Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) has been installed as the new Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee following the resignation from the post of former Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) at the end of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations process. Chairman Cole is a veteran appropriator known for pragmatism and dealmaking. He has already announced an intention to consider and advance all FY 2025 appropriations bills to ensure the House fully participates in the current appropriations process. Meanwhile, the Senate continues to diligently and bipartisanly complete its work on annual appropriations.
To date, both the House and Senate have heard from many agency officials on FY 2025 budget requests to Congress. Moreover, both the House and Senate have announced the opportunity for Outside Witness Testimony. CCTS provides testimony on annual spending priorities each year and we feature local research success stories that highlight the value and impact of federal funding. If you would like to contribute a brief anecdote, please share it as soon as possible. The House deadline for Labor-HHS-Education testimony this year is May 3rd, but the Senate deadline is not until May 24th.
Democrats and moderate Republicans in the House worked together to break a months-long logjam and finally pass supplemental emergency funding for Ukraine, Israe, and Southeast Asia. The package totals nearly $95 billion and also included a potential ban on “TikTok”. Once the House had cleared the measure, the Senate was able to pass the package with an overwhelming 78-19 vote and send it to the President. The bipartisan House coalition represents a new dynamic where (at least for now) the business of the country superseded election year politics. The collaboration also bodes well for FY 2025 appropriations and, potentially, additional supplemental appropriations packages that can bypass budget caps enacted for FY 2025.
By: Dane Christiansen, Washington Representative