A senior member of the Appropriations Committee, the main arbiter of the spending requests, Mikulski has been warning that earmarks are "very fragile" in the current political environment and is advising local officials to seek other sources of federal aid, such as grant programs.
Adding pet projects to spending measures with little or no public scrutiny has led to heightened criticism in recent years. President Barack Obama campaigned against earmark abuse in 2008, despite having requested earmarks as a senator from Illinois.
Cardin acknowledged that the president's attacks have caused political problems for those who try to defend the practice.
Congress and the White House have said they want to reduce the overall amount of earmarked spending, and Cardin said he expected less money would flow to projects in Maryland as a result.
Among the dozens of requests by both senators are: $20 million in transportation projects around the state related to military base relocation; $10 million for the Red Line in Baltimore; $500,000 for the Maryland Food Bank; and $1 million for diabetes screening technology sold by WellDoc Communications Inc., a Baltimore firm.
Area projects on Cardin's list include $1 million for the Baltimore mayor's office to screen young people arrested for nonviolent offenses; $1 million for the National Aquarium in Baltimore; $500,000 for Howard County's camera surveillance system; and $3 million to replace Baltimore County's 911 communications center.
Mikulski is requesting $1 million for summer youth jobs in the city; $1 million for the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation; $1.1 million for the city's gun violence reduction initiative; and $2 million for a new W. L. Gore and Associates five-layer, modular cold-weather glove for the military.
Cardin, in a rare departure for members of Congress, lists "earmarks," instead of using a more technical term, in posting his requests on his official Web site. Mikulski also links her appropriation requests to her site's home page.
