For many, the word "earmarks" carries a negative connotation. The term refers to spending projects that members of Congress insert into bills or laws the legislature is considering passing. These provisions appropriate money for projects that are not necessarily requested by a federal agency. ( Read more about earmarks.)
As the 112th Congress convenes, many members have sworn to rid the budget process once and for all of earmarks. That invites the question: what, if anything, have earmarks done for southern Arizona lately?
AZPM political reporter Christopher Conover joins the studio to discuss how much each member of Arizona's congressional delegation has brought home--and what exactly their provisions paid for.