United States House committee on Appropriations - Wikipedia United States House committee on Appropriations This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 26 February 2018. This article needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. ( April 2015 ) Logo of the United States House Committee on Appropriations. The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. This article is part of a series on the United States House of Representatives History of the United States House of Representatives Members Current members ( by seniority by age non-voting ) Former members Hill committees ( DCCC NRCC ) Congressional districts Speaker of the United States House of Representatives ( list ) Party leaders Democratic Caucus Republican Conference Politics and procedure Committee of the Whole Closed session ( list ) Saxbe fix Committees ( list ) Procedures Origination Clause Quorum call Unanimous consent Salaries Apportionment ( Huntington -- Hill method ) Redistricting Gerrymandering Articles of impeachment Self - executing rule Rules suspension General ticket Plural district Places United States Capitol House office buildings ( Cannon Ford Longworth Rayburn ) The committee is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Committee regulate expenditures of money by the government of the United States. As such, it is one of the most powerful of the committees, and its members are seen as influential. They make the key decisions about the work of their committees -- when their committees meet, which bills they will consider, and for how long. Contents 1 History 2 Role 3 Membership 4 Subcommittees 4.1 Reorganization in 2007 4.2 List of subcommittees 5 Chairmen, 1865 - present 6 See also 7 References 8 External links History The constitutional basis for the Appropriations Committee comes from Article one, Section nine, Clause seven of the U.S. Constitution, which says No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law ; and a regular statement and account of receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time. This clearly delegated the power of appropriating money to Congress, but was vague beyond that. Originally, the power of appropriating was taken by the Committee on Ways and Means, but the United States Civil War placed a large burden on the Congress, and at the end of that conflict, a reorganization occurred. The Committee was created on December 11, 1865, when the House separated the tasks of the Committee on Ways and Means into three parts. The passage of legislation affecting taxes remained with Ways and Means. The power to regulate banking was transferred to the Committee on Banking and Commerce. The power to appropriate money -- to control the federal pursestrings -- was given to the newly created Appropriations Committee. At the time of creation the membership of the committee stood at nine ; it currently has 53 members. The power of the committee has only grown since its founding ; many of its members and chairmen have gone on to even higher posts. For example, four of them -- Samuel Randall ( D - PA ), Joseph Cannon ( R - IL ), Joseph Byrns ( D - TN ) and Nancy Pelosi ( D - CA ) -- have gone on to become the Speaker of the House, and one, James Garfield, has gone on to become President. The root of the Committee 's power is its ability to disburse funds, and thus as the federal budget has risen, so has the power of the Appropriations Committee. The first budget of the U.S., in 1789, was for $ 639,000 -- a hefty sum for the time, but a much smaller amount relative to the economy than the federal budget would later become. By the time the Appropriations committee was founded, the Civil War and inflation had raised expenditures to roughly $1.3 billion, increasing the clout of Appropriations. Expenditures continued to follow this pattern -- rising sharply during wars before settling down -- for over 100 years. Another important development for Appropriations occurred in the presidency of Warren G. Harding. Harding was the first President to deliver a budget proposal to Congress ( see United States budget process ). In May 1945 when Congressman Albert J. Engel queried extra funds for the Manhattan Project, the administration approved a visit to CEW ( and HEW if desired ) by selected legislators, including Engel, Mahon, Snyder, John Taber and Clarence Cannon ( the committee chairman ). About a month earlier Taber and Cannon had nearly come to blows over expenditure. But after visiting the Clinton Engineer Works at Oak Ridge Taber asked General Groves and Colonel Nichols `` Are you sure you 're asking for enough money ? Cannon commented `` Well, I never expected to hear that from you, John. '' In the early 1970s, the Appropriations committee faced a crisis. President Richard Nixon began `` impounding '' funds, not allowing them to be spent, even when Congress had specifically appropriated money for a cause. This was essentially a line - item veto. Numerous court cases were filed by outraged interest groups and members of Congress. Eventually, the sense that Congress needed to regain control of the budget process led to the adoption of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which finalized the budget process in its current form. Role The Appropriations committee is widely recognized by political scientists as one of the `` power committees, '' since it holds the power of the purse. Openings on the Appropriations committee are often hotly demanded, and are doled out as rewards. It is one of the exclusive committees of the House, meaning its members typically sit on no other committee. Under House Rules, an exception to this is that five Members of the Appropriations Committee must serve on the House Budget