Washington, D.C.— Today Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) and Ranking Member Duncan Hunter (R-CA) announced that Representatives Niki Tsongas (D-MA) and Doug Lamborn (R-CO) were recently named to serve on the House Armed Services Committee.

    “I am pleased to welcome Niki Tsongas and Doug Lamborn to the House Armed Services Committee,” said Chairman Skelton.  “I look forward to working with them as the committee continues its work of ensuring that our nation remains secure and providing for the wellbeing of our troops and their families.  I have no doubt they will both contribute greatly to these efforts.”

    “We’re pleased to welcome two outstanding new Members to the committee.  Both have distinguished backgrounds and bring a lot of value to the committee.  We look forward to working with them as we go about our mission of providing for the nation’s defense,” commented Ranking Member Hunter.    

    “I'm proud to represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the Armed Services Committee," said Representative Tsongas.  "The state has a long tradition of military service and is home to a number of military installations as well as numerous innovative companies employing hundreds of people and creating state-of-the-art products and services for our military.  As the daughter of an Air Force Colonel who grew up on bases all across the US, Europe and Asia, I have a unique understanding of the needs and concerns of our military families and I know how important it is that we do everything we can to honor their service and sacrifice.  I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue to provide the best possible care for our servicemen and women.”

    “It is honor to be assigned to the Readiness Subcommittee and the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee.  The Readiness Subcommittee has a direct impact on the training and the fighting health of our armed forces.  With the wide variety of military training facilities located in the Fifth District of Colorado, it will provide me the opportunity to ensure that these facilities are nurtured with the proper tools and resources necessary to provide our troops with the best preparation available to fight the Global War on Terror.  Serving on the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee will afford me the opportunity to oversee the needs of the Navy and the Marines as they carryout their missions in the Middle East and other areas of the world,” said Representative Lamborn.

###