McKeon, Smith to lead House Armed Services Committee
The panel's leadership will change as Republicans take control of the House in the upcoming Congress.
Beginning next year, Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.) will be chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) will be its ranking Democrat.
McKeon is currently the ranking Republican member of the committee, and Smith is chairman of the committee’s Air and Land Forces Subcommittee.
The leadership is changing hands because of the Republicans’ majority in the House in the coming Congress. The current committee chairman, Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), didn't win re-election in November.