Western North Carolina Rep. Edwards tapped for powerful House Appropriations Committee

Western North Carolina's member of Congress Chuck Edwards has gained a seat on one of the House's most powerful committees, marking an unusual step up for a first-term representative.

Edwards has been tapped by Republican House leadership to serve on the Appropriations Committee, a spot usually reserved for more senior members and which is responsible for all congressional expenditures.

The Henderson County Republican represents the far-west 11th District, including Buncombe County. He will be the only member of Congress from North Carolina to serve on appropriations, noted the Nov. 14 release from his office that announced the appointment.

“I am truly honored that my House colleagues looked at my business background and experience in the North Carolina Senate and saw that I could contribute in this significant way in Washington,” Edwards said in the release.

Edwards is the owner of multiple McDonald's fast-food franchises. The Citizen Times reached out to Edwards asking what his priorities would be as a committee member.

On Nov. 2 he was among the majority in a 226 to 196 vote to send $14.3 billion in military and other aid to Israel.

Edwards recently condemned a planned UNC Asheville forum on the Gaza conflict. He called the event, which was to include a Palestinian panelist, "anti-Semitic" and criticized its backing by a publicly funded institution.

Following a September vote by the Eastern Band of Cherokee to legalize recreational marijuana, Edwards said he would look to reduce their federal road funding.

In October he sent out an email titled "Putin vs. Ukraine," asking constituents as to whether the U.S. should "continue to help Ukraine financially if we demand spending accountability."

"The issue of how we deal with a ruthless murderer is one where I’d like as much constituent feedback as possible," Edwards, said when asked by the Citizen Times about the informal poll, an unusual move for him. "The responses I’ve gotten so far overwhelmingly tell me that Americans want Putin stopped and that we must also stop the invasion of our own borders."

It's not clear yet on which appropriations subcommittee he will serve. The appointment will be ratified by the GOP Conference and voted on by the full House the week of Nov. 27.

Edwards on crime : Rep. Chuck Edwards holds Asheville anti-crime summit

The top Democratic Party official in Edwards' congressional district panned the appointment as well as his vote for current House Speaker Mike Johnson. Prior to Johnson, Edwards supported Kevin McCarthy, who held the position for a short period before being ousted by far-right members of his party.

"Edwards votes for the most anti-freedom speaker we’ve seen in generations and two weeks later he gets a committee assignment that will help him rake in corporate PAC donations and continue to subsidize his personal business interests with taxpayer money? Give me a break, this reeks of D.C. swamp deal making," said 11th District Democratic Chair Katie Dean.

Dean said the only beneficiaries of the appointment would be "Washington corporate lobbyists that have put millions into his campaigns" and his "sprawling business interests that have fought tooth and nail to keep wages low for the hard working people of Western North Carolina."

But Congressman Richard Hudson of N.C.'s 9th District ― and chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee ― said the appointment would help state residents.

“I congratulate my good friend and fellow North Carolinian, Rep. Chuck Edwards, for earning a coveted seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. This is a big deal for the people of N.C. because we finally have a voice on the committee that decides how tax dollars are spent," Hudson said.

In the release, Edwards praised WNC predecessor GOP Rep. Charles Taylor, a hard-right fiscal conservative from Transylvania County who served in the House from 1990 to 2006. Taylor was the last member of Congress from the state to serve on appropriations.

“I am also proud to be following in the footsteps of former Congressman Charles Taylor to use this position to help make a difference for Western North Carolina. I have always said we need to bring more of NC to DC, and I plan to do that in this role," he said.

To date, Edwards has served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure, Budget and Oversight and Accountability committees. His appointment comes after the retirement of 10-year Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah from the committee.

McDonald's shooting: Shooting death reported at McDonald's in Hendersonville owned by Chuck Edwards

Water outage crisis: Rep. Chuck Edwards urges Asheville council to take action after water outage crisis

Members of the House Republican Steering Committee ― led by Johnson, and including Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Appropriations Chair Kay Granger of Texas ― picked Edwards, he said in the release.

Granger, in the release, said Edwards' "common sense approach and background as both a state appropriator and businessman will be valuable in our effort to responsibly fund the federal government.”

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Western NC congressman Chuck Edwards tapped for House Appropriations