Twenty-four senators have requested roughly $636 million in federal earmarks for colleges and universities they once attended, according to a Jan. 26 analysis by the nonprofit watchdog group OpenTheBooks. 

The requests account for more than 20% of the $3.7 billion in total earmarks proposed for higher education institutions in the fiscal year 2026 budget, the group found. 

OpenTheBooks said it reviewed public disclosures from the Senate Appropriations Committee and cross-referenced them with senators’ educational backgrounds. Of the roughly $636 million in earmarks requested for senators’ alma maters, 11 Republicans sought about $470 million, while 13 Democrats requested approximately $166 million.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-K.Y., accounted for the largest share. According to the review, he requested $164.9 million across seven earmarks for two universities: the University of Kentucky (where he earned his law degree in 1967) and the University of Louisville (where he completed his undergraduate degree in 1964). 

Other notable requests listed in the review include: 

• Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.V.: $57.5 million in nine earmarks for Marshall University, his undergraduate and MBA alma mater, for projects including medical facilities, computing upgrades, and pilot training. 

• Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.: $50.9 million in two earmarks for Washington State University, where she graduated in 1972, targeting construction and scientific research. 

• Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark.: $4.3 million for the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, his undergraduate alma mater, along with additional funding for related institutions, including the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, which OpenTheBooks said is named in part after his late brother.

The disclosures come as Congress races to meet a Jan. 30 deadline to pass a funding bill and avoid a partial government shutdown. OpenTheBooks said the earmarks appear in current budget proposals, but final negotiations may eliminate some. 

Critics say the practice is an example of “pork-barrel politics,” in which lawmakers steer taxpayer dollars toward favored projects and institutions based on personal connections. Supporters counter that earmarks are essential for funding critical infrastructure, research, and education initiatives that might otherwise go overlooked.

According to Politico, Republicans swore off earmarks for more than a decade beginning in 2010 amid corruption scandals and conservative pressure. After a decade-long moratorium, Democrats revived the practice in 2021. Since then, several lawmakers have pushed again for its elimination.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., for example, introduced an amendment Jan. 22 to strip all earmarks from the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill, calling them “partisan pet projects” that fall outside the bill’s core mission. Speaking on the House floor Jan. 22, he highlighted multiple earmarks that allocate millions of taxpayer dollars to “transgender” surgeries, “gender” clinics, and abortions. 

Norman’s amendment failed later that day, with 76 House Republicans joining all Democrats in voting against it. 

Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah also called last week for ending earmarks, along with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who on Jan. 15 pointed to what he described as “a few crazy earmarks” in a minibus appropriations bill. According to Politico, some lawmakers said this month that while they oppose earmarks, they lack the votes to block the practice and view the provisions as necessary to avert a government shutdown.