Region's lawmakers get key infrastructure, agriculture assignments
Posted on January 28, 2011 14:06 pm CST
Washington -- Southwest Missouri is well positioned for highway and farm issues, as well as having a stake in overall federal spending, thanks to committee assignments the local delegation has landed.
Sen. Roy Blunt got his committee assignments Tuesday and, despite being a first-term senator, the Springfield Republican landed on several top Senate panels. He'll be one of 14 members of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which is in charge of writing legislation that allocates federal funds to all government agencies, departments and organizations each year.
That should help him steer funds to Missouri. However, since money earmarked for local projects might not be allowed this year, he probably won't be able to steer as much money to his home state as senators in years past. Longtime Sen. Kit Bond previously served on the Appropriations Committee and was known for bringing federal money home to Missouri.
Blunt said he hopes to use this assignment to get to work on the "serious business of cutting the government's out-of-control spending." He'll face a challenge in just passing a budget; the Senate has failed to do so in each of the last two years.
Blunt also won a spot on the Select Committee on Intelligence and on the Rules and Administration Committee, which oversees Senate issues like offices, attendance, rules for floor debate, member qualifications and contested elections. In the House, Blunt had served on both the House Intelligence Committee and House Rules Committee.
In addition, Blunt will serve on the Commerce, Science and the Transportation Committee, a key panel that should help him shape the next highway bill. And since Rep. Billy Long is on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Springfield will be well represented when lawmakers debate highway funding needs in the upcoming highway bill.
Meanwhile, Rep. Long just got a new title: vice chairman. The Springfield Republican announced this week that he was asked to serve as vice chairman of the Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee for Oversight, Investigations and Management, an unusual achievement for a freshman. He also will serve on two other subcommittees: the Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee, and the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies Subcommittee.
"Keeping America safe is the No. 1 priority of the government," Long said. "I look forward to protecting our shores and making sure those serving our country have the best tools at their disposal."
Meanwhile, on the Transportation Committee, Long will serve on the following subcommittees: Aviation; Highways and Transit; and Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
"Coming from a state that is known for its vast amounts of roads, rails, and runways, I am no stranger to the benefits that good infrastructure provides," Long said. "I am excited to serve on this committee and to get America back to work while improving our nation's transportation infrastructure."
Transportation Chairman John Mica, R-Fla., said Long's background as a small-business owner makes him a "valuable addition" to the committee.
Fellow freshman Rep. Vicky Hartzler, a Republican from Harrisonville, also got her subcommittee assignments. On the House Agriculture Committee, she'll serve on the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, and the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture.
"The farm commodities subcommittee will play a crucial role in writing the next farm bill, which will be up for renewal next year," Hartzler said. "This subcommittee is vital to ensuring an affordable and reliable food supply for our country through its food security measures and overseeing the food nutrition programs for schoolchildren and the needy. It will be of special interest to row-crop farmers in the Fourth District. I am glad I will have a seat at the table as we discuss these vital issues."
Hartzler said her other subcommittee will allow her to focus on the emergence of crop bioengineering, which is revolutionizing agriculture, and the huge growth of export markets, which is playing a large part in improving the bottom line for local farmers.
"This subcommittee will work to ensure that local farmers have access to the best crop technology and the most marketing opportunities possible," she said.
Hartzler also is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Agriculture Committee.
Malia Rulon, Springfield News-Leader, 1/28/2011