Frelinghuysen named new Defense Appropriations chairman

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) is the new chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Defense, the Appropriations panel announced Wednesday.

Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) tapped Frelinghuysen to succeed Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), who died last month.

{mosads}Frelinghuysen will now be tasked with overseeing the Pentagon’s $500 billion-plus budget, which makes up roughly half of the discretionary budget.

The New Jersey Republican was expected to be selected as the next chairman, as he was the most senior Republican on the subcommittee after Young.

Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who is also on the Defense panel, had more experience than Frelinghuysen on the full committee, but he is running for Senate and did not seek the defense post.

Frelinghuysen was the chairman of the Energy and Water Development subcommittee, and his selection to lead the Defense panel prompted additional moves among the other Appropriations subcommittees.