GOP Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon of California, chairman of the House Armed Services, announced Thursday that he will not run for a 12th term. McKeon, 75, is slated to retire at the end of the 113th Congress, as required by Republican term-limit rules for committee chairs.
In June 2009, McKeon was named the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee for the remainder of the 111th Congress and began serving as Chairman in the 112th Congress.
On his Facebook page, he wrote to his constituents, “This morning I made the announcement that I will not be running for Congress in the 25th District of California in 2014.”
He noted that twenty-two years ago, he announced his candidacy to represent the new 25th Congressional district of California. As a small business owner, he had not previously run in a federal election. Then he found himself serving in Washington D.C.
“From the time I arrived here, I’ve heard people say you’ll know when it’s time to leave. I’ve heard that if you’re walking to the Capital at night, and the lights gleaming off the dome don’t give you a little shiver of excitement, it’s probably time to pack up and go home,” he wrote.
“Well, it’s still special, every time I walk up the Hill. But other things have told me that it’s time to walk away. So I’m announcing today that I will not be a candidate for the House of Representatives in 2014. I will finish my current term, representing my friends and constituents back home. And I’ll remain throughout the year as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee,” McKeon continued.
He said that representing “the troops, serving our military men and women was the great highlight of my 20 years in Congress….And the members of this Committee were the best I could have asked for as Chairman. They always put the troops and country first. I know they will carry on my priorities going into the next Congress. Those are: defense reform. We simply must be smarter about how we spend money at the Pentagon.”
McKeon added that still, as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, he will travel to regions that are strategically important, including Afghanistan.
“We’re going to let our allies know that Congress hasn’t forgotten about them,” he wrote, “Our troops and our allies have spilled blood to ensure that country never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists. They deserve our public support. They deserve to hear that what they are doing matters. They’ll hear it from me and they’ll hear it from our members. And we will continue our rigorous oversight of Afghan security transition’s progress. We simply must get this one right.”
Additionally, before coming to Congress, he served on the William S. Hart Union High School District Board of Trustees and as the first mayor of the City of Santa Clarita.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel stated, “I want to commend Representative Howard “Buck” McKeon for his many years of dedicated public service to the people of California, to our country, and to America’s men and women in uniform.
“As Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Buck has fought hard to provide our troops serving around the world, and their families, the resources and support they need to accomplish their mission. He has been a strong advocate for ensuring that our military has the capabilities to meet the complex and challenging threats it will face in the future. Since I took this position as secretary of defense a year ago, I have particularly appreciated his tireless work and leadership in providing DoD with greater budget stability and predictability.
“Buck is a true patriot, and thanks to his leadership on defense issues and his passion for our troops, he has made our military stronger, and our country more secure. I’ve appreciated all of his personal courtesies to me and helpful advice. I consider him a friend whom I will greatly miss. I look forward to continuing to work with him for the remainder of this term and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
