"U.S. House Republicans are weighing whether to join Democrats in getting back into “earmarks” - the practice of loading spending bills with legislators’ pet projects - and a decision is expected this week, two sources familiar with the process said.

The sources said Republicans in the House of Representatives deliberated on the issue twice this week, and sentiment is growing toward embracing earmarks roughly a decade after the party decided to scrap the long-standing practice amid a raft of high-profile controversies. Democrats who control the House agreed to bring back earmarks this year.

A move to participate in earmarks will draw criticism from the Republican Party’s conservative wing, which has long criticized the practice as wasteful. It may also signal that Republicans are willing to negotiate on President Joe Biden’s next major agenda item: a massive infrastructure package."

Jarrett Renshaw reports for Reuters March 11, 2021. [2]