Earmark Elimination Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Representative Norman, would stop the House of Representatives from voting on any laws that include "earmarks." Earmarks are specific chunks of money set aside for a single project in a specific town or district, like a new bridge or a local park, instead of being awarded through a fair competition.
• The plan also bans special tax breaks or trade deals that only help 10 or fewer people or companies. This is meant to prevent politicians from giving "sweetheart deals" to their biggest supporters or specific businesses in their home states.
• If a lawmaker spots an earmark in a bill, they can speak up to have it removed immediately. If there is a disagreement about whether a piece of funding counts as an earmark, the entire House of Representatives will hold a vote to decide.
• Supporters of this change say it will save taxpayer money and stop "pork barrel" spending, which is when politicians trade favors to get expensive local projects passed. Critics often argue that earmarks help small communities get the specific help they need that larger federal programs might overlook.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.