Marin loses more than $2M in federal earmarks

Action by Congress last week averted a partial government shutdown, but it also dashed hopes for more than $2 million in federal earmarks for Marin County projects.

Earmarks allow members of Congress to direct federal funds for specific projects to their states and districts. Their use was banned in 2011 after some high-profile scandals in the early part of the 2000s, but Congress brought them back in 2022 when Democrats had the majority.

For earmarks to be allocated, Congress must first approve a final appropriations bill...