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G.F. Tribune: Rehberg’s earmark ban: stunt or reform?

WASHINGTON — Eyebrows rose last spring in Montana and Washington when Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg announced that, along with other House Republi­cans, he would swear off ear­marks for fiscal year 2011.

Rehberg, an Appropriations Committee member, ranked fifth among the House’s 435 members in dollars spent on earmarks in 2010, and first in number of “pork” proj­ects, at 89, according to the nonparti­san budget watchdog Citizens Against Government Waste.

Rehberg Betrays Community Hospital

In a Billings Gazette story published Wednesday, Gary Bostrom, the CFO/CEO at Roundup Memorial, called his hospital “cash poor.” It’s one of the reasons why Roundup voters passed a 20-mill levy to keep the facility open.

In the story, Bostrom also credited Denny Rehberg for including $330,000 in the Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Spending Bill. The money, Bostrom said, would help create a centralized registration and waiting room that unites the hospital and the clinic, while providing for some renovations.

Rehberg Swears Off Earmarks... But Not Really

In the spring of 2006, Denny Rehberg said earmarks were “misunderstood.” That winter, he called them “prioritized spending.” By March 2010, they’d become a “symbol of abuse and waste in Washington,” and Rehberg swore them off completely.

Is Rehberg Really Against Government Spending?

Denny Rehberg voted against jobs for teachers, unemployment benefits for Montana workers, and health care for 9/11 rescuers, saying they would all cost the government money it doesn’t have.

He did, however, pass more than $100 million in earmarks -- more than any other U.S. Representative.

Big Book of Pork Identifies Rehberg

TImagehe nonpartisan group Citizens Against Government Waste found that Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont, secured more earmarks in Fiscal Year 2010 than any other member of Congress. 

Earlier this year, Rehberg allegedly swore off earmarks, yet, when it was all said and done, he secured more earmarks than any other representative.

Follow this link to see the complete list of Rehberg's earmarks. 

 

State's Largest Union Backs McDonald for Congress

The state’s largest union threw its support behind Democratic Congressional candidate Dennis McDonald this week, calling him an advocate of public schools who will best represent Montana’s teachers on core issues.

Eric Feaver, president of the MEA-MFT, which represents 18,000 public service employees, praised McDonald for his support on the issues facing Montana teachers.

“Our members were impressed with McDonald’s grasp of the issues that affect public education, working families, health care and children,” Feaver said. “He stands in dramatic contrast to incumbent Congressman Denny Rehberg, who has rarely, if ever, been with MEA-MFT on our core issues.”

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