As Democrats bring back earmarks for transp projects, billions of dollars from yrs ago sit unused

THe Washington Post

By Ian Duncan
 March 3, 2021

 As House Democrats prepare to bring back earmarks, billions of dollars tagged for lawmakers’ favored transportation projects before a decade-old ban sits unspent.
 Federal Highway Administration records show that as of October 2019, about $2.4 billion in 3,600 earmarks at least 10 years old had yet to be fully spent. Of those, about 300 earmarks worth about $400 million had never been tapped, according to the records.
 Supporters of earmarks — pots of money enshrined in law and directed to particular projects — say they are a mechanism for lawmakers to direct money to worthy causes in their districts while helping to build support for infrastructure legislation.

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