**Earmarks - Pork-barrel, or ear-mark spending is a process by which congressmen add expenses for special projects onto important legislation that have nothing to do with the legislation to earn favor from voters in their states. Adding the expenses onto legislation that needs to get passed ensures that it will pass through Congress easily. The added expenses are used for special projects for Members of Congress to distribute to their constituents back home as an act of largesse, courtesy of the federal taxpayer.

1. Name the four Republican senators mentioned in the article who have led the fight to ban earmarks in Congress.

2. Conservative Republicans have won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. How is the House expected to vote on a ban on earmarks?

3. a) Define moratorium and nonbinding as used in paragraphs 6 & 7.
b) What does it mean that the Republican senators endorsed a nonbinding moratorium on earmarks?

4. How has Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reacted to the Republicans' moratorium on earmarks?

5. List by how much the number of earmarks and their total cost increased from 1994 to 2005.

6. a) Para. 8 states: "Earmark critics want to go further and are demanding a vote by the entire Senate to ban them for three years."
Ask a parent if he/she supports a vote by the entire Senate (Democrats and Republicans), not just Republicans on whether or not to ban earmarks for three years and to explain his/her answer to you.
b) Has your parent changed your opinion on this issue? Explain your answer.

CHALLENGE QUESTION: Republican Senator Jim Inhofe, the only Republican to vote against the moratorium, said he supports earmarks because the amount of money spent on earmarks is so small that it won't make much difference in the budget, and if the Senators don't spend the money, President Obama will. Why is this false reasoning?

OPTIONAL: Send an email to your Senators and Representative expressing your support for, or opposition to, earmark spending, and whether you think the entire Senate should vote on a ban. Be clear, concise and polite. Include your name and grade and the name of your school. (Find contact information at Senate.gov and House.gov.)