Senators Switch Spending Seats

With the retirement of Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), who chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee, several reassignments have been made to the Subcommittee rosters.

Six of the twelve Senate Appropriations Subcommittees now have new Chairs as a result of Cochran’s retirement:  Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), the new full Committee Chair, will also take over as Defense Subcommittee Chair; Financial Services will be led by Sen. Jim Lankford (OK); Sen. Steve Daines (MT) will fill Lankford’s slot on the Legislative Branch; Sen. Jerry Moran (KS) takes on Commerce, Justice, Science; Moran’s former seat on the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies will be taken by Sen. John Boozman (AR); and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (WV) steps into Boozman’s former job as Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) remains as Chair of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee that oversees EPA funding.  Subcommittee Chairs also remain the same for Agriculture, Energy & Water, Labor, State, and Transportation.

It has also been announced that two Republican Senators will take seats on the Interior and Environment panel; Marco Rubio (FL) and Cindy Hyde-Smith, the newly appointed Senator from Mississippi.  Hyde-Smith fills Cochran’s seat on both the Committee and Subcommittee until the November election.  Interestingly, her Mississippi colleague, full Committee Chair, Richard Shelby (R), also is on the November ballot.