Pork cuts cost Istook panel chair

[coda]

The Hill

Pork cuts cost Istook panel chair
By Jonathan Kaplan

Feb 02, 2005

House Republican leaders stripped Rep. Ernest Istook of his cardinal status as punishment for attempting last year to dump transportation projects in 21 GOP congressional districts, according to well-placed Republican aides and lobbyists.


The decision to remove Istook (R-Okla.) as an Appropriations subcommittee chairman is another signal that House GOP leaders will penalize lawmakers who cross them. The decision on Istook comes after former House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) was removed from that post for being too outspoken on veterans funding issues. Meanwhile, House ethics committee Chairman Joel Hefley (R-Colo.) is not expected to head his panel in the 109th Congress after admonishing House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) on three separate ethics matters in 2004.


Istook infuriated some Republican legislators last year when he stripped their pet transportation projects from an appropriations bill after they backed increased funding for Amtrak. Istook had argued strongly against boosting Amtrak funding.


<snip>


Several House Republican aides, speaking on background because they are not allowed to talk to the media, said that Istook has irritated House leaders on several occasions. An added benefit of restructuring the Appropriations Committee is that it allows them to get rid of Istook, they said.


<snip>


Last year, Istook created headaches for House Republican leaders when Richard Effert, a 19-year veteran aide on his panel, inserted a provision in the massive spending bill that would have allowed committee staff to enter Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices to inspect tax returns.

Istook also irritated House leaders in 2003 when he withheld his vote on a bill adding a prescription-drug benefit to Medicare, a long-sought goal of Republican leaders and President Bush. Istook first voted no and then switched to yes.


more.....


http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/020205/pork.html

[bluestateguy]

1. Istook is known in the beltway as one of the dumbest members of Congress

Hence he represents his constituents in Oklahoma well: Bush won every single county in the state.