Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) may seek a waiver to keep serving as head of the Appropriations Committee in the next Congress, as Republican term-limit rules would require her to step down.
The issue is still two years off, but Granger is reportedly leaning toward seeking another term at the top of the powerful spending panel. House Republicans rarely allow members to remain as the heads of committees for more than three consecutive terms but sometimes grant permission in special cases.
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Though Granger has been the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee since 2018, she only just secured the gavel at the beginning of the new Congress when the GOP took the majority. She has served in Congress since 1997, and her office confirmed to Roll Call that she is seeking another term representing Texas’s 12th Congressional District but did not comment on her plans for the committee.
“The chairwoman’s attention and focus are on the work of the committee this Congress,” a spokesman told the outlet. The Washington Examiner reached out to Granger’s office but did not receive a response.
The Appropriations Committee will be at the center of major fiscal policy fights this year as the GOP tries to reduce government spending to 2022 levels. Granger will play a leading role in this effort and be responsible for preparing 12 individual appropriation bills instead of one omnibus package.
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Granger will almost certainly be successful in her 2024 reelection bid, having won by nearly 30 points in November. If she doesn’t get a waiver, there could be competition for the top spot. Her deputy on the committee, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), already chairs the Rules Committee. Whose hands the gavel ends up in is decided by the Steering Committee and also depends on the GOP keeping control of the House in the 119th Congress.
