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facility in Dubois, Idaho. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), the Interior-EPA chair, sought $6.4 million in earmarks, among them nearly $1 million for a climate coordination center at the University of Maine. Her counterpart, Joyce, requested more than three times as much in earmarks, seeking a total of $20.7 million with several tied to his district’s Lake Erie. Natural Resources Chair Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) sought $6.4 million in earmarks, including $148,000 to remove 158 acres of invasive grasses that are a wildfire hazard in his district. His GOP counterpart, Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, has not requested any earmarks. All Democratic leaders sought earmarks, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina was tops among them, seeking $47 million in earmarks. Pelosi was more in line with her party average, seeking around $14 million. Aside from Scalise, who requested $27.8 million in earmarks, other GOP leaders declined to request them. However, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who is expected to replace Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as conference chair this month, sought $46.1 million, a move that could frustrate the party’s right flank,
which has already questioned her conservative credentials. Policy priorities In many cases, lawmakers’ policy expertise and local interests dovetailed with their spending requests. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), chair of the E&C Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change is seeking $3.7 million for a floating solar energy demonstration project on a water reserve in Cohoes, N.Y. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Waters, Oceans and Wildlife, sought $500,000 for protecting distressed or stranded mammals along his district’s coastline. Simpson said appropriators will try to focus on merit in awarding the funds, but he knows politics will ultimately factor in. “If you look at it and say, ‘OK, we’ve only got enough money to do one of these two requests. This is a vulnerable member that has a tough reelection. This one here is in a safe district.’ Guess where you’re probably going to go?” Simpson said. “Let’s be honest. That will happen on both sides.” Indeed, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has named 32 lawmakers to its Frontline program, an effort aimed at protecting vulnerable members. All Frontliners but Porter have requested earmarks. G. William Hoagland, senior vice president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, acknowledged there are always some politics in earmarkCHALLENGE continued on page 15
RANCH RECIPE’S TACO CHEESECAKE Ingredients 1 cup crushed tortilla chips 1 Tbsp butter, melted 1 lb ground beef 1 pkg taco seasoning mix (reserve 1 tsp) 2 Tbsp water 2 pkg cream cheese 2 eggs 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 8 oz sour cream 2 Tbsp flour If desired for garnish: Lettuce Tomatoes Salsa Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix crushed tortilla chips with melted butter. Press into a 9-inch springform pan to make a crust. Bake 10 minutes and cool. 14 June 2021
Cook ground beef. Drain grease. Reserve 1 tsp taco seasoning for later use. Add taco seasoning to meat with 2 Tbsp water. Cook 5 minutes. Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add eggs, 1 tsp reserved taco seasoning, cheddar cheese, and beat until blended. Spread mixture over the crust and 1-inch up sides of pan. Spoon in beef mixture. Combine sour cream and flour. Spread over cake. Bake for 35 minutes. From Pam Turnbull Pam Turnbull was our Arizona State Cowbelles President 2017-18, and she has lived near Dragoon, AZ since retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 2006. Pam grew up in southern New Mexico, majored in Agricultural Business Management and Water Resource Management at New Mexico State University, then Logistics Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology. She has been a lifetime agriculture advocate and devotes much time and treasure to several Arizona and National cattle industry organizations. Arizona Cattlelog
