Democrats Celebrate Their Earmarks

Terence P. Jeffrey
Tue, 20 Jan 2026 17:39:52 -0800
Opinion

In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, which ended on New Year's Eve, the federal government spent $1,827,134,000,000 — and, according to the Treasury Department, ran a deficit of $602,376,000,000.

The federal debt closed the calendar year at $38,514,009,184,232.72. That equaled approximately $285,733 for each of the 134,790,000 households there were in the United States in 2025, according to the Census Bureau.

What did Congress do when it came back from its Christmas break? It passed a spending bill full of earmarks.
Updated: Wed Jan 21, 2026

In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, which ended on New Year's Eve, the federal government spent $1,827,134,000,000 — and, according to the Treasury Department, ran a deficit of $602,376,000,000.

The federal debt closed the calendar year at $38,514,009,184,232.72. That equaled approximately $285,733 for each of the 134,790,000 households there were in the United States in 2025, according to the Census Bureau.

What did Congress do when it came back from its Christmas break? It passed a spending bill full of earmarks.

On Jan. 8, the Republican-controlled House took up a 407-page spending bill. It funded multiple federal departments and agencies, including the departments of Commerce, Justice, Energy and the Interior, and also the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service and the Indian Health Service.

In total, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill authorized $215,073,000,000 in spending.

Large bipartisan coalitions in both houses supported this spending. In the House, it passed 397-28 — with 206 Democratic supporters and 191 Republicans. On Jan. 15, it passed 82-15 in the Senate — with 46 Republican supporters and 36 Democrats.

After it passed, numerous Democratic senators put out statements to applaud the earmarks it included for their state.

"I'm also proud to once again work with countless Wisconsin communities in every corner of the state to deliver direct federal support for projects that address their specific needs," said Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).

What earmarks did taxpayers from Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Nebraska help fund for communities in Baldwin's Wisconsin? Among the benefits to Wisconsin, according to Baldwin, were "$406,000 for replacing a water main, two sewer lines and several fire hydrants and manholes" in Brandon, Wisconsin. Another was "$1,630,000 for replacing the broken watermain and replacing lead service lines" in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Another was "$1,100,000 for upgrading the raw water service, as well as fixing the well and watermain" in Vesper, Wisconsin.

Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) put out a similar statement. It declared that Delaware's congressional "delegation," including Rochester, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons and Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride, had "secured over $40 million in funding for more than 30 projects across the First State."

"As Delaware's sole appropriator, I'm proud to have worked with so many communities and organizations from Wilmington to Seaford to get them the resources they need to continue serving the First State," said Coons.

So what will taxpayers in Arizona, Utah, Montana and Indiana be paying to fund in Coons' Delaware?

Among other things, $5 million will go to "clean hydrogen-related investments, supporting the University of Delaware's Center for Clean Hydrogen." Another $3 million will "support the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), a public-private partnership on the University of Delaware's campus focused on advancing biopharmaceutical production with private and public measures across the country." Another $500,000 "will be used for historic preservation efforts of the Grand Opera House," and another $450,000 "will be used for historic preservation efforts of the Smyrna Opera House."

Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona also put out a statement celebrating the earmarks they were able to put in this massive spending bill. "I'm proud to have fought to secure more than $32 million for Arizona projects," said Gallego. "This funding shows exactly how Congressional spending should work, directing federal dollars toward projects that solve real problems in our state, like supporting the City of Chandler's water supply wells."

"I'm proud to deliver this funding and will keep fighting to make sure Arizona communities get ahead," said Kelly.

Among other things, the earmarks for Arizona will spend $4,200,000 to "provide new police response vehicles for the Tucson Police Department," and $810,000 to "upgrade handheld radios for the Sahuarita Police Department."

This bill also empowers the federal government to buy up more land in the West.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) published a press release stating that: "The bill includes funding for a $17 million land purchase and a $5 million land purchase, both of privately-owned parcels near Leavenworth in the Upper Wenatchee River watershed, for a total of over 11,000 acres to be managed by the U.S. Forest Service."

From Jan. 20, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2025, when Republicans controlled the House, the Senate and the White House, the federal debt rose from $36,206,593,315,575.15 to $38,514,009,184,232.72 — an increase of $2,307,415,868,657.57.

And Democrats are continuing to insert self-serving earmarks into spending bills approved by a Republican-majority Congress.