Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) is likely to be the new chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee after being approved by the GOP Steering Committee on April 9.
Mr. Cole will succeed Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) who announced last month she was stepping down as chair following the House’s passing of a $1.2 trillion bill to fund most of the government.
As the new head of the committee, Mr. Cole will step down as chairman of the House Rules Committee, which advances measures to the floor of the lower congressional chamber if members want to pass them by a simple majority. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), who is not running for re-election this year, will take control of the gavel for that committee.
Each party has a steering committee to determine committee assignments for members of their party.
Mr. Cole thanked the GOP Steering Committee and outlined his goals when it comes to funding the government. “There is substantial work to be done, and I care deeply about our mission. 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 said in a statement.
“I look forward to hitting the ground running tomorrow and am committed to engaging with the entire Conference to deliver the necessary appropriations bills in a timely manner,” he continued. “Everything I do will be in pursuit of fulfilling our fiscal commitments no matter the obstacles we face.”
Ms. Granger, who will be chairwoman emeritus, expressed support for her successor, who was already on the committee.
“He has served in various leadership positions on the committee, including as chair of two of the largest subcommittees,” she said in a statement, referring to the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development and Labor-Health and Human Services-Education subcommittees.
“He has proven himself to be a fierce advocate for life and a strong national defense,” continued Ms. Granger. “And most importantly, he is a true statesman, reasonable yet unwavering in his principles. There is no one better to lead the committee than Tom.”
The GOP Steering Committee approved Mr. Cole, who has been in Congress since 2003, for the position despite a top GOP appropriator calling for a delay in naming Ms. Granger’s successor.
In a letter to colleagues, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), who is the chairman of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee, lamented the budget process, criticizing the most recent government funding packages that Congress passed last month, as opposed to passing the 12 appropriations bills individually.
“The real problem is that the underlying process to produce the bills is fundamentally flawed,” he wrote. “This Congress has proven reforms to our appropriations process are needed and cannot be delayed any longer. Our well-intentioned goals of passing appropriations bills through regular order and on schedule, while also preventing divisive provisions from finding their way into the bills, have thus far failed.”
Before the long-term bills to fund the government for the 2024 fiscal year were passed, the government was funded at 2023 fiscal year levels through what are called continuing resolutions, thereby avoiding government shutdowns.
“A change in the Appropriations Committee leadership, however, presents a perfect opportunity to change the process,” Mr. Aderholt, who has been in Congress since 1997, wrote.
“The bottom line? We cannot continue to go down the same path and expect a different outcome,” he continued. “The Appropriations process must change. It starts with transparency and trust.”
“Instead of hastily selecting a new Appropriations chair, I believe that now is the time to focus on correcting the process and developing our theory of government on how we will manage our responsibilities,” Mr. Aderholt added. “Our conference must work together to define a clear direction forward before choosing a chairman to lead us there.”
In a March statement announcing his candidacy, Mr. Cole seemed to address some of Mr. Aderholt’s concerns.
“You should not make appropriations deals without including appropriators. I have seen this happen and unfortunately, every time, it has led to a disaster,” he wrote.
Mr. Cole also stressed the need for fiscal responsibility.
“You cannot solve the U.S. deficit problem exclusively in the Appropriations Committee, as discretionary spending only amounts to roughly 28 percent of U.S. expenditures. If we are going to produce a balanced budget, which I strongly believe we should be striving to do, we should be having serious discussions on how to fund and reform our entitlement programs, which makes up approximately 60 percent of all spending,” he added.
“I am a budget hawk. I believe in stretching our budget’s dollars as far as we can, but I also recognize there are critical needs and challenges that must be funded if our great nation is going to be protected, preserved, and improved,” Mr. Cole continued. “However, as chairman, I will ensure that, in doing this, we are not wasting and abusing.”
