Report: Mass. Could Lose $200M If Earmarks Banned

A proposed ban on earmarked spending could cost Massachusetts more than $200 million in federal funding.

The Boston Globe reports that among the projects that would be in jeopardy are $2 million for a new science building at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst; $10 million for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate; and $400,000 for a renovation of the historic Paul Revere House in Boston.

A Republican effort to halt earmarking is gaining steam after the party gained control of the House in the election earlier this month. Critics say earmarks are nothing more than pork-barrel projects that add to the federal deficit.

U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch says he's very concerned about the potential impact of eliminating earmarks, particularly on hospitals and research in the Boston area.