Albany Herald: Bishop Now a Ranking Member of Milcon Committee

By The Albany Herald Staff
Thursday, January 20, 2011

Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., D-Albany has been selected for the position of Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, & Related Agencies.

Washington, DC – Congressman Norm Dicks, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced late Wednesday that Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., D-Albany has been selected for the position of Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, & Related Agencies.

“I am looking forward to meeting the challenge of serving as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee which funds our nation’s military construction and the programs that provide benefits for our nation’s veterans,” Bishop said. “This is a great honor for me and it provides great benefits for the State of Georgia and the Second District. The State of Georgia has a total of nine major military facilities and bases around the state, representing tens of thousands of jobs and several billions dollars of the state’s economy. With the recent expansion at Ft. Benning and the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, these areas will soon witness great economic expansion.”

The budget of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, & Related Agencies for Fiscal Year 2011 is $78 billion.

Bishop will remain on the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food & Drug Administration, & Related Agencies.

“Remaining on the Agriculture Subcommittee allows me to continue to do my dead-level best for the Georgia Agriculture community,” said Congressman Bishop. “Agriculture is a vital part of the economy of Southwest Georgia, so my continued membership on the Subcommittee is crucial to the success of our region.”

Ranking Member selections are still subject to approval by the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and the Democratic Caucus.