Rep. Tom Cole secured the House Republican Conference’s backing Wednesday morning to become the next Appropriations Committee chairman, elevating the 11th-term Oklahoma lawmaker to one of Capitol Hill’s most influential — and toughest — positions.
Cole, who ran unopposed, received unanimous support Tuesday night from the House GOP Steering Committee, which doles out panel assignments. That decision set the stage for the full conference vote Wednesday. The process was drama-free after Cole’s only potential competitor, Rep. Robert B. Aderholt, R-Ala., announced Tuesday he would not make a bid for the gavel.
Cole has vowed to get the Appropriations Committee right to work on fiscal 2025 funding, which is getting a late start after this year’s spending bills weren’t finalized until last month.
