Dec. 7, 2010 -- Kentucky's Harold Rogers has been chosen to lead the Appropriations Committee -- the most powerful committee in the House of Representatives -- according to an article by Bloomberg Businessweek. GOP Rep. Rogers was elected to the House of Representatives in 1981 and has served on the Appropriations Committee since 1983, according to the Congressman's website.
The Bloomberg article, written by Brian Faler and Lisa Lerer, goes on to report that two other House members were vying for the post: California's Jerry Lewis and Georgia's Jack Kingston. The appointment was made by the Republican Steering Committee, and will need to be ratified by the House Republican Caucus.
The following are the top ten contributors to Rogers' campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Defense Electronics | $45,500 |
| Air Transport | $38,700 |
| Lobbyists | $37,900 |
| Defense Aerospace | $36,000 |
| Construction Services | $31,600 |
| Railroads | $31,200 |
| Mining | $28,750 |
| Banks and Credit | $28,450 |
| Business Services | $25,550 |
| Computers/Internet | $21,500 |
Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) will replace David Obey (D-Wisc.) as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee for the 112th Congress. The following are the top ten contributors to Obey's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $84,660 |
| Lobbyists | $67,535 |
| Health Professionals | $61,405 |
| Transportation Unions | $46,000 |
| Electric Utilities | $44,925 |
| Building Trade Unions | $44,500 |
| Construction Services | $38,200 |
| Public Sector Unions | $36,750 |
| Industrial Unions | $34,500 |
| Dairy | $26,000 |
Contributions above are for the last two years of available data, Oct 14, 2008 - Oct 13, 2010. Contributions from political parties and from other candidates are not included in the "Top 10" lists. Contributions data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets.org).
