The map below shows the dollar value of earmarks based on the home state of the sponsors. Click on a state to view total earmarks sponsored by each individual lawmaker from that state.
Earmarks with sponsors from multiple states are excluded from the map and the state totals, but they are included in earmark totals for individual members. Where several lawmakers sponsored the same earmark, each is credited with the amount of the earmark (learn more). Click a member name for a list of all their disclosed earmarks, or visit our fully-browseable earmark database directly.
Click a member name for a fully-browseable list of all their disclosed earmarks, or visit our fully-browseable earmark database directly.
The figures in this graphic are derived from the White House Office of Management and Budget database of earmarks. OMB defines “earmark” as spending directed by Congress that “circumvents otherwise applicable merit-based or competitive allocation processes, or specifies the location or recipient.” OMB’s full definition can be found here.
How can a member’s earmark total be higher than the earmark total for his/her state?
Earmarks with sponsors from multiple states are excluded from the map and the state totals, but they are included in earmark totals for individual members. So in any given state, it is possible for an individual total to exceed the state total.
If more than one member sponsored an earmark, how many times is that earmark counted in the totals?
The value of an earmark with multiple sponsors is added to the total of each individual sponsor. If all sponsors are from the same state, the value of the earmark is added just once to the state total. If the earmark has sponsors from multiple states, it is not counted in the total of any state.