Hal Rogers and the House Appropriations Committee Hang to GOP Lead

The appropriations panel was once the crown jewel of congressional committees.
In past eras, old bulls could dispense millions of federal dollars to constituents with the flick of a pen or a handshake.
And no one dared stall spending bills because members had a personal stake in each.
But what should have been a dream job for House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers has instead become an exercise in frustration.
But Rogers’ calls for a budget deal have fallen flat, even as lawmakers leave for August recess and have only a dozen working days to cobble together a spending plan when they return in September.
GOP leaders have shown little interest in his bid for early negotiations, preferring a high-stakes winter showdown with Democrats over spending and the debt ceiling.
Rogers told POLITICO during an interview, "It would be advantageous to get this out of the way before the throes of crisis in September."