Rep. Fattah runs for top Approps spot

Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.), calling for a “vigorous debate,” will run against Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) for the Appropriations Committee chairman’s spot.

Fattah told The Hill that he wants the House Democratic caucus to consider the spending priorities of one of the most powerful committees in Congress. In particular, the Philadelphia congressman said upping education funding would be his biggest priority if elected appropriations chairman.

“Education is number one, two and three,” Fattah said.

{mosads}The spending panel’s top spot opened up Wednesday after Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) said he would not run for reelection this year. Dicks soon tossed his hat in the ring for the position and said he also wanted to keep his hold on the Defense appropriations subcommittee. As long as Democrats hold onto the House after this November, they will have to pick a new appropriations’ chairman.

The chairman of the House Urban Caucus, Fattah said he has authored legislation that helped 12 million kids earned college scholarships. In addition, he is a fan of the Obama administration’s Race to The Top grants programs, which rewards states for reforming their education systems.

Fattah said he is a “vocal supporter” of the president’s agenda, supporting his new investments in energy and education as well as supporting the fiscal debt commission. Having voted for the Balance Budget Amendment in 1997, the Democrat noted that the next appropriations chairman will have to handle lean times and he could handle a smaller budget.

“We should be making investments we need to make to position America in the future,” Fattah said, adding he is ready to handle the “fiscally challenging situation.”

Dicks is the more senior member of the committee compared to Fattah and is next in line to succeed Obey. Fattah has been a member of the committee since 2002 and serves on three of its subcommittees — Energy and Water, Commerce, Justice, Science and Financial Services.

Fattah ranks 21st in committee seniority and does not chair any of its subcommittees.

“I know about the question of seniority but the entire Democratic caucus has to vote on this,” Fattah said. “I have said that Norm would be a great chairman. This is not about personalities but there should be a discussion about the committee’s priorities.”

Fattah said he has not heard of other candidates yet for the committee chairmanship but would not be surprised if others joined in the race.

Rep. Nita Lowey (N.Y.), who is the sixth-ranking House Democratic appropriator, won’t run for the chairmanship, her office said.

Other senior Democrats on the committee did not respond to inquiries.

— Walter Alarkon contributed to this article.