President Trump encouraged a bipartisan group of lawmakers to consider bringing back earmarks, a process by which members could attach funding for pet projects to larger pieces of legislation.
"Maybe all of you should think about going back to a form of earmarks. You should do it," Trump said during an immigration meeting at the White House on Tuesday. "We have to put better controls because it got a little out of hand, but that brings people together."
Congress banned earmarks in 2010, and some political analysts have attributed recent congressional gridlock to the end of earmarks. The practice once allowed lawmakers to include personalized incentives for members in order to build support for broader policies. But critics of earmarks have said the process is not transparent and encourages back-room dealmaking.
"I think you should study it," Trump said of earmarks.
Trump, who vowed to "drain the swamp" of political insiders as a presidential candidate, spoke of striking a bipartisan deal on immigration during the nearly hour-long meeting with Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday.
