U.S. Rep.-elect Chuck Fleischmann said he expects a different way of doing business in Washington when it comes to earmarks.
The Chattanooga Republican said he does not expect pork to be doled out as easily to congressional delegates as in the past.
"Those days are gone," he said. "We will see a fundamental change in the way we do appropriations."
Fleischmann defeated Democrat John Wolfe and six independent candidates for the 3rd District seat. He will replace Republican Zach Wamp, who made an unsuccessful run for governor.
While federal money has helped fuel Tennessee projects such as the Chickamauga Dam lock and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Fleischmann said alternative funding methods could be used. For example, he said, the lock could be paid for from a trust fund, as long as it was properly funded.
He said his priorities would be the lock, the Y-12 lab and other Oak Ridge initiatives and infrastructure in the district. Other projects may need to be cut, he said, but did not give specific examples.
Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, though, said some federal earmarks help the community and he hopes "the avenue for that sort of thing would not close."
"If it had not been for the earmarks for the Walnut Street Bridge, it would not be there," he said.
Federal money also was used to establish the downtown electric shuttle and the shuttle's parking garages, he said.
"None of us really know right now how to work with the resistance to anything with an earmark," Littlefield said.
House Republicans have set a moratorium on earmarks but it ends in January, unless they decide to extend the ban among themselves.
Having gained control of the House in the Nov. 2 elections, Republicans might be able to impose an earmark moratorium on Democrats, too, although some Republican representatives already have said they don't want to do away with all earmarks.
Wamp said he believes abuse of specific earmarks is a problem, but not earmarks in general. He defended his past earmarks for the Chickamauga lock and for Oak Ridge, saying they are federal responsibilities.
WHAT'S NEXT
U.S. Rep.-elect Chuck Fleischmann said he is busy assembling staffs for his Washington, D.C., and local offices. He said has interviewed several people and will have an office together in time for his January inauguration.