Senate Republicans formally tapped Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) April 10 to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC).
Shelby, whose appointment had been expected due to his seniority, announced later in the day that he will also chair the SAC’s defense (SAC-D) subcommittee.
“I am proud to take on a larger role, helping to secure funding to strengthen our military,” Shelby said in a statement. “With heightened global instability, as well as diverse and complex threats currently facing the United States, national security is of the utmost importance.”
In both posts, Shelby, 83, replaces Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), 80, who left the Senate April 1 due to health problems. Shelby’s new roles will help him look out for his state’s work in such areas as military aviation, missile defense and space flight.
Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), who was already a SAC member, will fill an open seat on the SAC-D.
Hoeven said his appointment will help him advocate for his state’s defense installations, including Minot Air Force Base, which hosts B-52 bombers and Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles; the Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site in Grand Forks; and the Fargo Air National Guard Base.
Cochran’s Senate successor, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), is joining the full SAC. She officially became a senator April 9.
“I’m excited to work with my colleagues to advance President Trump’s policies and advance the needs of our state and the nation,” Hyde-Smith said.