“Never heard of him” you’re prolly thinking; “why should I care?”
Well, Rep. Frelinghuysen is the chair of the Appropriations Committee.
Frelinghuysen said in a statement that he was proud of his efforts to work in a bipartisan manner to advance the annual spending bills that make up almost one-third of the federal budget. Frelinghuysen became chairman of the powerful spending panel last year after spending several years as chairman of its defense subcommittee.
A moderate Republican in both his politics and temperament, Frelinghuysen was first elected in the 1994 GOP wave that put Republicans in control of both chambers.
Lots of GOP are retiring tho, for term limit reasons, advancing age, etc. That’s not really the case with Rep. Frelinghuysen.
Unlike several other GOP chairmen to announce their retirements after running up against GOP term limit rules for panel heads, Frelinghuysen had years to go as Appropriations chair — assuming Republicans retain control of the House in the 2018 midterm. But he angered some conservative lawmakers over votes against the GOP tax overhaul measure last year and his opposition to an initial version of the party’s effort to repeal former President Barack Obama’s health care law.
So the way it looks is that he’s kind of being forced out, which is likely a shame; he seems like a decent enough guy.
“My deepest devotion has been to supporting our Armed Forces, all volunteers, and their families, here and abroad, and those warfighters who have returned home with injuries and who depend on a functioning veterans’ health care system,” Frelinghuysen said.
Frelinghuysen took the lead in the House in a difficult 2013 effort to provide about $60 billion to help New Jersey and other northeastern states recovery from Superstorm Sandy.
“Public service is an incredible way to turn your convictions into something that serves the greater good and to do it alongside people from every walk of life and background,” Frelinghuysen said.
Frelinghuysen is one of the Republicans that New Jersey keeps hoping they’ll get when they vote for the GOP. They are right as often as they are wrong. For every Frelinghuysen they get a Chris Christie. The GOP seems to be glancing at New Jersey and thinking that since Republicans get elected there on occasion they can shove in one of their Trump toadies or a regular Tea Partier. This won’t end well for them, but they might get someone they like on the Approprations Committee.