Committee Insider

House Armed Services


The House Armed Services Committee: first in war, first in peace and one of the busiest panels in Congress these days, with a surprisingly diverse agenda.

Armed and Ready for Battle

May 11, 2009

At the beginning of the year, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) promised a jam-packed agenda for his committee, with hearings on Iraq, Afghanistan-Pakistan issues and the Pentagon’s acquisition process.
So far, he is making good on his promise.

Read the full article

McHugh Moves Into Spotlight

May 11, 2009

Amid the avalanche of news conferences and photo ops on Capitol Hill, Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) got a lot done last week.
McHugh, the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, co-led a markup hearing on a Pentagon acquisition reform bill that passed unanimously, and he co-sponsored legislation to keep Guantánamo Bay detainees from coming to U.S. prisons.


Lobbyists Closely Following Agenda

May 11, 2009

The House Armed Services Committee may not have the cachet among defense industry lobbyists that the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense has, but K Streeters who work for military contractors say their peers ignore Armed Services at their own peril.


Top Staffer Conaton Preaches Togetherness

May 11, 2009

It isn’t often that Congressional committee staff directors garner national media attention.
They usually operate behind the scenes, ensuring the leadership is on-schedule and on-message at hearings and with pending legislation. However, Erin Conaton, majority staff director for the House Armed Services Committee since 2006, found herself at the epicenter of a news storm more than two years ago after conservatives became enraged with a 15-page memorandum she penned.


House Armed Services Committee Through the Ages

May 11, 2009

The following is a look back at the history of the House Armed Services Committee.


Related Articles

Senate Approves Pentagon Acquisition Overhaul Bill; House Could Follow Next Week
House Armed Services Leaders Offer Acquisition Overhaul Bill
Lawmakers Slow to Embrace Gates' Call for Weapons Cuts
House Armed Services Committee Creates Panel on Acquisition Reform


Schumer Advocates for Many on Panel

Nov. 16, 12 a.m.

As Senate Majority Leader, Lyndon Johnson once said of the Joint Economic Committee, “It’s as useless as tits on a bull.” But as that panel’s chairman during the 110th Congress, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) seized the opportunity to elevate the traditionally low-profile post to the forefront of shaping policy. Read Full Article

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