▁many ▁years ▁they ▁were ▁a ▁core ▁aspect ▁of ▁legisl ative ▁polic ym aking ▁and ▁distrib utive ▁politics ▁- ▁an ▁essential ▁political ▁instrument ▁where by ▁political ▁coal itions ▁were ▁for ged ▁through ▁comprom ise ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁pass ▁or ▁reject ▁key ▁legisl ation . ▁As ▁con gression al ▁ear marks ▁came ▁into ▁dis f avor ▁and ▁eventually ▁were ▁prohib ited , ▁the ▁ban ▁" cont ributed ▁to ▁legisl ative ▁grid lock ▁and ▁increased ▁the ▁difficulty ▁of ▁winning ▁en act ment ▁of ▁tax ▁and ▁imm igration ▁reform ." ▁ ▁E arm ark ing ▁diff ers ▁from ▁the ▁bro ader ▁appropri ations ▁process ▁in ▁which ▁Congress ▁gr ants ▁a ▁year ly ▁l ump ▁sum ▁of ▁money ▁to ▁a ▁federal ▁ag ency . ▁These ▁mon ies ▁are ▁allocated ▁by ▁the ▁ag ency ▁according ▁to ▁its ▁legal ▁authority , ▁the ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁annual ▁authorization ▁bill ▁passed ▁by ▁Congress ▁and ▁internal ▁budget ing ▁process . ▁With ▁an ▁ear mark , ▁Congress ▁direct s ▁a ▁specified ▁amount ▁of ▁money ▁from ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁ag ency ' s ▁author ized ▁budget ▁to ▁be ▁spent ▁on ▁a ▁particular ▁project . ▁In ▁the ▁past ▁members ▁of ▁Congress ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁to ▁identify ▁themselves ▁or ▁the ▁project . ▁ ▁The ▁process ▁of ▁ear mark ing ▁was ▁substantial ly ▁reform ed ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 1 0 th ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁between ▁January ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁and ▁January ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁members ▁of ▁Congress ▁had