Rep. Michele Bachmann might have sworn off earmarks, but not all the members of her 52-member Tea Party Caucus have followed suit this year – the last, presumably, before the new Republican-controlled House bans them entirely. A new study by National Journal's Hotline found that, cumulatively, Tea Party Caucus members requested 764 district projects worth more than $1 billion. The Tea Party Caucus, founded by the Minnesota Republican, is organized around the principle of cutting government spending.
