House GOP leaders stuck to the status quo and gave the open seat on the Appropriations Committee to Alabama's Jo Bonner instead of Jeff Flake. Anyone unfamillar with Rep. Flake's dislike for earmarks can read up on him here. As the WSJ points out, Rep. Bonner had less seniority that Rep. Flake ( 3 terms compared to 4) and seems comfortable with the growth in earmarks over the past few years.

In a study of 50 votes to strike earmarks from bills, Rep. Bonner voted against all but one. In contrast, Rep. Flake voted to get rid all 50 of them.
Among the earmarks Mr. Bonner voted to keep were the Charles Rangel Center for Public Service ($200,000) at City College of New York, a fake prison in Kansas ($100,000), and $150,000 for the American Ballet Theater in New York City.
Its hard to win a battle over earmarks when you keep shooting yourself in the foot.