The Advocate (Baton Rouge) – 11/19/00
LOUISIANA NEEDS A NEW APPROPRIATOR
By JOAN McKINNEY
Advocate Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- The serious work is under way to return Louisiana to the congressional appropriations process. That's the process that delivers federal largesse -- "pork" some would say -- to the lucky states that have members sitting on the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations committees.

Forgive Louisiana if, not so long ago, she felt a divine right to Appropriations seats. No Louisianian then alive and politically aware could remember when Louisiana didn't have an appropriator. There'd been a long string: the late Sen. Allen J. Ellender, D-La., former Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, D-La., former Reps. Lindy Boggs, D-New Orleans, and Robert Livingston, R-Metairie.

And then, in a series of deaths and retirements, they were gone. Louisiana's federal money-chasing fell to less-well-positioned congressional members and to Louisiana lobbyists skilled in the appropriations process. They've done pretty well.

Some lobbyists warn that Louisiana is living, in part, on the old projects and the old appropriations that were placed in the pipeline a couple of years ago, when Livingston was House Appropriations chairman.

Louisiana needs to get a new appropriator soon, one who can replenish the money stream before it becomes a trickle, they warn.

There are two Louisiana candidates: Metairie Republican David Vitter in the House, and Democrat Mary Landrieu in the Senate. They may be long shot candidates, because they face tough competition from other states.

There's also a political uncertainty. Both Louisianians wanted to pass an automatic federal oil and gas royalty-sharing bill called CARA (Conservation and Reinvestment Act). House and Senate appropriators, whom Landrieu and Vitter now seek to join, hated CARA because it would have robbed them of discretion to spend billions in federal royalties.

CARA lost, primarily because those powerful House and Senate appropriators -- Democrat and Republican -- killed it. In the heat of battle, Landrieu in particular said harsh things about the appropriators killing her beloved CARA. Those appropriators don't control who serves on their committee, but they can privately make their opinions known.

Several sources say Landrieu is making her case to Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., the senior Democrat on Senate Appropriations. Byrd presumably would like to have another Southerner on the committee, but he's also pledged an allegiance to at least one other Democratic candidate.

Meanwhile, California also is making a claim that, like Louisiana, it has an historic right to representation on both Senate and House Appropriations committees, where California vacancies are looming. Landrieu's competition would be California Democrat Barbara Boxer.

Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is pledged to a Senate Appropriations candidate from his state, Democrat Tim Johnson. Because of Daschle's power, Johnson almost certainly will get one of the Democrats' Senate Appropriations seats.

U.S. Sen. John Breaux, D-La., serves on the Democratic leadership panel that will make Democratic committee assignments in the Senate. He will be an ally for Landrieu, and an important one -- but he can't out-muscle Daschle.

Landrieu's chances may turn on one of two things: if she beats the California competition, or if Senate Republicans, who control the Senate's organization, allocate more Democratic seats to the Appropriations Committee to reflect the national election outcome that sent more Democrats to the Senate.

Vitter wasn't high-profile in the bruising CARA fight. His staff doubts that CARA has poisoned Vitter's relationships with House appropriators.

There may be three Republican vacancies on the House Appropriations Committee, but there are more Republican candidates than vacancies. California alone is offering two GOP candidates for House Appropriations, and other big states also have Republican candidates.

Vitter's best hope may be a concentration of next-door Texans who will serve on the House GOP Steering Committee that will make committee assignments.

Be informed! Don't allow yourself to be snowed by CARA.