House Republicans next week will pick their new Budget Committee chairman, the third to occupy the post in the past year.
The GOP Steering Committee, a powerful panel of leadership allies led by Speaker Paul Ryan
Paul Davis RyanMcConnell names Senate GOP tax conferees House Republican: 'I worry about both sides' of the aisle on DACA Overnight Health Care: 3.6M signed up for ObamaCare in first month | Ryan pledges 'entitlement reform' next year | Dems push for more money to fight opioids MORE (R-Wis.), will meet Tuesday behind closed doors to select someone to succeed Budget Chairwoman Diane Black
Diane Lynn BlackRyan picks his negotiating team for tax cut bill Overnight Finance: House approves motion to go to tax conference — with drama | GOP leaders to consider Dec. 30 spending bill | Justices skeptical of ban on sports betting | Mulvaney won't fire official who sued him Lawmakers take to Twitter to spread the Thanksgiving cheer MORE, who is stepping down from the post to focus on her 2018 bid for Tennessee governor.
Rep. Steve Womack
Stephen (Steve) Allen WomackGOP budget chair may not finish her term Jockeying begins in race for House Budget gavel Trump reopens fight on internet sales tax MORE (R-Ark.), a leadership ally who was part of the 2010 class that took back the majority, is the favorite, GOP Steering members and other sources said.
Womack himself is a member of the Steering panel.
Two other Republicans who were part of the 2010 class — former Republican Study Committee Chairman Rob Woodall
William (Rob) Robert WoodallGOP budget chair may not finish her term Ensuring air ambulances don’t save lives only to ruin them with surprise medical bills Senators fight proposed tariffs on solar panels MORE (R-Ga.) and Rep. Bill Johnson
William (Bill) Leslie JohnsonBlack plans to keep Budget chair ‘for the time being’ FCC not beefing up budget for net neutrality lawsuits GOP to Obama: Don't break promises MORE (R-Ohio) — also are vying for the Budget gavel.
“Womack has the inside track,” said a senior GOP aide who is familiar with the Budget panel.
The 32-member Steering Committee, which is comprised of the GOP leadership team and regional representatives, will also choose someone to replace Rep. Pat Tiberi
Patrick (Pat) Joseph TiberiUS trade officials challenging China over aircraft tax policy Tiberi tapped for Joint Economic Committee post Finance chair: Trade deal may need to be renegotiated MORE (R-Ohio) on the influential Ways and Means Committee. Tiberi is resigning from Congress on Jan. 15 to take a private-sector job.
Steering members also said the future of Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen
Rodney Procter FrelinghuysenConservative lawmakers met to discuss GOP chairman’s ouster Overnight Finance: GOP delays work on funding bill amid conservative demands | Senate panel approves Fed nominee Powell | Dodd-Frank rollback advances | WH disputes report Mueller subpoenaed Trump bank records Overnight Finance: House approves motion to go to tax conference — with drama | GOP leaders to consider Dec. 30 spending bill | Justices skeptical of ban on sports betting | Mulvaney won't fire official who sued him MORE (R-N.J.) could be discussed at the private meeting. Leaders of the conservative Republican Study Committee have been furious at the moderate Appropriations chair for voting against the GOP tax overhaul. RSC Chairman Mark Walker
Bradley (Mark) Mark WalkerRight scrambles GOP budget strategy Conservative lawmakers met to discuss GOP chairman’s ouster Overnight Finance: GOP delays work on funding bill amid conservative demands | Senate panel approves Fed nominee Powell | Dodd-Frank rollback advances | WH disputes report Mueller subpoenaed Trump bank records MORE (R-N.C.) has personally urged Ryan to strip Frelinghuysen of his gavel.
But several GOP sources said there probably is not the political appetite on the Steering panel to move against Frelinghuysen, who is already one of Democrats' top 2018 targets.
“It might get discussed but I doubt there's the will to do that,” one Steering member told The Hill.
The next Budget chairman is expected to play an integral role in shaping the GOP’s 2018 agenda.
Ryan has suggested Republicans could use the budget reconciliation process this year to pass welfare or entitlement reforms. To do that, however, Republicans will need to craft and pass identical budget resolutions in both the House and Senate — a feat many in the party see as difficult to achieve in a tough election year.
A year ago, Womack had vied to become a powerful Appropriations “cardinal,” the chairman of an Appropriations subcommittee, but that job instead went to Rep. Kevin Yoder
Kevin Wayne YoderLawmakers, celebs honor Tony Bennett with Library of Congress Gershwin Prize Bipartisan childcare bill won't help families that need it most The Hill's 12:30 Report MORE (R-Kansas), who is very close with GOP leadership.
Now, there is a feeling among Steering members that it’s Womack’s time.
However, sources raised questions about whether Womack a year from now would want to trade up his Budget gavel for another Appropriations subcommittee chairmanship, which controls billions of dollars in spending. Rep. Charlie Dent
Charles(Charlie) Wieder DentJuan Williams: The GOP has divided America Republicans pursue two-week spending bill GOP could punt funding fight to January MORE (R-Pa.), who leads the Appropriations subcommittee on military construction and Veterans Affairs, is not seeking reelection this year.
That would mean yet more change for the Budget Committee.
In January 2017, Rep. Tom Price
Thomas (Tom) Edmunds PriceOvernight Health Care: Funding bill could provide help for children's health program | Questions for CVS-Aetna deal | Collins doubles funding ask for ObamaCare bill Warren questions Conway's role in curbing opioid epidemic Trump promised ‘best people’ would run government — they upended it MORE (R-Ga.) relinquished the Budget gavel to become President Trump
Donald John TrumpHouse Democrat slams Donald Trump Jr. for ‘serious case of amnesia’ after testimony Skier Lindsey Vonn: I don’t want to represent Trump at Olympics Poll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with Russia MORE’s Health and Human Services secretary, though he only lasted seven months. Diane Black took the reins of the Budget panel, passing the budget that helped smooth the way for the tax overhaul. But she announced she’s handing over the gavel this month as she turns her focus to the Tennessee governor’s race.
If Womack wins the Budget gavel, then steps aside to become an Appropriations cardinal, “that would be the fourth Budget chairman in two years,” the senior GOP aide said.