GOP takes aim at Congress' next 'get filthy rich' loophole after

Earmarks were supposed to be the kind of thing both parties agreed to hate. Then they came back in 2021, rebranded as "community project funding," and suddenly the oldest trick in the congressional playbook was respectable again. The loophole that California Republican Young Kim is targeting isn't about the earmarks themselves—it's about the creativity lawmakers show in cashing in on them. The rules say you can't directly fund your own business or your spouse's, but they leave a rather generous door open for shell companies, business partners, and extended family. That's not oversight; that's a suggestion.

Kim's bill is a refreshing piece of housekeeping that Washington should have done years ago. It closes the gap that lets a member of Congress steer federal money to a cousin's LLC or a brother-in-law's real estate deal, all while technically playing by the rules. We are not going to pretend this is a sweeping moral crusade. It is a simple, mechanical fix to a system that has been begging to be abused since the moment it was revived. The fact that it takes a freshman Republican to point this out tells you everything about how comfortable the old guard has gotten with the status quo.

The left will likely treat this as a niche procedural story, but it cuts right to the heart of why voters are cynical about Washington. People notice when the people writing the rules keep finding ways to enrich themselves within them. The swamp doesn't drain itself, and it certainly doesn't drain when both parties benefit from the murk. If Republicans can take the lead on this, it shows we're serious about policing our own—not just about stopping the other side from feeding at the trough. A little self-policing goes a long way, and Kim's bill is a good start. The Senate should take it up and make the fix permanent before the next session rolls around and someone finds another workaround.