House appropriators moved Wednesday to strip a $1 million earmark requested by Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar from a must-pass funding package, after Republican lawmakers warned the carveout threatened to derail a carefully negotiated bill designed to prevent a government shutdown.
The earmark, directed to a Somali-led organization in Omar’s district, had been included in the Commerce, Science and Justice portion of a broader funding package known as a minibus, which also covers the Commerce, Energy, Interior and Justice departments along with related agencies. With a Jan. 30 funding deadline looming, Republican leaders made clear they were unwilling to risk the fate of the overall bill over a single member’s project.
Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said bluntly that allowing the earmark to remain was not worth jeopardizing a $184 billion funding package.
“I can’t afford to have a million dollar project jeopardize a $184 billion package of bills,” Cole told reporters. He added that he has dealt with similar situations in the past, including with Republicans, and that leadership sometimes has to advise members to withdraw projects that pose political problems.
Omar originally requested $1,460,877 for Generation Hope’s “Justice Empowerment Initiative,” a program that, according to her website, offers job-specific training, computer skills development, peer support services, and access to education, as well as services addressing addiction recovery and mental health needs. The earmark was also backed by Minnesota’s two Democratic senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.
Republicans critical of earmarks praised the decision to remove Omar’s funding request. Texas Rep. Chip Roy applauded the move in a post on X, calling it a victory for fiscal conservatives.
“Chalk one up for the good guys,” Roy wrote, saying he had worked for days to stop what he called the “outrageous Ilhan Omar $1 million Somali earmark.”
South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman, a member of the Rules Committee, also raised concerns about the minibus during multiple meetings this week. Norman said he would support the bill on the House floor only after receiving written confirmation that the earmark would be removed.
Even Democrats acknowledged that earmarks could not be allowed to sink the broader package. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said discussions were ongoing and emphasized that community projects sometimes have to be pulled if they create obstacles.
Democrats revived earmarks in 2021 under the label “community project funding,” after they were banned for more than a decade under Republican leadership. The practice continues to draw sharp criticism from conservatives, who argue the projects amount to wasteful spending and political favoritism.
Roy pointed to other earmarks in the Commerce, Justice and Science portion of the bill as examples of what he called “currency of corruption,” including funding for projects backed by lawmakers from both parties. He said such spending does not reflect the priorities of his constituents.
As part of the compromise to remove Omar’s earmark, House leaders plan to allow separate votes on the Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, and Commerce-Justice-Science sections, giving Republicans a chance to oppose the controversial portion while supporting the rest.
The White House urged Congress to pass the package, praising its reduced spending levels and signaling that the president’s advisers would recommend signing it into law.
