According to an article in Roll Call today ($), a new earmark request-and-approval regime in the House is giving rise to a culture of confusion for members and lobbyists alike. The regime is proving to be a far more complex and perilous one than in the past, owing to:

• ambiguities in the House rules package on earmarks in several areas, including "multi-Member" funding letters supporting for broad or regional requests (which may now count against the earmark limits of each signatory)
• a diversity of application procedures and funding limits imposed by each of the twelve House Appropriations subcommittee chairs
• a Feb. 9 "Dear Colleague" letter from Appropriations chair Rep. David Obey (D-WI) indicating that his committee will allow only half the total dollar value of earmarks approved in FY 2006

Things might get worse -- or better, depending on your perspective -- before they settle down long enough to become less confusing. A Democratic leadership aide said yesterday that the House could even consider broader earmark reforms when it takes up the ethics pacakge conference report, probably later this month.