WSJ Blogs

WSJ Blogs
By Louise Radnofsky
Copyright by The Wall Street Journal
September 24, 2010
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/09/23/gop-lawmakers-sought-energy-stimulus-funds/?mod=wsj_share_reddit



Opposition to the Obama administration’s economic-stimulus package didn’t stop at least 24 congressional Republicans from lobbying the Department of Energy on behalf of companies and constituents who wanted stimulus contracts and grants from it.

Reps. Jo Bonner of Alabama, Dan Lungren of California, Doug Lamborn and Mike Coffman of Colorado, Lynn Westmoreland, Jack Kingston and Nathan Deal of Georgia, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Fred Upton, Vernon Ehlers, Thaddeus McCotter, Candice Miller and Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, Jim Jordan and Michael Turner of Ohio, Joe Wilson of South Carolina, Phil Roe and Zach Wamp of Tennessee and Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington along with Sens. Mike Crapo of Idaho, Sam Brownback of Kansas and Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker of Tennessee and Bob Bennett of Utah wrote to Energy Secretary Steven Chu and top Energy Department officials asking them to consider particular recipients for stimulus dollars in 2009.

The Wall Street Journal requested the letters through the Freedom of Information Act last fall, but only received a response from the department this week.

The Energy Department is distributing around $48 billion in stimulus money, for projects such as modernizing the electric grid, advanced energy research, renewable energy and advanced battery manufacturing.

The letters from the GOP lawmakers frequently describe the merits of particular energy projects or companies. Many of the names of the companies were redacted by the Energy Department, making it impossible to tell how many of the the projects have received funding.

The WSJ previously reported that more than a dozen Republican lawmakers had supported stimulus-funding requests submitted to the Department of Labor, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Forest Service. Among them were Reps. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Sue Myrick of North Carolina and Jean Schmidt of Ohio and Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Richard Shelby of Alabama.

Lawmakers of both parties routinely send letters in support of federal funding for projects in their constituencies. Some Republican lawmakers have deliberately avoided sending requests for stimulus dollars because of their opposition to the bill, others have previously said that they are simply performing a service for their constituents and that they have a right to a share of the spending once it has been agreed upon.

A spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio) declined to comment.

Democrats have accused Republicans of hypocrisy, highlighting instances where party leaders have described the package as a failure and called for its cancellation.