It’s been a rough month in Congress that produced the longest shutdown ever and a contentious health-care debate, but there are a few reasons to expect productivity on Capitol Hill — starting with a fire station in rural Maine.
Lawmakers have found a spark of productivity in negotiations to fund the government lately. They enacted three of the 12 annual bills as part of the deal to reopen the government after a 43-day impasse. And senators aim to take action on a massive, five-bill package of the largest appropriations measures soon.
Earmarked funds for local projects — often six- or ...