The committees decide how and where federal money will be spent. The current delegation certainly isn't the first to master the fine art of attracting federal money. Sen. Jennings Randolph, who started in the Senate with Byrd in 1958, delivered billions of dollars in public projects to the state. All this federal money comes on top of money state and local leaders spend on their citizens. West Virginia voters tend to reward representatives who can show them the money, said West Virginia University political scientist Richard Brisbin.
Voters tend to support politicians who support redistributive efforts.
They tend to support a congressional delegation that brings home the bacon. Measure the money. But perhaps West Virginians should look at the filing date as a precursor to a statewide tax refund. Ultimately, the state will get every dollar of federal tax money back. And then some.