Rep. Bonner nabs open appropriations seat

Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) has been selected to fill the appropriations panel seat vacated by ex-Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), several GOP sources said Thursday.

GOP leaders faced a pool of seven House lawmakers, including the chairman of the House campaign committee who ran against two politically vulnerable members, and Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who was backed by the anti-earmark community and conservative blogs.

{mosads}Bonner  has endorsed a plan introduced by Republican appropriators Reps. Frank Wolf (Va.), Jack Kingston (Ga.) and Zach Wamp (Tenn.) that would establish an earmark moratorium as a bipartisan, bicameral panel reviews the use of earmarks.

[Editor's note: A version of  this story published Thursday indicates that Bonner is a member of the Republican Study Group. That is incorrect]

The 27-member House Republican Steering Committee passed over Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.), who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee. Reps. Dave Reichert (Wash.), Henry Brown Jr. (S.C.), Marilyn Musgrave (Colo.) and Michael Turner (Ohio) also declared their intentions to run for the Appropriations Committee slot earlier this year. Democrats are targeting Reichert and Musgrave’s seats this cycle.

 “I want to congratulate Congressman Bonner on his appointment to the Appropriations Committee” Musgrave said in a statement. “I appreciate the consideration of leadership for this important post. It is vital that Republicans return to our core values of limited government, fiscal responsibility and ethical transparency. I look forward to continuing my work toward improving the lives of my constituents in the 4th District.”