Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) who already chairs a key House Appropriations Committee panel affecting the Department of Energy is also picking up a seat on a defense purse strings subcommittee.
Fleischmann has been appointed by House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) to serve on the Defense Subcommittee, the Tennessee lawmaker said in an April 16 press release. Fleischmann, whose home district includes part of DOE’s Oak Ridge Site, already chairs the Energy and Water Subcommittee for the Appropriations Committee.
“As the world continues to become more dangerous and our adversaries become more emboldened, it’s absolutely critical for our safety and the peace of the world that America remains strong and militarily ready to respond to any aggression against ourselves or our allies,” Fleischmann said in the release.
Over the weekend, Fleischmann split with some other GOP members in the House of Representatives and voted in favor of the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024. The measure passed the House 311 to 112. The package passed the Senate, 79 to 18, on Tuesday and was signed by President Joe Biden on Wednesday.