Republican House Appropriations Chair Stepping Down

Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) arrives at a House Republicans caucus meeting at the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 13, 2023. (Julia Nikhinso/AFP via Getty Images)

In an announcement that could reshape the direction of fiscal policy and spending priorities in the United States Congress, Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) has formally requested the Republican Steering Committee and Conference to select a new Chair for the House Appropriations Committee.

This decision comes after Ms. Granger’s tenure as the leading Republican on the committee since 2019, a powerful role in Congress where she has played a pivotal role in the allocation of federal spending across various sectors.

Ms. Granger’s announcement came only hours after the House passed a $1.2 trillion spending package to fund 70 percent of the government, which now heads to the Senate hours before a midnight shutdown deadline.

The spending bill passed mostly due to Democrat votes, with all but 23 joining with 101 Republicans to back the bill while 134 Republicans opposed it.

House conservatives have railed against the spending package and Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) waiving of a 72-hour review period rule—with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) going as far as filing a motion to strip Mr. Johnson of the gavel, known as a motion to vacate.

Ms. Greene’s motion to vacate comes months after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted from the position also over his support of bipartisan appropriations bills.

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Ms. Granger mentioned the passage of the spending bill earlier in the day in her formal letter to Mr. Johnson informing him of her decision.

“When my colleagues made me the first Republican woman to Chair the Appropriations Committee, my goal was to pass conservative bills out of the Committee, get them to the floor, and get them signed into law,” she wrote. “Despite Republicans having a very slim majority, today marks the completion in the House of the second spending agreement this month that prioritizes our nation’s security and represents the first overall cut to non-defense, non-veterans spending, in almost a decade.”

Granger’s Decision

Ms. Granger, a seasoned politician, said in her letter to Mr. Johnson that she would step down following the completion of the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills.

Ms. Granger’s career in Congress has been distinguished by her roles on several key committees, including the Budget, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Armed Services Committees, as well as her role leading the House Appropriations Committee.

In her letter to Mr. Johnson, Ms. Granger reminisced about her journey from serving as the mayor of Fort Worth to her election to Congress in 1995.

“Serving as Mayor was a job I loved, and I had to think long and hard about whether I wanted to leave it,” she wrote to the speaker. “I prayed and I thought through the decision very carefully. I ultimately decided I wanted to serve in Congress and contribute to the success of the greatest nation on earth.”

Ms. Granger highlighted her commitment to making the Appropriations Committee more member-driven and transparent, ensuring clear documentation of bill contents and the funding of members’ requests.

Her leadership saw the passage of conservative spending bills that prioritized national security and achieved the first cut to non-defense, non-veterans spending in nearly a decade, she noted in her letter.

The Path Forward

Acknowledging her earlier announcement not to seek reelection in the fall, Ms. Granger emphasized the importance of a seamless transition for the development of the FY 2025 appropriations bills.

She will continue to serve on the Committee as Chair Emeritus, she said, focusing on education and advisory roles, while dedicating her efforts to supporting the new Chair and the GOP Conference’s objectives through the appropriations process.

Ms. Granger’s departure tees up a contest for one of the most coveted positions in the House, with Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) speculated to be in the running, Axios reported.

According to the outlet, multiple members of the Steering Committee view Mr. Cole as the frontrunner for Ms. Granger’s replacement.

Granger’s Legacy

Representing the 12th congressional district of Texas, Ms. Granger has been a formidable figure in national defense and global security, according to her official bio, becoming the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1997.

Her tenure on the House Appropriations Committee, including roles as Chair of the Defense Subcommittee where she was also the first Republican woman to sit on the committee—and Chair of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, has been marked by advocacy for fiscal responsibility and support for military and defense priorities.

Ms. Granger’s work has extended beyond fiscal matters to include leadership on border security and the U.S.–Israel relationship, earning her numerous honors for her commitment to the military and global security.

A lifelong resident of Fort Worth, Ms. Granger’s journey from local public service as mayor to her national leadership roles reflects her deep commitment to her community and the country, her bio stated.

Ms. Granger’s decision to step down signals a pivotal moment for the Republican party and the legislative branch.

As the committee embarks on preparing next year’s appropriations bills, her successor will inherit the challenges of navigating fiscal policies in a tightly divided Congress.

Jackson Richman and Joseph Lord contributed to this report.