January 14, 2009

Dear friend,

January 2009 dawns the beginning of a new Presidency and the start of the 111th Congress. For all Americans, it is a time of renewed hope in the political process. The past few years have seen a great amount of scrutiny over the appropriations process, and the act of earmarking projects. In response to the scandals of Jack Abramoff and Duke Cunningham, our Democratic leadership has taken extraordinary measures to create greater transparency of the process and to fund only the most worthy projects. I will continue supporting these reforms, in part by publicly disclosing all applications submitted to my office for review.

This year brings the additional challenge of a contracting economy and ballooning budget deficits. Last Congress we reduced earmarks and it is the goal of the New Administration and Congress to reduce them even more. There will be a fifty percent reduction in earmarks and less money will be available. Rather than flood the Appropriators and lose our sense of priority, we will be submitting fewer requests. Despite the reduction in the total number of projects, I value hearing from Oregonians on the needs of our state. Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have facilitated Oregon interests in the appropriations process and I continue to think this is an important service to provide to Oregonians.

As Congress works to stabilize the economy, I will focus on projects that promote job creation and growth for the Oregon economy. As always, we are looking for maximum impact for the community and innovative initiatives that leverage funds and serve as community models. In the area of infrastructure investments, our requests will conform with overall regional plans.  

The information you attach to the appropriations request form will help me accurately and persuasively state the case for why federal funds are a necessary component of a project. Please remember that your application will be published on my website, in its entirety, for public review. These forms must be submitted to our office by February 13th, 2009. Adhering to this deadline is required for timely submission to the Appropriations Committee. This form is also available on my website at http://blumenauer.house.gov.

Please email appropriations request forms to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   and specify if you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss your request during the President’s Day district work period. If you have any questions about the process this year, don’t hesitate to contact Sarah Masterson at 503.231.2300 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 Sincerely,

Earl Blumenauer