Rep. Granger Stepping Down Early from Appropriations Chair

Earlier this year, Representative Kay Granger (R-TX) announced that she would not be seeking reelection in November for the House of Representatives. Representative Granger was elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 and was elected to her leadership role on the Appropriations Committee in 2018 (see previous COSSA coverage). On March 22, Representative Granger announced her intent to step down as Chair of the House Appropriations committee early and requested the GOP, the current majority in the House, elect a new Chair to finish out the 118th Congress. With the budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024 completed (see COSSA’s analysis of the final bills), Representative Granger has expressed that, with her retirement approaching, a different member should take the mantel to see the FY 2025 budget process through from start to finish.

Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), currently the Chair of the Transportation-HUD subcommittee, is the only current member of the House that has announced intention to run for the position. However, Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL) is another potential candidate, having seniority over Representative Cole and currently serving as the Chair of the Labor-HHS subcommittee. If a Chair of one of the subcommittees is elected to the position, there may be a shake up in the subcommittee leadership roles in the months leading up to the November elections unless a waiver is granted to allow the Chair to keep their subcommittee assignments.

Stay tuned for COSSA’s continued coverage on this story.