Rep. Tom Cole
U.S. Reps. Kay Granger (R-TX) and Ken Calvert (R-CA) commended action by the House Republican Steering Committee to select U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) as the next chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. The House Republican Conference on April 10 ratified Rep. Cole’s new role.
“I would like to thank the Steering Committee, as well as my fellow Appropriations Committee members, for their support,” Rep. Cole said on April 9. “It means a great deal to have the confidence of these well-respected members and I am deeply humbled to be entrusted with this duty.”
Rep. Cole succeeds Rep. Granger, who said earlier this year she is not seeking re-election and in March announced she would step down early from her leadership position of the Appropriations Committee. Following the completion of the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills, she requested that the GOP Steering Committee and Conference select a new Appropriations Committee chair to serve out the remainder of the 118th Congress.
“I am honored to be chosen by the Republican Steering Committee to succeed Congresswoman Kay Granger as chair of the House Appropriations Committee,” said Rep. Cole.
Rep. Granger, who plans to remain on the committee as Chair Emeritus, is the first female Republican to head the committee, which she has led since 2019.
“As I transition to the role of Chair Emeritus, I look forward to continuing to work with Tom, and I am excited to see what he accomplishes as chair of our great committee,” Rep. Granger said in a separate statement.
Rep. Cole has served in various leadership positions on the committee, including as chair of two of the largest subcommittees.
Most importantly, Rep. Granger added, “he is a true statesman — reasonable yet unwavering in his principles. There is no one better to lead the committee than Tom.”
Rep. Cole expressed gratitude to Rep. Granger, as well.
“Challenges must always be met with leadership, and I have had the opportunity to learn from the best,” he said. “I want to thank Chairwoman Granger for all her splendid work throughout her long and distinguished career. This committee is exceptionally rich in representatives who have held this position before.”
The congressman said he looks forward to hitting the ground running and remains committed to engaging with the entire Conference to deliver the necessary appropriations bills in a timely manner.
“There is substantial work to be done, and I care deeply about our mission,” said Rep. Cole. “I will be utilizing my expertise and years of service on this committee to responsibly guide us forward and fight for conservative, Republican priorities. Everything I do will be in pursuit of fulfilling our fiscal commitments no matter the obstacles we face.”
Rep. Calvert, a senior member of the committee and chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, also congratulated Rep. Cole on being named the new committee chairman.
“I have no doubt that Tom possesses the experience, relationships, and skills required to succeed as chairman of this important committee,” said Rep. Calvert. “I look forward to working closely with Tom to advance our shared goals of being responsible stewards of tax dollars, strengthening America’s national security, and investing in programs that support our communities and economic opportunities.”