NEW: Kay Granger to step down as House Appropriations chair following spending package debacle

GOP Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) will step down after the spending package for fiscal year 2024 passed in the House of Representatives and went to the Senate. 

In a letter sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson Granger wrote in part, "I ... respectfully request that as soon as possible, the GOP Steering Committee and Conference select a new Chair of the Appropriations Committee to serve out the remainder of the 118 Congress."

"My goal for the next nine months is to return to where I began my career, as an educator. I will remain on the Committee as Chair Emeritus to lead as a teacher would, providing advice and counsel for my colleagues when it is needed."

Granger, 80, announced earlier in 2023 that she would not seek reelection. Chair of appropriations is one of the most powerful positions in the House as spending decisions are made in the committee. She has represented Texas' 12th district since 1997. 

"Mr. Speaker, thank you for stepping up to lead Congress during a very tumultuous time. I know you will continue to navigate the significant challenges we face with honor and integrity. I am confident that through your leadership, this House Majority will make changes in how Washington works," she added in the letter. 

In the body of the letter, Granger spoke about the spending package and wrote that the package “prioritizes our nation's security and represents the first overall cut to non-defense, non-veterans spending, in almost a decade.” 

Much of the package included additional spending and policy for transparency on how many illegal immigrants cross the US-Mexico border with less having to do with policy to stop it from happening.  

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Letter to Johnson by Tommy on Scribd