No Appropriations Committee seat for Reichert

WASHINGTON — Republican leaders passed over Rep. Dave Reichert for a seat on the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday, disappointing some of his backers and signaling that the GOP is in a conundrum over earmarks.

Reichert, R-Auburn, was considered one of the top contenders among seven members running for the vacant slot.

He is in a tough re-election campaign in the 8th Congressional District against Democrat Darcy Burner. Congressional leaders often bestow seats on powerful committees to give members higher visibility back home, and Reichert seemed a likely choice

However, the winner was Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Ala., who sits in a safe GOP district.

"I fully support the decision of our leaders and the Steering Committee and understand their rationale in replacing a member from the Gulf Region with another," Reichert said in a statement.

The open seat was previously held by Rep. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who was appointed to fill a vacant Senate seat in December.

"I will continue to look for ways to help the 8th District and the entire Puget Sound region, and as people who know me can attest, I am very persistent," Reichert said.

The fight over the empty seat heated up in January when an anti-earmark activist, Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., announced his candidacy. Flake is aligned with fellow Arizonan Sen. John McCain, the GOP's presumptive nominee for president, in the war against earmarks.

Earmarks are funding requests for special projects that lawmakers insert into the federal budget.

Flake's top opponent was Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., who supports the use of earmarks, and who also is chairman of the Republican National Congressional Committee.

Reichert has said he despises "wasteful" earmarks, but that he is proud of the money he has delivered to his district. His Web site reports more than $20 million in such projects.

McCain has vowed that he will stop all earmarks if elected president.

The turmoil over earmarks stalled the GOP's decision on the vacant appropriations seat for more than a month. This week, several Republicans wrote House leaders in favor of Reichert.

Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill, said in a letter, "Reichert represents a suburban district with a demographic very similar to our own. As you are well aware, suburban districts are the swing districts that will decide who controls Congress."

A recent Democratic poll shows that suburbs, including the 8th District, are shaky areas for GOP candidates.

But in a statement Thursday, House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio applauded Bonner's willingness to support "a total moratorium on all earmarks, despite his having regularly requested earmarks for his district in the past."

The statement concluded: "Jo's appointment sends a message: The rules are changing, and the old model is broken."

Bonner's elevation may not be welcome news to economic-development officials in Washington state.

On Feb. 11, Bonner publicly endorsed Airbus over Boeing for the contract to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of air refueling tankers.

Airbus and its U.S. partner Northrop Grumman have said they will build tanker frames at a site near Mobile, Ala., if they win the nearly $40 billion contract, which is set to be awarded at the end of February.

Alicia Mundy: 202-662-7457

or amundy@seattletimes.com