February 18, 2026
The Honorable Ralph Norman
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Andrew Clyde
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressmen Norman and Clyde,
On behalf of National Taxpayers Union (NTU), the nation’s oldest taxpayer advocacy organization, I write to express our strong support for your legislation, H.R. 7041, the “Earmark Elimination Act.” This important legislation would permanently ban earmarks by prohibiting the consideration of legislation containing any earmarks and creating a point of order against those provisions. As our country’s debt rockets towards $40 trillion, Congress must rein in wasteful spending like earmarks to help solve our coming fiscal crisis.
As you know, in 2021 the House of Representatives reversed its earmarks ban and “reformed” the process to be more accountable. Earmark supporters have argued that reforms can fully insulate earmarks from the corruption and wasteful spending that had become hallmarks of the practice. Instead of allocating taxpayer dollars through transparent, competitive processes based on merit and national priorities, earmarks direct funds to specific projects at the request of individual lawmakers, often in exchange for their vote on legislation.
This invites political favoritism, rewards seniority and influence over need, and diverts resources away from higher-priority or more cost-effective uses. In fact, the latest round of appropriations included over $14 billion worth of earmarks for ridiculous projects, including an elephant statue, sports arenas, and oyster farming, among many others. In fact, Citizens Against Government Waste has identified more than 132,000 earmarks totaling $460 billion since 1991—a significant total that displays Washington’s addiction to wasteful spending.
Thankfully, your legislation protects taxpayers by finally ending this corrupting practice. The Earmark Elimination Act would help curb waste by removing a mechanism that has historically fueled bloated omnibus bills and backroom negotiations. At a time of record deficits and mounting national debt, Congress should focus on scrutinizing every dollar spent. Without earmarks as bargaining chips, lawmakers would be encouraged to evaluate legislation on its overall merits rather than on the basis of localized spending benefits.
NTU is pleased to endorse the “Earmark Elimination Act.” We encourage all representatives to support this legislation and work toward its swift enactment.
Sincerely,
Thomas Aiello
Senior Director of Government Affairs