WASHINGTON — Texas is losing a powerful voice in Congress with Rep. Kay Granger’s decision to give up the appropriations gavel in the middle of the term. It is an unusual move that follows intense infighting among Republicans on Capitol Hill over Congress’s most critical role — funding the government.
After Congress last week finalized the new federal budget six months late, the Fort Worth Republican announced she will be stepping down as chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. The 81-year-old was the first Republican woman to head the committee, which is one of the most influential positions in Congress.
“On the one hand, it’s surprising because most chairs of that powerful committee don’t relinquish that authority — willingly or usually,” said Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, a political science professor at the University of North Texas.
Granger announced last year she’s not seeking reelection.
In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Granger wrote: “As I reflect on my time in the House of Representatives and more than five years as ranking member and now chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, I realize I have accomplished more than I ever could have imagined.”
Congress now faces a new deadline of Sept. 30 to keep the government funded. Granger acknowledged in her letter that especially in an election year, the next budget fight will drag on.
“The House has struggled to pass funding bills, and they’ve just done that, once again, that has to be very taxing, and exhausting,” Eshbaugh-Soha said. “Kay Granger is not running for reelection, so in some way, she’s kind of looking at how do I want to spend the rest of my last term in Congress?”
“Everything has become so partisan that it is challenging to even accomplish basic goals in Congress, which include, among other things, keeping the government open,” he continued.
The last funding battle was marred by internal Republican bickering over ideological issues, including the insistence of some hard-right lawmakers that the budget should include some of their ultra-conservative priorities.
“For the first time since I’ve been in appropriations for years, we saw a shift where there were so many culture fights, not appropriations of funding, but culture fights,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, in an interview with Spectrum News last year. Cuellar is the lone Texas Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.
“Kay Granger was able to handle this in a very professional way, (the) divisions between the members there,” Cuellar said.
Granger was the first woman mayor of Fort Worth before entering Congress in 1997. She is currently the longest serving Republican in the Texas delegation. Throughout her tenure, she has been a strong supporter of the defense industry and pushing Texas to the forefront on national security.
“Impact on the defense industry is amazing, especially in Texas. Kay has been a champion for the F-35, for instance, which is a major part of our arsenal now,” said Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock. “In fact, probably one of the things that curtails our enemies.”
It is those local projects some political watchers say might be harder to come by without a member who has such an outsized influence over the budget. Granger has decided to serve on the committee by offering advice and counsel. She said is returning to her roots.
“My goal for the next nine months is to return to where I began my career, as an educator,” she wrote in the letter to Johnson.