GOP insiders win earmarks for defense projects

Among prospective successors to term-limited House Appropriations Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., has the ability to do lots of favors -- the fiscal 2005 Defense appropriations bill contains $417 billion. This year's measure contains billions for weapons systems, projects, installations and universities backed by House GOP lawmakers with votes on the Steering Committee, which will decide the next chairman.

Of interest to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., who controls five Steering Committee votes, is about $3 billion for 42 F/A-18 fighters and $2.7 billion for 15 C-17 aircraft -- which is $158 million and one more C-17 than the administration requested. Illinois-headquartered Boeing Co. manufactures both planes. The measure also contains $100 million for the eventual acquisition of Boeing KC-767 tankers and $21 million for the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, timely funding as military bases face another round of closings.

Also receiving hefty sums are projects in Texas, home to Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who controls two Steering Committee votes, as well as Energy and Commerce Chairman Barton and GOP Rep. John Carter, the likely sophomore class representative in the 109th Congress, with one vote apiece. The measure contains $2 billion for helicopters manufactured by Texas-based Bell Textron and $9 billion for F/A-22 jets and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter manufactured by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, also based in Texas, and millions more for Texas universities and firms conducting advanced military research.

For his part, Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., announced $26 million in Missouri projects included in the bill. Other Steering panel members include National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Thomas Reynolds of New York, who secured $45 million for area defense projects, and California Republicans Bill Thomas, who jointly announced $85 million in funds with neighboring Rep. Howard (Buck) McKeon. Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier, also of California, noted $11 million in district earmarks.

Lewis also spread the wealth to more conservative House members who have not always been helpful to appropriators but hold sway within the GOP Conference. Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., heads the 90-member Republican Study Committee and has been outspoken about reducing federal spending, yet she was able to secure $8 million for Defense Technologies Inc., based in her district.

Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, who earlier this year proposed a moratorium on earmarks in spending bills, was granted $8 million in Defense bill earmarks, including $2 million for the "Dragonfire" robotic gun, the first of its kind, under development by the Marine Corps at Iowa's Rock Island Arsenal.

A Nussle spokeswoman noted that once the earmark moratorium proposal fell flat, he had to "continue to do his part to advocate for his constituents in Iowa." She noted his desire to trim wasteful Pentagon spending and divert funds towards troop protection needs, including vehicle armor kits, of which Rock Island is the largest producer.