Cross Post: Oregon Open Government: Privately Financed Travel for Oregon Delegation -Gordon and Earl In the Lead.

Cross Post from my Oregon Open Government Blog on this subject is HERE.

HUD Oregon Earmarks:$2.5M; Only 3 of 9 Earmarks are in both House and Senate Bills; Hooley’s first earmark appears.

Go to the Oregon Earmarks Blog here, to see this article which includes a link to a PDF file with a table showing all HUD Oregon earmarks in both the Senate and House Bills.

(To stay up date on Oregon earmarks, enter your email in the box at the top right of the Oregon Earmarks Blog to subscribe and receive free updates. (Or, if you prefer to get updates via a RSS reader , use the reader subscription option box immediately below the email subscription box).

Housing Choice Voucher Reform Bill Passes House; Representative Hooley Doesn't Vote.

The Housing Choice Voucher Reform Bill, H.R. 1851, easily passed the House on July 12^th by a vote of 333-83, with 15 Representatives not voting. (Note that this is a program authorization change, aappropriations would be required to pay for the net cost increases that the new program authorization would cause).

Because the bill is generally viewed as liberalizing the voucher program (CRS summary of the bill is here) the absence of a vote from Representative Hooley is somewhat surprising, as she was the only Oregon Representative to not vote. (Hooley is a former Clackamas County commissioner and housing authority board member).

My (early) speculation about why Hooley may not have voted: 1. There were more than enough votes to pass the bill easily. 2. The Congressional Budget estimated a net cost increase (here) of $2.4 Billion for the bill for the 5 years from 2008-2012). 3. Hooley faced a well funded opponent last election and did not want to provide easy ammunition for another opponent this time around (Hooley to date is the only Oregon Representative without a single appropriations earmark).

(For the record, I live in Hooley's district).