, ▁a ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁C RS ▁described ▁how , ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁ear marks ▁ban ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁M embers ▁of ▁Congress ▁had ▁used ▁ear marks ▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁local ▁con gression al ▁represent atives , ▁not ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Transport ation ▁and ▁its ▁A gen cies ▁Administration , ▁set ▁priority ▁dis cret ion ary ▁transport ation ▁sp ending . ▁ ▁Cong r essional ▁members ▁and ▁D OT ▁administration ▁often ▁disag ree ▁on ▁prior ities . ▁In ▁F Y 2 0 0 7 , ▁with ▁an ▁ear mark ▁ban ▁in ▁place , ▁President ▁Bush ' s ▁Administration ' s ▁divided ▁about ▁$ 8 5 0 ▁million , ▁which ▁represented ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁D OT ' s ▁dis cret ion ary ▁annual ▁fund ing , ▁to ▁traffic ▁con g estion ▁mit ig ation ▁strateg ies ▁in ▁only ▁five ▁met ro ▁areas , ▁Miami , ▁Florida , ▁Min ne apolis , ▁Minnesota , ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁California , ▁and ▁Seattle , ▁Washington ▁through ▁the ▁Urban ▁Part ners hip ▁Ag re ement . ▁ ▁Deb ates ▁E arm arks ▁have ▁often ▁been ▁treated ▁as ▁being ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁" p ork ▁bar rel " ▁legisl ation . ▁Despite ▁considerable ▁overlap , ▁the ▁two ▁are ▁not ▁the ▁same : ▁what ▁constit utes ▁an ▁ear mark ▁is ▁an ▁objective ▁determ ination , ▁while ▁what ▁is ▁" p ork - bar rel " ▁sp ending ▁is ▁subject ive . ▁One ▁legisl ator ' s ▁" p ork " ▁is ▁another ' s ▁vital