Senate Appropriations Committee gets new leaders

By Andres Picon | 01/30/2025 06:26 AM EST

Sen. Patty Murray, who chaired the Energy-Water Subcommittee for much of the last Congress, will remain that panel’s top Democrat.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) speaks during a press conference.

Appropriations ranking member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) during a press conference. Francis Chung/POLITICO

The chairs and ranking Democrats of the Senate’s energy and environment-focused spending panels are staying in leadership positions this Congress, but other subcommittees are getting a shakeup.

With Republicans having taken the Senate majority, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who had chaired the full committee and the Energy and Water Subcommittee, is moving down to ranking member in both roles.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is now the first female Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will take over for Collins as head of the Defense Subcommittee after more than two decades in leadership.

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The revamped subcommittee rosters come at a critical time for Congress’ spending work. House and Senate Appropriations committee leaders only recently began discussions on a top-line fiscal 2025 spending number despite being four months into the fiscal year. The current funding deadline is March 14.

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