Senator Collins Officially Becomes Chair of Senate Appropriations Committee
Collins is the first Republican woman to lead the powerful Committee
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins officially became Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Committee holds jurisdiction over all discretionary spending for the entire federal government.
First elected in 1996, Susan Collins ranks seventh in Senate seniority and is the most senior Republican woman. She is the first Republican woman to be elected to a fifth term, the first Republican woman to Chair the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the first Mainer to Chair the Committee in 92 years.
“When I first joined the Senate, there were only nine women Senators, a number that was fewer than the number of Senate committees,” said Senator Collins. “In an historic first, the 118th Congress began with four women atop the Senate and House Appropriations Committees. I am honored to embark on this new leadership role as the first Republican woman to Chair the Committee, and will continue to work to ensure that federal spending produces real results for the American people.”
“As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, my priorities will remain helping Maine’s communities, funding lifesaving biomedical research, investing in rural communities by supporting education, workforce, and child care programs, strengthening our national security, and improving our infrastructure,” Senator Collins continued.
Senator Collins joined the Appropriations Committee in 2009. Last Congress, she served as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. In previous years, she has also served as Chair and Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee and Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee.
As the top Senators of the Appropriations Committee in the 118th Congress, Senators Collins and Patty Murray (D-WA) committed to a bipartisan process that follows regular order, producing twelve bills that have received input from all members of the Committee. As Chair, Senator Collins remains dedicated to this process and also to achieving floor consideration of appropriations bills reported by the Committee.
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