WASHINGTON – When U.S. Congressman Sanford Bishop secured a seat on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee in 2003, the now dean of the Georgia Legislative delegation was smart enough to know he needed someone with inside information to help him navigate the often tricky path of the vital committee that determines life-blood funding to the Georgia residents he represented and, in fact, the entire country.
At the urging of a colleague, Bishop reached out to Michael Joseph Reed, a veteran Washington insider who would become Bishop’s “right-hand man for appropriations” and, more importantly, a close friend.
Bishop talked Friday about his good friend after Reed’s passing on Monday from a long-time illness.
“While I may have been his boss, I was matriculating in the ‘Michael Reed School of Budgetary Policy,’” Bishop said. “Over the years, I benefited from his wisdom as we worked to secure billions of dollars for our constituents.
“And while I had served on the Appropriations Committee while in the (Georgia) state Senate, the Hill (in Washington) is a much more complicated beast. To navigate that responsibility, you need someone who understands the nuances of appropriations on a grand level. Throughout our time together — almost two decades — Michael was a dependable and determined member of my team.”