GOP senator who railed against government waste sought $4.2M for project near his own ranch: report

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall asked for a $4.2 million earmark in 2024 to improve water delivery to the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, without disclosing that his Rattlesnake Ranch lies right beside it, public records show. The Independent reports the request sits awkwardly with his record of voting four times against earmarks and calling them wasteful and un-American. The timing matters politically, since he faces a tighter-than-expected November reelection fight against Democrat Adam Hamilton, a former Republican who leads the country's biggest United Methodist church.

The specific bill with Marshall's request failed, but the refuge's money later passed in broader legislation he backed. A federal plan would pipe water from another watershed into Rattlesnake Creek, past his land, and on to the refuge. Marshall owns 20% of the ranch, is a director of the business, and once held over 1,000 acres nearby.

His spokeswoman, Payton Fuller, said the ranch would not benefit and that the project would save farms. Burke Griggs, a Washburn University law professor, said steadier water would raise land values, while Craig Holman of Public Citizen said Marshall should have recused himself, though he did not think Senate rules were broken.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →