Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reportedly gave almost every Democrat an earmark in exchange for their votes for a $1.2 trillion spending bill that was passed despite the objections of a majority of House Republicans.
As Johnson and House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) negotiated two government funding bills, the Democrat leader secured a major victory in exchange for voting for Johnson’s spending bill: a considerable bump in earmarks for Democrats’ home districts.
Democrats argued that they did not receive their fair share of the earmarks, or congressionally directed projects, this congressional term. Jeffries made clear that Democrats would provide the votes to pass the spending bill for an increase in their share of the earmarks, according to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.
The earmarks were tucked well within the Transportation spending bill; a CNN analysis suggested that the earmarks for Democrats went up $616,279 for almost every Democrat member over what had passed out of committee months prior.
The earmarks in the gargantuan spending bill were for “almost every single Democratic member for at least one project,” CNN wrote.
DeLauro told CNN that Jeffries wanted to keep the victory a secret.
“There was no need. He [Jeffries] negotiated. He got what we needed to have. That’s it. It doesn’t always have to be a press conference when you get things done. That’s his style,” DeLauro said.
“Nobody at the beginning of this Congress could have imagined all this shit that has happened here, right? But [Jeffries] has navigated a pathway for Democrats that has made us relevant and effective,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), the ranking member on the House Rules Committee, said.
“I saw him take the temperature of the caucus, listen a lot to people and ultimately land in a place that not everyone celebrated, but everyone was comfortable with,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) remarked.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.