Committee -- three for the Majority and two for the Minority. Much of the power of the committee comes from the inherent utility of controlling spending. Its subcommittee chairmen are often called `` Cardinals '' because of the power they wield over the budget. Since Congress is elected from single - member districts, how well the member secures rewards for his or her district is one of the best indicators as to whether or not he or she will be reelected. One way to achieve popularity in one 's district is to bring it federal spending, thus creating jobs and raising economic performance. This type of spending is often derided by critics as pork barrel spending, while those who engage in it generally defend it as necessary and appropriate expenditure of government funds. The members of the Appropriations committee can do this better than most, and as such the appointment is regarded as a plus. This help can also be directed towards other members, increasing the stature of committee members in the House and helping them gain support for leadership positions or other honors. The committee tends to be less partisan than other committees or the House overall. While the minority party will offer amendments during committee consideration, appropriations bills often get significant bipartisan support, both in committee and on the House floor. This atmosphere can be attributed to the fact that all committee members have a compelling interest in ensuring legislation will contain money for their own districts. Conversely, because members of this committee can easily steer money to their home districts, it is considered very difficult to unseat a member of this committee at an election -- especially if he or she is a `` Cardinal ''. In addition, the ability to appropriate money is useful to lobbyists and interest groups ; as such, being on Appropriations makes it easier to collect campaign contributions ( see campaign finance ). Membership Members, 115th Congress Majority Minority Rodney Frelinghuysen, New Jersey, Chairman Hal Rogers, Kentucky Robert Aderholt, Alabama Kay Granger, Texas Mike Simpson, Idaho John Culberson, Texas John Carter, Texas Ken Calvert, California Tom Cole, Oklahoma Mario Diaz - Balart, Florida Charlie Dent, Pennsylvania Tom Graves, Georgia Kevin Yoder, Kansas Steve Womack, Arkansas Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska Tom Rooney, Florida Chuck Fleischmann, Tennessee Jaime Herrera Beutler, Washington David Joyce, Ohio David Valadao, California Andy Harris, Maryland Martha Roby, Alabama Mark Amodei, Nevada Chris Stewart, Utah David Young, Iowa Evan Jenkins, West Virginia Steven Palazzo, Mississippi Dan Newhouse, Washington John Moolenaar, Michigan Scott Taylor, Virginia Nita Lowey, New York, Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur, Ohio Pete Visclosky, Indiana José Serrano, New York Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut David Price, North Carolina Lucille Roybal - Allard, California Sanford Bishop, Georgia Barbara Lee, California Betty McCollum, Minnesota Tim Ryan, Ohio Dutch Ruppersberger, Maryland Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida Henry Cuellar, Texas Chellie Pingree, Maine Mike Quigley, Illinois Derek Kilmer, Washington, Vice Ranking Member Matt Cartwright, Pennsylvania Grace Meng, New York Mark Pocan, Wisconsin Katherine Clark, Massachusetts Pete Aguilar, California Subcommittees Reorganization in 2007 In 2007, the number of subcommittees was increased to 12 at the start of the 110th Congress. This reorganization, developed by Chairman David Obey and his Senate counterpart, Robert Byrd, for the first time provided for common subcommittee structures between both houses, a move that both chairmen hoped will allow Congress to `` complete action on each of the government funding on time for the first time since 1994 ''. The new structure added the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, and transferred jurisdiction over Legislative Branch appropriations from the full committee to a newly reinstated Legislative Branch Subcommittee, which had not existed since the 108th Congress. List of subcommittees Subcommittee Chair Ranking Member Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Robert Aderholt ( R - AL ) Sanford Bishop ( D - GA ) Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies John Culberson ( R - TX ) José E. Serrano ( D - NY ) Defense Kay Granger ( R - TX ) Pete Visclosky ( D - IN ) Energy and Water Development Mike Simpson ( R - ID ) Marcy Kaptur ( D - OH ) Financial Services and General Government Tom Graves ( R - GA ) Mike Quigley ( D - IL ) Homeland Security John Carter ( R - TX ) Lucille Roybal - Allard ( D - CA ) Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Ken Calvert ( R - CA ) Betty McCollum ( D - MN ) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Tom Cole ( R - OK ) Rosa DeLauro ( D - CT ) Legislative Branch Kevin Yoder ( R - KS ) Tim Ryan ( D - OH ) Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Charlie Dent ( R - PA ) Debbie Wasserman Schultz ( D - FL ) State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Hal Rogers ( R - KY ) Nita Lowey ( D - NY ) Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Mario Diaz - Balart ( R - FL ) David Price ( D - NC ) Source : Chairmen, 1865 - present Chairman Party State Years Thaddeus Stevens Republican Pennsylvania 1865 -- 1868 Elihu B. Washburne Republican Illinois 1868 -- 1869 Henry L. Dawes Republican Massachusetts 1869 -- 1871 James A. Garfield Republican Ohio 1871 -- 1875 Samuel J. Randall Democratic Pennsylvania 1875 -- 1876 William S. Holman Democratic Indiana 1876 -- 1877 Hiester Clymer Democratic Pennsylvania 1877 John D.C. Atkins Democratic Tennessee 1877 -- 1881 Frank