House GOP ‘musical chairs’ underway on powerful spending committee

A shake-up is happening among the Republican spending cardinals on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

Republicans chose Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a prominent negotiator, as the new head of the committee, which is tasked with crafting the 12 annual government funding bills, after retiring Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) said she would step down from the post last month.

However, Cole forecast that a “musical chairs” of sorts would likely be underway in the days ahead, after his ascension left open a vacancy in his former spot as chair of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees annual funding for housing and transportation programs. 

“Obviously, there’s always a little bit of musical chairs amongst the cardinals,” he said. “I’m going to be giving one up, and we got to talk [to] my colleagues, and, on the basis of seniority, see who wants to go there.”

On Thursday, Cole announced Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) would chair his former subcommittee, after previously heading up the appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG).

Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) will chair the legislative branch subcommittee, which was previously led by Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.).

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) will also move from the subcommittee that crafts annual Homeland Security (DHS) funding and go on to chair the FSGG subcommittee, which oversees funding for the Internal Revenue Service.

Further changes are expected as cardinals told The Hill earlier Thursday that talks were still ongoing to determine who will head up the DHS appropriations subcommittee. Many say the subpanel is tasked with producing one of the most difficult annual funding bills, particularly given increased partisan divides on the U.S.-Mexico border. 

“I’m proud to have this remarkably experienced and capable group leading our subcommittees. Each chair is well-equipped to responsibly meet our fiscal obligations and prioritize the American people,” Cole said in a statement. 

“With the appropriations season already upon us, we will be vigorously working together to fulfill our commitments,” he added.