CQ Roll Call
Major shakeup expected on Senate Appropriations subcommittees
By Aidan Quigley and Paul M. Krawzak, CQ
Senate Appropriations Committee leaders are close to finalizing their slate of subcommittee chairs and ranking members, with some big changes expected on both sides of the dais.
The Democratic side is largely locked in, according to lawmakers briefed on the discussions, though Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., is waiting to make an official announcement jointly with the panel's top Republican, Susan Collins of Maine. The Senate adopted organizing resolutions for the 118th Congress on Thursday, formally installing Murray and Collins in their roles.
Republicans thought they'd get their subcommittee lineup finalized this week shortly after they filled out the full committee's roster, but Collins said Thursday that's been delayed until next week.
"We've asked everybody to list their choices in order, and we're still going through them," Collins said. "I was hoping it'd be by today."
The Democratic chairs of the dozen subcommittees got shaken up a bit since Senate Democratic rules precluded Murray from retaining her spot as top Democrat on the Labor-HHS-Education subcommittee.
As a result, Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., is expected to move over from the top slot on the Agriculture panel to chair Labor-HHS-Education — the largest of the nondefense spending bills at roughly $242 billion in the fiscal 2023 omnibus package (PL 117-328).
Baldwin wouldn't comment before an official announcement is made, though she didn't dispute getting the Labor-HHS-Education gavel. "I am not going to be the one to go public before they do," Baldwin said Thursday.
And the departure of GOP retirees Richard C. Shelby of Alabama and Roy Blunt of Missouri precipitated substantial shuffling on the Republican side.
Shelby had been the ranking member on both the full committee and the Defense subcommittee, while Blunt was the top Republican on Labor-HHS-Education. With Collins taking over the full committee ranking slot from Shelby, she will also move into his old role at Defense, by far the largest of the dozen bills at almost $762 billion in fiscal 2023.
Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is tentatively expected to replace Blunt at Labor-HHS-Education, sources said, though her staff didn't immediately comment.
The musical chairs continue with New Mexico Democrat Martin Heinrich expected to take Baldwin's place on the Agriculture subcommittee, which also has jurisdiction over the Food and Drug Administration. Heinrich on Thursday confirmed Agriculture was his likely landing spot.
Most of the other Democratic panel chairs remain the same from the 117th Congress, though Heinrich's move opens up Military Construction-VA and it wasn't immediately clear who would assume that role.
The Republican side was more unsettled. Sources familiar with the discussions said it wasn't clear yet where Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi would land.
She was the Financial Services ranking member in the last Congress, but Hyde-Smith has the option to move to a different panel based on seniority, possibly Collins' old slot Transportation-HUD. Homeland Security also would be open if Capito moves.
Tennessee's Bill Hagerty is another panel Republican in line to move up to become ranking member on a subcommittee, possibly Financial Services, Transportation-HUD or Homeland Security depending on where Capito moves. Freshman Katie Britt, who won Shelby's Alabama seat in the midterms, comes after Hagerty in seniority and therefore is likely to land a ranking member slot left open by Hyde-Smith and Hagerty.
Finally, Legislative Branch will get a new ranking member with the departure of Mike Braun, R-Ind., who stepped off the Appropriations panel this year to focus on his gubernatorial bid. Florida's Marco Rubio could get the nod based on his seniority.
That would leave Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and panel newcomer Deb Fischer, R-Neb., as the only two GOP appropriators without a subcommittee ranking member position.