Military Committee Membership in the House of Representatives and the Allocation of Defense Department Outlays

IT IS A RARE and notable event when a congressman opposes the location of a federal project in his district. Such boons usually mean both increased employment and a stimulus to the local economy. Department of Defense (DOD) contracts and installations, given their frequently mammoth proportions, are among the most coveted of these federal activities. With but a few exceptions congressmen fight to protect existing district interests (e.g., notice the outcry from the local representative whenever a base closing or contract termination is threatened) and, whenever possible, they seek to promote new and expanded constituency involvements in DOD activities.