Politics

Rep. Young issues threat over Alaska Native funds

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) threatened retaliation against a colleague who tried to cut funding for an Alaska Native program on the House floor on Wednesday.

"Those who bite me will be bitten back," Young said, The Hill newspaper reported.

Rep. Scott Garrett (R-New Jersey) tried to cut millions from the "Strengthening Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions" program as part of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill. The amendment would only have eliminated Alaska's funds.

The House rejected Garrett's amendment but not before Young criticized the effort. "This is supposed to be a house of honor; you didn’t tell me you were going to offer this amendment,” Young said. "We are a new state. I have poverties that you don’t even think of and yet you say you want my money -- my money, for my students that need to be educated -- to go to New Jersey. This is a sad day for this House."

Young is one of the major proponents of earmarks -- often derided as "pork" -- for Alaska.

Get the Story:
The bitten says he will bite back (The Hill 7/19)
Cuts to Native program draw Rep. Young's fury (The Anchorage Daily News 7/19)
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Relevant Links:
Rep. Don Young - http://donyoung.house.gov