McKeon Will Not Seek Reelection in 2014

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon [R-Calif.] announced Thursday he will not seek reelection in 2014. McKeon has served southern California in the House since 1992. He became HASC chairman in 2011 after Republicans regained control of the House. “Serving our military men and women was the great highlight of my 20 years in Congress,” said McKeon in a statement posted to his Facebook page on Jan. 16. “Their fight is my fight. Every day I do my best to faithfully do my duty to them and to our country. We are blessed with the finest military that history has ever known. Even after I’m gone, there’s still much I have to do on their behalf. The work is just beginning.” Ranking member Rep. Adam Smith [D-Wash.] praised McKeon for his unwavering commitment to the troops, saying McKeon’s work on the committee is something “Congress should seek to emulate . . . As political tension continued to rise in Congress, Buck stayed committed to bipartisanship. We formed a strong working relationship that allowed us to pass the National Defense Authorization Act year after year,” said Smith in a statement released following McKeon’s announcement Thursday. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel also thanked McKeon in a Jan. 16 statement for his “tireless work and leadership in providing DOD with greater budget stability and predictability.”