March 16, 2021 7:01 AM By Zachary Sherwood and Brandon Lee President Joe Bidenâs next big economic package helped set off a heated debate among Republicans over whether to participate in the return of lawmakersâ dedicated-spending projects, known as earmarks, a tussle that could be key to its success. After muscling his $1.9 trillion pandemic-relief bill through Congress without a single Republican vote, Biden is hoping to bring GOP members aboard an infrastructure package set to be a core part of his longer-term economic plan, estimated at trillions of dollars. Speeding a complex, multi-year initiative through Capitol Hill will be largely impossible without the GOP, due to Senate rules. To make negotiations easier, Democrats rescinded a 2011 ban on so-called spending earmarks. If Republicans decide to amend party rules in coming weeks and follow suit, it could be a good sign Bidenâs bill gets done.