House Republicans this week chose Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole to succeed retiring Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) as chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
“I am honored to be chosen by the Republican Steering Committee to succeed Congresswoman Kay Granger as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee,” Rep. Cole said in a statement Wednesday. “I would like to thank the Steering Committee, as well as my fellow Appropriations Committee members, for their support. 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 has served this Congress as chair of the House Rules Committee. With his move to chair the Appropriations Committee, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) chose retiring Rep. Mike Burgess (R-TX) to chair the Rules Committee, which does not require approval from the House Republican Steering Committee.
Within the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Cole had served as chair of the Transportation-HUD appropriations subcommittee. With his elevation to chair of the full committee, Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) has been chosen to chair the T-HUD subcommittee. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) will chair Rep. Womack’s former subcommittee, the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG). Additionally, Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) will chair the Legislative Branch subcommittee, which was previously led by Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV).
Rep. Cole, first elected to public office in the Oklahoma Senate in 1988, holds degrees in history from Grinnell College, a master’s from Yale University, and a PhD from the University of Oklahoma. Cole chaired the Oklahoma Republican Party through much of the 1980’s before serving as Oklahoma Secretary of State from 1995 to 1999. He then became chief of staff of the Republican National Committee before his election to the House of Representatives. Rep. Cole has represented Oklahoma’s 4th district, encompassing much of rural Oklahoma south of Oklahoma City, since 2003.
Rep. Cole is a member of the Congressional Chicken Caucus.
