Merkley can take care of Oregon despite earmark ban


Sen. Jeff Merkley’s coveted spot on the Senate Appropriations Committee is good news for Oregon despite the 2011 ban on earmarks.

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Sen. Jeff Merkley’s coveted spot on the Senate Appropriations Committee is good news for Oregon despite the 2011 ban on earmarks.

The Oregon Democrat won’t be able to include “earmarks” in spending bills to benefit Oregon specifically — something that the last Oregonian to sit on the appropriations committee, the late GOP Sen. Mark Hatfield, did well for 16 years.

Analysts agree that Merkley, who’s up for reelection in 2014, still is likely to have more clout than many of his colleagues because the Senate and House appropriators decide how to spend federal tax dollars.

Read more at The Statesman Journal.

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