Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif. is now promising upstate New Yorkers that he will give Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman a seat on the Armed Services committee if he wins tomorrow’s special election in New York’s 23rd District. The district features Fort Drum, a massive installation in the far northern region of New York state, about half-way between Syracuse and Ottawa, Canada.
McKeon became the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services committee just after after the resignation of Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y., who was appointed Secretary of the Army. Hoffman and Democrat Bill Owens are fighting for McHugh’s old seat.
McKeon’s statement, delivered by the National Republican Congressional Committee:
Fort Drum not only plays a critical role in our country’s defense capabilities, but it is key to the region’s economic well-being. Doug Hoffman is ready and capable of following in John McHugh’s footsteps by representing the North Country both in Congress and on the Armed Services Committee. I pledge my full support toward securing the next available seat on the Armed Services Committee for Doug Hoffman and look forward to working closely with him in the near future.”
