Amodei Appointed House “Cardinal”

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mark E. Amodei (NV-02) issued the following statement after being appointed to serve as the Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee on the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations.

“It is an honor to be appointed to Chair the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee. In the entire history of the state, Nevada has only sent three of its own to be Appropriations Subcommittee Chairs, and I’m proud to be one of these fortunate few and honored to continue this legacy. On Appropriations, we are tasked with the heavy, yet critical, job of cutting wasteful spending and establishing a fiscally responsible budget. To that end, I look forward to collaboration with my fellow Appropriators and colleagues in Congress as we work towards sensible policy solutions. Thank you, Nevada, for continuing to trust in me to represent you!”

Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger added..

“I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Rep. Amodei to serve as Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee. After serving on the subcommittee for several Congresses, his knowledge and expertise on legislative branch issues will be crucial as the Capitol campus reopens to the public. I have no doubt that Rep. Amodei will continue to serve his constituents and the State of Nevada in this new role, and I look forward to working with him to support the needs of our nation while delivering on our commitment to rein in unnecessary government spending.”

Congressman Amodei’s Chairmanship appointment is historic for Nevada. There have only been four Representatives from Nevada on the House Appropriations Committee since Nevada became a state in the 38^th Congress, only two of whom were Appropriations Subcommittee Chairs during their tenure.

Nearly 90 years ago, Rep. James G. Scrugham (NV-at-Large) served as the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee of the Navy. In the 1990s, Rep. Barbara F. Vucanovich (NV-02) served as the Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction.

The Appropriations Committee, established in 1865, has jurisdiction over the federal discretionary budget. This includes everything from defense to agriculture to education to housing to funding for projects in local communities. Given their authority over the budget, Appropriations Subcommittee Chairs are also known as Cardinals.

The Legislative Branch Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the functions of Congress; including the Capitol Police, Library of Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office, Architect of the Capitol, and the House of Representatives.