EXPLAINING “EARMARKS AS A GATEWAY DRUG.” Like out-and-out bribes, the amount of the earmark isn’t a measure of the amount of harm it ultimately does. If I bribe a Congressman to fund a $50B program with a $50,000 bribe, the $50,000 isn’t the measure of the problem. Likewise, if $50 million in earmarks gets $300 billion in budget items passed, it’s not a $50 million problem, it’s a $300 billion problem.