The nature of Georgia’s U.S. senators’ earmark requests doesn’t differ much from last year, with money sought for defense projects, research and infrastructure improvements for local governments topping the list.

But North Georgia’s 9th District congressman decided not to play this year. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., is making no earmark requests for this budget, spokesman Chris Riley said.

“Until there’s a clear process determined by the House of Representatives, he self-voluntarily did not submit earmarks,” Mr. Riley said.

Last year, five of Rep. Deal’s earmark requests totaling more than $8.5 million passed in the final budget. The largest by far was $7.7 million for Buford Dam and Lake Sidney Lanier.

Rep. Deal did receive about seven requests from local governments this year for him to include their projects in the appropriations bill, Mr. Riley said. He said Rep. Deal will try to win support for these programs through other federal funding methods, such as grants.

“Just because he’s not supporting (earmark) requests does not mean he won’t fight vigorously to bring money back to the district,” Mr. Riley said.

Ask for billions, expect millions

Although Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., voted in March for a moratorium on earmark requests for the fiscal year 2009, he turned in roughly $2.5 billion in such requests.

“Senator Isakson believes the earmark process in Congress has been abused in the past, and there is no doubt it needs to be reformed,” spokeswoman Sheridan Watson wrote in an e-mail. “However, the amendment failed, and he believes it’s important for Georgia projects to receive consideration for funding in the appropriations process.”

About $1.9 billion of the requests are for national programs with Georgia ties that Sen. Isakson supports jointly with other senators, she said. His largest earmark request is $25 million for taxi-way improvements at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

For fiscal year 2008, about $16 million of earmarks requested solely by Sen. Isakson passed into the final budget. Congress passed a total of $18 billion in earmarks in 2008.

“We are in extremely tight times in regard to the federal budget, and the likelihood is that most of these requests will not receive funding,” Ms. Watson stated, especially those that are not established national programs.

Requesting together

Programs will have a better chance if they were approved in previous years or if several members request the same appropriation, Ms. Watson said.

For example, requests made by Sen. Isakson and Sen. Chambliss jointly were granted about $579 million in fiscal year 2008.

Sen. Chambliss has made more than $10 billion in requests for fiscal year 2009 — some in conjunction with other senators.

The most expensive projects fall under Defense or Energy and Water projects — more than $8 billion for two national projects, and he also requested more than $756 million in agriculture projects. Sen. Chambliss is the ranking Republican member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and its former chairman, so he receives many requests from the agricultural industry.

The largest non-military earmark request is $85 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission, which works to improve economic opportunities in the Appalachia region.

“Senator Chambliss certainly believes in greater transparency and reform when it comes to earmarks,” spokeswoman Ashley Nelson wrote in an e-mail. “However, he believes the project requests he has made are important to local communities across the state.”