Puri Recommends Farhat For Reinstatement As Approps MVC

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 07/29/2025) House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) recommended to Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) that Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn) be reinstated as Minority Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

In a statement, Puri said it's the end of July and Hall has failed to produce a budget, and now he's removed Farhat, a key piece of negotiations.

“Removing someone from the position who served in a bipartisan manner for the last seven months, solely because they voted against Matt Hall’s wishes, is punitive and childish,” Puri said in the statement. “Hall’s early and brief successes of bullying his way into the spotlight this term has completely backfired. Instead of admitting his failures as a leader he’s doubling down on this lazy and unsuccessful strategy.”

After removing Farhat on Thursday, Hall said he wants a Democrat who represents the Democratic perspective well and follows through on commitments. He also reiterated Tuesday that he said Thursday he wants "someone who can help us get a budget done, wants to do the right thing and can be courageous.

“Ranjeev Puri isn't qualified to weigh in on any of that,” Hall said Tuesday. “He has a negative governing philosophy and doesn't care at all about finding solutions. That's part of why his caucus is in this mess.”

Responding to whether he thinks Hall’s actions were meant to punish Farhat using committee assignments after Farhat voted no on a bill, Puri said it seems obvious to him that those are probably tied together.

“I don’t pretend to live in the Speaker’s head. Seems like a dangerous place, but we’re committed to running a caucus in a way that’s authentic and genuine as a leader should,” Puri said Thursday to reporters.

Farhat was removed from his post last week, and former Appropriations Chair Angela Witwer (D-Lansing) said that it’s time to get focused on the budget.

“We’re past due, and I think it’s time for us to really focus in on what our goal is and get it done in time by October 1,” Witwer said.

When asked if she or Rep. Julie Brixie (D-Okemos), an early frontrunner for the position at the beginning of the term, would accept the position if offered, Brixie said it should be the Minority Leader’s job to make committee assignments for his members, not the speaker, and she will support Puri in whatever decision he makes.