By Jen DiMascio
Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) is reclaiming her seat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, which she gave up when Republicans lost the majority in the House during the 2007 elections.
The seat was opened when then Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) was appointed to the Senate to replace Sen. Trent Lott.
Granger won a seat on the coveted subcommittee in 2005 and as the member with the least seniority voluntarily ceded her subcommittee position when the Republicans lost chairs on the committee, said Caitlin Carroll, Granger’s spokeswoman.
Her Ft. Worth district includes Lockheed Martin facilities that produces parts of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. In addition, Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] produces parts of the V-22 Osprey, the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter and other aircraft in Ft. Worth, Carroll said.
Granger has additional security experience in her background, including stints on the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Armed Services Committee.
The Republican Steering Committee still has not picked Wicker’s overall replacement on the committee, according to Jim Specht, a spokesman for Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), the committee’s ranking member.
Republicans will have to repeat the exercise next year; Rep. David Hobson (R-Ohio) has already announced he will not run for another term in office.