Congress has passed more than $26 billion in earmarks during Fiscal Year 2023, the highest amount since 2006, the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste reported.
Members in both chambers were able to pass 7,396 earmarks into law in FY2023, according to CAGW’s pig book.
That number was up from 5,138 in FY2022, when Congress spent more than $19 billion on earmarks. Both chambers brought back pork in 2021, one decade after the parties announced a ban on the practice.