▁on ▁ear marks , ▁money ▁for ▁projects ▁that ▁individual ▁law m akers ▁s lip ▁into ▁major ▁Cong r essional ▁budget ▁b ills ▁to ▁c ater ▁to ▁local ▁dem ands ." ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Cit iz ens ▁Again st ▁Government ▁W aste ▁( CA G W ), ▁claimed ▁in ▁their ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Cong r essional ▁P ig ▁Book , ▁that ▁all ▁the ▁F Y 2 0 1 6 ▁ear marks ▁were ▁contained ▁in ▁the ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁om n ibus ▁ 2 0 0 0 - page ▁Cons olid ated ▁App ropri ations ▁Act , ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁which ▁author ized ▁$ 1 . 1 5 ▁tr ill ion ▁in ▁appropri ations . ▁The ▁C AG W ▁argued ▁that ▁" Throw ing ▁all ▁ear marks ▁into ▁one ▁large ▁bill ▁makes ▁it ▁more ▁difficult ▁to ▁identify ▁and ▁eliminate ▁ear marks ▁than ▁if ▁Congress ▁ad her ed ▁to ▁regular ▁order ▁and ▁considered ▁the ▁ 1 2 ▁appropri ations ▁b ills ▁individually ." ▁ ▁Altern atives ▁to ▁con gression al ▁ear marks ▁M embers ▁of ▁Congress ▁can ▁influence ▁prior ities ▁and ▁policy - making ▁that ▁promote ▁projects ▁that ▁are ▁important ▁to ▁their ▁constitu ents ▁by ▁accessing ▁dis cret ion ary ▁D OT ▁sp ending , ▁through ▁regular ▁formula - based ▁fund ing ▁mechan isms ▁and ▁increased ▁interaction ▁with ▁both ▁transport ation ▁official ▁as ▁the ▁federal ▁and ▁state ▁levels . ▁ ▁E arm arks ▁and ▁transport ation ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 7