Washington’s $1.4 Billion Shopping Spree: Meet the “Pork Kings” Bringing Home the Bacon in 2026

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Senate’s $1.4 Billion Earmark Bonanza: Pork-Barrel Spending in the FY2026 Labor-HHS Bill

In a move that has reignited debates over fiscal responsibility, the Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced S.2587, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026. This bill, which cleared committee in July 2025 and is currently on the legislative calendar, packs in exactly 999 earmarks totaling approximately $1.404 billion in directed spending.

These earmarks—officially titled Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)—allocate federal funds to specific projects in lawmakers’ home states, bypassing competitive bidding. While proponents argue they address local needs, critics decry them as wasteful “pork” that favors political insiders while the national debt exceeds $38 trillion.

The Return of the “Pork-Barrel”

Earmarks were banned in 2011 following scandals like the “Bridge to Nowhere,” but they resurfaced in 2021 under new transparency rules. In this bill alone, the projects span health facilities, education initiatives, and niche programs.

  • Democrats secured 706 projects (roughly 45% of the total funding).
  • Republicans landed larger average hauls of $2.68 million per earmark—triple the Democrats’ average—despite requesting fewer total projects.

Egregious Examples: Top-Dollar Highlights

Drawing from the Senate committee report and analysis by the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) and EPIC, here are the most standout examples of directed spending.

Senator(s)StateRecipient / Project DescriptionAmount
Hirono (D), Schatz (D)HINative Hawaiian Health Care Program (Papa Ola Lokahi)$27,000,000
Shelley Moore Capito (R)WVSports Arena / Facility Construction$7,000,000
Hyde-Smith (R), Wicker (R)MSMississippi State University (Manufacturing Training)$5,320,000
Deb Fischer (R)NECity of O’Neill (Boiler & Water Heating Replacement)$3,500,000
Katie Britt (R)ALCity of Enterprise (Purchase of a Surgical Robot)$3,000,000
Gary Peters (D)MIAFL-CIO (Workforce Training / Union Support)$2,000,000
Mitch McConnell (R)KYHome of the Innocents (Autism Treatment Facility)$1,500,000
Collins (R), King (I)MENorthern Maine Comm. College (Nursing/Electrical)$1,304,000
Chuck Schumer (D)NYMetropolitan Opera Association (Elevator Modernization)$1,000,000
Chuck Schumer (D)NYLincoln Center for the Performing Arts$750,000
Markey (D), Warren (D)MAJacob’s Pillow Dance Festival (Arts Education)$375,000
Ben Cardin (D)MDSquash Courts in Baltimore (Facility Renovation)$200,000

Well-Known Senators Bringing Home the Bacon

  • Susan Collins (R-ME): As the Appropriations Vice Chair, Collins is arguably the “Queen of Pork” in this cycle. She steered over $810 million in earmarks across all FY2026 bills, including $65.7 million specifically for Maine in this bill. Her requests range from a $350,000 ambulance for the town of Waldoboro to millions for nursing school equipment.
  • Chuck Schumer (D-NY): The Majority Leader focused heavily on New York’s cultural elite. His $1 million request for the Met Opera—an organization with assets exceeding $500 million—has been cited by fiscal hawks as the “pork” poster child of 2026.
  • Mitch McConnell (R-KY): Despite retirement rumors, McConnell funneled $2.5 million into Kentucky health projects, including specialized equipment for pediatric and autism centers.
  • Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): Known for Alaska-specific “pork,” she secured million-dollar grants for “Salmon Counting Methods” and renewable energy job training, continuing her streak as one of the most prolific earmarkers in Senate history.
  • Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): As the sponsor of S.2587, Capito secured the bill’s massive $7 million sports arena allocation for her home state, illustrating how seniority translates directly into local construction projects.

The Bigger Picture: Calls for Reform

As S.2587 heads toward a full floor vote, fiscal conservatives like Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rick Scott (R-FL) are pushing back. They argue that these “slush funds” are used to buy votes and obscure the true cost of government. With a $197 billion topline, the $1.4 billion in earmarks may seem small to some, but to critics, they represent a system where politicians treat the federal treasury as a tool for reelection rather than national priority.

Verification Summary:

  • Total Earmarks: 999 projects in S.2587.
  • Dollar Value: $1,404,000,000.
  • Authority: S. Rept. 119-55 (Reported July 31, 2025).

Sector Analysis: Where the Pork is Concentrated

An analysis of the S.2587 earmark list reveals that the “Health” and “Education” sectors are the primary beneficiaries, while “Labor” receives a significantly smaller—but still notable—slice of the pie.

  • Health (Health Resources and Services Administration – HRSA): This is the heavy hitter of the bill, accounting for over 60% of the total earmark value. Funding is largely directed toward “Health Facilities and Services,” which includes big-ticket items like Mitch McConnell’s $1.5 million autism center and Katie Britt’s $3 million surgical robot. These projects often fund private or regional hospital expansions that critics argue should be financed through local bonds or private capital.
  • Education (Innovation and Improvement): The Department of Education accounts for approximately 25% of the earmarks. These funds are frequently used for university “centers of excellence,” cybersecurity stipends—such as those secured by Chuck Schumer—and niche programs like the $375,000 dance festival grant in Massachusetts.
  • Labor (Employment and Training Administration): This sector represents the smallest portion, roughly 15% of the earmark funding, but contains some of the most politically sensitive items. This includes direct grants to labor organizations, such as the $2 million AFL-CIO workforce training project in Michigan, which fiscal hawks view as “backdoor” funding for politically aligned groups.