3 0 ▁members ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 1 4 th ▁Congress ▁and ▁is , ▁therefore ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁comm itte es ▁in ▁the ▁Senate . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁the ▁two ▁comm itte es ▁controlled ▁$ 8 4 3 ▁billion ▁a ▁year ▁in ▁dis cret ion ary ▁sp ending ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁and ▁ear mark ed ▁tens ▁of ▁bill ions ▁of ▁dollars ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁President ▁Ob ama ▁proposed ▁free zing ▁dis cret ion ary ▁sp ending ▁representing ▁approximately ▁ 1 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁budget ▁in ▁his ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁State ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁address . ▁ ▁Value ▁Based ▁on ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁C RS ▁report ▁the ▁compar ative ▁total ▁value ▁of ▁ear marks ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁was , ▁ ▁E arm arks ▁as ▁a ▁% ▁of ▁total ▁federal ▁out lay . ▁ ▁Legisl ation ▁The ▁Congress ▁is ▁required ▁by ▁Article ▁ 1 , ▁Section ▁ 9 , ▁Cla use ▁ 7 ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution ▁to ▁pass ▁legisl ation ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁exp end iture ▁of ▁any ▁U . S . ▁Tre as ury ▁funds . ▁ ▁The ▁ear mark ing ▁process ▁provided ▁Congress ▁with ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁ear mark ▁dis cret ion ary ▁funds ▁it ▁appropri ates ▁to ▁be ▁spent ▁on ▁specific ▁named ▁projects . ▁The ▁ear mark ing ▁process ▁was ▁a ▁regular ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁alloc ating ▁funds ▁within ▁the ▁Federal ▁government . ▁For