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Rep. LaTourette named to powerful committee
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Congressman Tim Ryan
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State Sen. John Boccieri of Alliance, D-33rd
John Boccieri, the area’s freshman congressman, was named to one committee LaTourette left.
U.S. House Republicans have appointed Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, who represents a portion of Trumbull County, to a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
Those on the committee, which oversees federal spending, are able to steer money to their congressional districts.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, of Niles, D-17th, was first selected two years ago to serve on the committee.
LaTourette, of Bainbridge Township, R-14th, represents seven northern townships in Trumbull County. Ryan represents the rest of the county.
LaTourette, a congressman since 1995, was among only two new Republicans appointed Wednesday to seats on the committee.
Ex-U.S. Reps. Ralph Regula, of Navarre, and David Hobson, of Springfield, both Republicans, served on appropriations but chose not to seek re-election.
Because of the power of the appropriations, members aren’t permitted to hold seats on other committees.
LaTourette gave up his seats on the House Financial Services Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
“I know this is where I’m needed because the challenges facing Northeast Ohio and our state are so great,” LaTourette said of appropriations. “This was a tough decision because I had so much seniority on [the two other committees], but I feel like I’m doing what’s best for our state and delegation.”
The only other Ohioan on appropriations is U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, of Toledo, D-9th.
Though LaTourette left transportation and infrastructure, new U.S. Rep. John Boccieri, of Alliance, D-16th, was selected to be among 10 new Democrats — including eight freshmen — on that committee.
The committee overseas bridges, highways, railroads, waterways and air traffic.
Boccieri, formerly of New Middletown, represented Mahoning County in the Ohio Senate for two years before he recently resigned for a seat in Congress. His district doesn’t include any portion of the Mahoning Valley. It takes in all of Stark and Wayne counties and portions of Ashland and Medina counties.
Also, freshman U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, of Erie, Pa., D-3rd, was appointed to the House Agriculture Committee. Her district includes a portion of Mercer County.
skolnick@vindy.com