Hiscock Republican New York 1881 -- 1883 Samuel J. Randall Democratic Pennsylvania 1883 -- 1889 Joseph G. Cannon Republican Illinois 1889 -- 1891 William S. Holman Democratic Indiana 1891 -- 1893 Joseph D. Sayers Democratic Texas 1893 -- 1895 Joseph G. Cannon Republican Illinois 1895 -- 1903 James A. Hemenway Republican Indiana 1903 -- 1905 James Albertus Tawney Republican Minnesota 1905 -- 1911 John J. Fitzgerald Democratic New York 1911 -- 1917 J. Swagar Sherley Democratic Kentucky 1917 -- 1919 James W. Good Republican Iowa 1919 -- 1921 Charles Russell Davis Republican Minnesota 1921 -- 1923 Martin B. Madden Republican Illinois 1923 -- 1928 Daniel R. Anthony, Jr. Republican Kansas 1928 -- 1929 William R. Wood Republican Indiana 1929 -- 1931 Joseph W. Byrns Democratic Tennessee 1931 -- 1933 James P. Buchanan Democratic Texas 1933 -- 1937 Edward T. Taylor Democratic Colorado 1937 -- 1941 Clarence Cannon Democratic Missouri 1941 -- 1947 John Taber Republican New York 1947 -- 1949 Clarence Cannon Democratic Missouri 1949 -- 1953 John Taber Republican New York 1953 -- 1955 Clarence Cannon Democratic Missouri 1955 -- 1964 George H. Mahon Democratic Texas 1964 -- 1979 Jamie L. Whitten Democratic Mississippi 1979 -- 1993 William H. Natcher Democratic Kentucky 1993 -- 1994 David R. Obey Democratic Wisconsin 1994 -- 1995 Bob Livingston Republican Louisiana 1995 -- 1999 C.W. Bill Young Republican Florida 1999 -- 2005 Jerry Lewis Republican California 2005 -- 2007 David R. Obey Democratic Wisconsin 2007 -- 2011 Hal Rogers Republican Kentucky 2011 -- 2017 Rodney Frelinghuysen Republican New Jersey 2017 -- present See also United States Senate Committee on Appropriations List of current United States House of Representatives committees Appropriations bill ( United States ) 2015 United States federal appropriations References Jump up ^ Tollestrup, Jessica. `` The Congressional Appropriations Process : An Introduction ''. Senate.gov. Retrieved 23 November 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` About the Committee ''. house.gov. Retrieved February 25, 2012. Jump up ^ Nichols, Kenneth D. ( 1987 ). The Road to Trinity : A Personal Account of How America 's Nuclear Policies Were Made. New York : William Morrow and Company. p. 174. ISBN 0 - 688 - 06910 - X. OCLC 15223648. Jump up ^ H. Res. 6 ( Chair ), H. Res. 29 Jump up ^ H. Res. 7 ( Ranking Member ), H. Res. 45 Jump up ^ Dan Newhouse, John Moolenaar and Scott Taylor are serving their first term on the committee in the 115th Congress. Jump up ^ Grace Meng, Mark Pocan, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar are serving their first term on the committee in the 115th Congress. Jump up ^ `` Senate, House Appropriations Set Subcommittee Plans for New Congress ''. Committee on Appropriations. January 4, 2007. Archived from the original on January 31, 2007. Retrieved January 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Chairman Rogers Announces Subcommittee Chairs for the 113th Congress ''. Committee on Appropriations. December 31, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2013. External links Committee on Appropriations, U.S. House of Representatives ( Archive ) A Concise History of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations ( Dec. 2010 ) Appropriations Subcommittee Structure : History of Changes from 1920 to 2011 by Congressional Research Service. House Appropriations Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov. House Appropriations Committee Hearings and Meetings Video. Congress.gov. Current United States congressional committees Senate ( list ) Aging ( Special ) Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Ethics ( Select ) Finance Foreign Relations Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Indian Affairs Intelligence ( Select ) Judiciary Narcotics ( Caucus ) Rules and Administration Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans ' Affairs House ( list ) Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education and the Workforce Energy and Commerce Ethics Financial Services Foreign Affairs Homeland Security House Administration Intelligence ( Permanent Select ) Judiciary Natural Resources Oversight and Government Reform Rules Science, Space, and Technology Small Business Transportation and Infrastructure Veterans ' Affairs Ways and Means ( Whole ) Joint ( list ) Budget and Appropriations Process Reform ( Select ) Economic Inaugural Ceremonies ( Special ) Library Printing Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans ( Select ) Taxation ( Conference ) Standing committees, Defunct committees Chairmen of the United States House Committee on Appropriations Stevens Washburne Dawes Garfield Randall Clymer Holman Atkins Hiscock Randall J. Cannon Holman Sayers J. Cannon Hemenway Tawney Fitzgerald Sherley Good Davis Madden Anthony Wood Byrns Buchanan Taylor C. Cannon Taber C. Cannon Taber C. Cannon Mahon Whitten Natcher Obey Livingston Young Lewis Obey Rogers Frelinghuysen Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_House_Committee_on_Appropriations&oldid=827814486 '' Categories : United States federal budgets Committees of the United States House of Representatives United States federal appropriations legislation 1865 establishments in the United States Organizations established in 1865 Hidden categories : Wikipedia pending changes protected pages Wikipedia articles in need of updating from April 2015 All Wikipedia articles in need of updating All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia فارسی Edit links This page was last edited on 26 February 2018, at 22 : 01. 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Question: who is the ranking member of the appropriations committee
Answer: Nita Lowey