U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, vowed Tuesday not to ask for any more special project funding, also known as earmarks, until the funding-allocation process is reformed.

"I think I reached a point where it's time to say that the corruptness of government has to change," Issa said in a phone interview.

Earmark spending is an often-criticized practice in which lawmakers seek funding for special projects in their district with little public scrutiny of the requests. Issa said the process had become dishonest and is in dire need of an overhaul.

Little has changed in Congress despite calls for earmark reform driven by the bribery scandal involving former North County Rep. Randy Cunningham, Issa said.

"After eight years in office, it's become clear to me that projects are not judged on the merits, but on the seniority and power of the requesting member or lobbyist," he said.

Last year, Issa requested millions for projects in his district under a spending bill finally approved Tuesday by the U.S. Senate. Issa's requests totaled $7.6 million, $2.1 million of which was for individual requests, the remainder in concert with other members of Congress, according to an analysis by the Washington watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Issa defended those earmarks, saying the requests had been published on his Web site and that each one of the requests had come from local governments and other bodies that had approved them in public.

Issa also said his requests were made in April 2008, before the huge increases in federal spending under the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program aimed at helping financial institutions and the nearly $800 billion economic stimulus package. Issa voted against both measures.

Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said he was pleased to hear Issa's announcement.

"The thing is that the first step towards recovery is admitting that you have a problem," Ellis said.

While the number of lawmakers calling for reform is increasing, Ellis said there still is much to be done. He said more transparency and scrutiny are needed to make sure the projects are funded based on merit rather than on the rank of the lawmaker making the request.

The Senate approved Tuesday a $410 billion spending bill, which wraps together nine spending bills to pay for the annual operating budgets of every department except for the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs. Obama is expected to sign the measure Wednesday.

The measure includes nearly 8,000 earmarks totaling an estimated $7.7 billion, according to the Taxpayers for Common Sense analysis.

Earmarks are popular with many lawmakers who say they fund important projects in their districts.

No other local congressional representative has announced they will not participate in the earmark process.

Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, R-El Cajon, said in a written statement that he will continue to request earmarks. He made the argument others have made, that representatives know the needs of their districts best.

"The question is: should members of Congress who are accountable to voters make these decisions, or should they be made by unelected bureaucrats within the federal agencies?" he asked. "Members of Congress know their districts better than any bureaucrat."

Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, said through a spokesman that the congressman has not made a decision about whether he would submit any earmarks for the coming fiscal year.

Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, said through her spokeswoman, Jennifer May, that the congresswoman favors greater transparency and accountability, but added that earmarks provide important funding assistance for projects in her district.

"From flood control at Murrieta Creek to essential water infrastructure improvements that will help increase water resources in the region, the congresswoman's requests reflect the many important needs of our community," May said.

To see the full analysis of earmarks in the 2009 Omnibus Spending bill, visit www.taxpayer.net.

Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.