They were armed with charts and maps, facts and figures, and accompanied by local community leaders. Using a respectful tone, they asked their colleagues in the subcommittee for money to rebuild a bridge, renovate a subway or build a new road. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, asked that money be provided to rebuild a highway interchange first constructed almost 40 years ago. Rep. Bob Clement, D-Tenn., wanted money for commuter rail. But other lawmakers say their personal pleas get the job done.
Personal relationships are very important.
Rep. Harold Rogers, a wily, veteran Kentucky Republican who chairs the subcommittee, had no problem with the specter of congressmen lining up to plead for dollars. It tells you this is an important project. Others object, fiercely. Congress is supposed to represent the nation's interests with an eye toward their own local constituencies, not the other way around. The committee members hear the pleas in a tiny hearing room.