Key GOP Appropriator Values Democratic Relationships, Earmarks

Congressman Chuck Fleischmann sees earmarks and his strong relationship with top Democrats in the Energy Department as key to shielding the agency from the deep cuts other areas of the government will face this year.

The Tennessee Republican, in his first year leading the Energy and Water Development appropriations subcommittee, managed to advance a bill with a modest increase in spending while his conservative colleagues proposed to slash spending, a move he said gave him footing in later talks with the Senate.

“We were two to three percent up in the House bill compared to the previous fiscal year which ...