Murray seeking to be second Appropriations chairwoman

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) is officially pursuing the top seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, her office confirmed on Wednesday. 

“Next Congress, Senator Murray intends to pursue the Appropriations Committee gavel. As Chair, Senator Murray would continue to do what she has done her entire career: put working families and Washington state first,” her office said on Wednesday.

If named to the post, Murray would become only the second woman in history to head the panel, after Democrats succeeded in holding onto the Senate in the recent midterm races. 

The same day her office announced the news, Murray, who currently serves as chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, was also tapped by party leadership to serve as Senate president pro tempore. 

That position, which would have to be approved by the Senate Democratic Conference, is third in line to the presidency. If approved, Murray would also be the first woman ever to become Senate president pro tempore.

“She will remain focused on key issues like child care, as well as pushing for investments in women’s health, education, housing, workforce training, mental health care, veterans’ care and so much more—while continuing her non-stop fight to protect women’s rights,” a spokeswoman for Murray said on Wednesday.

“And she will continue to prioritize Washington state communities—pressing for progress on initiatives like wild fire prevention, salmon recovery, and much more,” the office added.

The first woman to lead the appropriations panel, one of Congress’ most powerful funding committees, was former Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) roughly a decade ago.

A Republican woman has yet to serve as chair of the panel, but Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has also been expected to go for the top Republican seat on the committee.

Collins previously told The Hill that she and Murray would be next up, by seniority, to assume the top two seats on the panel, after Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who currently head the committee, announced plans to retire at the end of the current congressional session. 

The Hill has reached out to confirm whether Collins plans to pursue the top GOP seat. 

If both women leaders assumed the top seats in the next Congress, it would mark the first time ever that two women sat at the helm of the panel.