The Hill News

It is often said in Washington that there are really three political parties: the Democrats, the Republicans and the Appropriators.

This saying reflects the reality that those who typically are attracted to the Appropriations or Transportation and Infrastructure committees have a history of being all about bringing home the bacon, and they can be a powerful force against meaningful budget cuts.

Nowhere was this truism more apparent than in the vote on the Blackburn/Jordan amendment in last week’s continuing-resolution fight in the House. For those who missed it, Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) attempted to pare an additional $20 billion from the CR using an across-the-board formula totaling an additional 5.5 percent in real spending cuts.

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