The House GOP Steering Committee Tuesday night elected Rep. Tom Cole to succeed outgoing Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger, with his selection to be ratified Wednesday.
The Oklahoma Republican, who will be shifting from his current role as House Rules Committee chair, ran unopposed for the powerful committee seat, which opened when Granger, R-Texas, announced last month she would be stepping down after the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills were passed, reports The Washington Examiner.
Cole, in a statement celebrating the appointment, thanked Granger for her leadership and said he was looking forward to "hitting the ground running."
"There is substantial work to be done, and I care deeply about our mission," Cole said. "I will be utilizing my expertise and years of service on this Committee to responsibly guide us forward and fight for conservative, Republican priorities."
He added that he is "committed to engaging with the entire Conference to deliver the necessary appropriations bills in a timely manner. Everything I do will be in pursuit of fulfilling our fiscal commitments no matter the obstacles we face."
Granger said in a statement that there is "no one better to lead the committee than Tom."
"He has served in various leadership positions on the Committee, including as Chair of two of the largest subcommittees," Granger, who is not seeking reelection to the House this year, commented. "He has proven himself to be a fierce advocate for life and a strong national defense. And most importantly, he is a true statesman – reasonable yet unwavering in his principles."
Cole, as the incoming chair, will be working to pass appropriations bills for 2025, coming after the House Republicans' tough fight to complete the 12 appropriations bills for 2024.
Cole's appointment comes after Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., had wanted to delay the selection of a new chair.
In recent weeks, Aderholt had been rumored to be wanting to challenge Cole for Granger's seat, including through releasing a letter to his colleagues and an opinion piece that called for reforming the appropriations process. He announced Tuesday, however, that he was not running against Cole.
"The Congressman is not seeking the chairmanship," Carson Clark, a spokesman for Aderholt, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
"He did see the vacancy as an opportunity to voice his concerns and also his ideas of how the appropriations process can be reformed," Clark continued. "It needs to work better for members and ultimately the taxpayers in our country."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, while announcing Cole's selection, said Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, will be tapped to replace Cole to head the Rules Committee.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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