Fortenberry named chairman of legislative appropriations subcommittee in House

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) is the new chairman of the legislative branch subcommittee in the House Appropriations Committee.

“Representative Fortenberry is a valued member of the Appropriations Committee and has worked diligently over the years to make certain that each and every tax dollar under our care is used responsibly,” Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) said in a statement Monday.

In May, Frelinghuysen announced a reshuffle of the powerful appropriations subcommittee chairs, known as “cardinals,” sparked by the retirement of Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), who lead the subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs. At the time, Frelinghuysen named himself legislative branch subcommittee chairman as a placeholder.

The decision to go with Fortenberry skips over Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), the next GOP appropriator by seniority. Womack is prohibited from serving as chairman of an appropriations subcommittee since he is currently head of the House Budget Committee.

Womack had openly speculated about possibly leaving his perch atop the Budget Committee in favor of becoming an appropriations cardinal, but expressed reservations about leading the legislative branch panel.

“I would prefer anything but leg, which most appropriators would say,” Womack said last month. “I mean I don’t think that’s any secret.”