House Republicans passed a resolution during their conference meeting on Wednesday in support of restoring earmarks, which allows members to secure federal funding for specific projects.
The caucus voted 102-84 as Democrats gear up to revive the practice, which allows members to secure federal funding for specific projects.
Opponents of the GOP move say the vote tally would have been far different had it not been by secret ballot. Both parties banned earmarks in 2011 after years of them being associated with wasteful projects and corruption.
Advocates say new transparency rules will help address those issues and encourage the kind of deal-making essential to bipartisan agreements. Earmarks are being seen by some Democrats as a way to potentially bring Republican support for a major infrastructure effort.