a stopgap spending bill that wouldn’t allow earmarks.
The GOP earmarking plan, ...