Roy Blunt departed the Senate in style last year, helping direct $61 million in taxpayers’ money to a University of Missouri building that the school had named for him. For good measure, he earmarked another $30 million for a Missouri State University building that also bore the Republican lawmaker’s name.
Not to be outdone, departing Republican Sen. Richard C. Shelby and Democratic Sen. Patrick J. Leahy boarded the taxpayer train. Mr. Shelby earmarked $50 million for the University of Alabama, which will host his Senate archives. The University of Vermont got $30 million thanks to Mr. Leahy, who is sending his Senate records to that school.
Even when Republicans regained the House this year, they agreed to continue earmarking — with some new limits. Republicans tended to stick with more traditional projects — public works such as roads and bridges available to everyone. Democrats went for what the analysts called “want-based” projects, catering in particular to identity-politics constituencies.
Rep. Kweise Mfume, Maryland Democrat, told colleagues that the museum needed Uncle Sam’s cash to keep functioning. OpenTheBooks said the museum pays tribute to the congressman, who barely breaks the top 100 in seniority in the House, with a wax statue that rivals the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Mr. Mfume is a former president of the NAACP.The Korean American National Museum in Los Angeles doesn’t yet exist, but the project received $7 million in federal cash.
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