{"id":46979,"date":"2018-04-10T20:27:33","date_gmt":"2018-04-10T20:27:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/10\/senate-appropriations-committee-shake-up-hits-key-defense-veterans-lawmakers\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:49:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:49:16","slug":"senate-appropriations-committee-shake-up-hits-key-defense-veterans-lawmakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2018\/04\/10\/senate-appropriations-committee-shake-up-hits-key-defense-veterans-lawmakers\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate appropriations committee shake-up hits key defense, veterans lawmakers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Senate officials on Tuesday named a new leader for the chamber\u2019s powerful appropriations committee, a move that directly impacts the upcoming budget debates for the Defense Department<\/a> and Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., was named chairman of the appropriations panel for the remainder of the year. Shelby takes over from Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., who retired from office earlier this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Cochran, Shelby will serve as both the full committee chairman and the head of the subcommittee on defense spending<\/a>. In a statement, he said he was \u201cproud to take on a larger role, helping to secure funding to strengthen our military.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White House and congressional negotiators have already set the framework for fiscal 2019 defense spending at $716 billion, but Shelby\u2019s committee will be charged with working out the specifics of that spending over the next few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\t