McHugh rating
Earmarks have become a touchy subject for members of Congress since gaining public notoriety with congressionally designated funds for Alaska's infamous "bridge to nowhere." President Bush has used the veto threat to pressure senators and representatives to limit earmarks to fund pet projects back home.
Opponents call it just more pork-barrel spending; members of Congress defend earmarks as bringing home the bacon. Yet even many of the defenders are growing uneasy over the use of earmarks.
Given the controversy, then, it is rather surprising that an online organization resorts to earmarks as one measure of influence in Congress, and as a result puts Rep. John M. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, near the bottom of congressional influence.
As the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Mr. McHugh was rated highly on committee assignments by the Web site Congress.org.
Overall, though, the online site group ranked Mr. McHugh at 347 out of 435 members of the House, partly due to his minority-party status in a chamber dominated by Democrats.
He also scored low on legislation sponsored or amended, which seems to consider quantity above the nature of legislation or what happens to it.
John McHugh has avoided earmarks, preferring to use the formal budget process in Congress. His preferred procedure is transparent under the full scrutiny of anyone who cares to watch. All bridges in the north country lead somewhere.
The Internet site apparently missed Mr. McHugh's years of work on postal reform legislation, his role in improving pay and benefits for service members, and the federal funding he has obtained through the years to help municipalities and various organizations.
Of major importance and overlooked by the rating system is the role he has played as a member of the Armed Services Committee influencing military affairs and his close work with regional and state officials in support of Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division.
These efforts may get overlooked in the national rating, but not by Mr. McHugh's constituents.
