New staff director appointed for Senate Appropriations Committee

The powerful Senate Appropriations Committee has added new top staffers, just as it confronts a possible government shutdown at the end of the month. 

The new chairwoman of the committee, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), announced Friday that she is elevating Charles Kieffer to be committee staff director and Gabrielle Batkin to be the deputy director.

Kieffer replaces Charlie Houy, who has served as director since 2009. Houy was a close associate of former chairman Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), who died suddenly in December.

Kieffer has served as staff director for the Homeland Security subcommittee. He has been with the committee for 12 years and was at the White House budget office for 16 years.

Batkin has been the Clerk of the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Subcommittee. She replaces Margaret Cummisky, who will become the Committee’s General Counsel. 

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