Inhofe succeeds John McCain as chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee
For the past nine months, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) has been acting as the head of the Armed Services Committee, which focuses on military and defense policy issues, and his appointment was formalized on Sept. 5, when he was named chairman of the committee. Inhofe succeeds the previous chairman, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who died in August after a battle with brain cancer.
A U.S. Army veteran himself, Inhofe has served on the Armed Services Committee since 1995 and was the Senate’s ranking member on the committee from 2013 to 2015. Inhofe’s new role as chairman will involve crafting the annual defense policy legislation and ensuring the military’s efficiency following its major budget increase.
“We congratulate Sen. Inhofe on being named Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “Besides being the leading voice for pilots in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Inhofe is a proud veteran who understands the military and national security, and knows what it takes to keep us safe and ready.”
Speaking about his recent nomination, Inhofe said, “I am deeply honored that my colleagues have selected me to lead the Armed Services Committee. America is facing new and unprecedented threats that are different from anything we’ve seen before. As Chairman, it will be my priority to address these threats while maintaining a staunch commitment to service members and their families, as well as continue the bipartisan tradition of rigorous accountability and oversight of the Defense Department.”
