Murkowski, 69, Set to Lead Senate Appropriations as Trump Faces Spending Challenge
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Nov 9
Murkowski, 69, Set to Lead Senate Appropriations as Trump Faces Spending Challenge
2 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Nov 9
Summary
Lisa Murkowski is next in line to become the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee in early January, giving a frequent Trump critic a stronger perch on federal spending fights.
Democrats are set to retake the House and Senate, and Susan Collins’ defeat will remove the current chair, elevating Murkowski even without handing her the gavel.
Murkowski has pledged to “get back to governing in the middle” and is expected to work with Democrats to curb White House efforts to shift spending authority away from Congress.
Those fights could include blocking budget director Russ Vought’s push to put political appointees over grant approvals and preventing another mass cancellation of federal dollars next fall.
The shift leaves Trump losing one major GOP critic in Collins but gaining another, potentially more consequential Republican antagonist on appropriations.