Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., was chosen on Wednesday to replace John McCain as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
The committee members made the decision after McCain passed away in Arizona following a yearlong battle with brain cancer and was buried at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on Sunday.
“Jim Inhofe filled in for Sen. McCain during a difficult year. He rose to the occasion and helped lead the committee in passing crucial legislation that honored the example of his predecessor and the volunteers who defend our nation,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “He possesses rich experience on the committee, including decades of work on behalf of American service members as well as his own military service.”
The full Senate is expected to approve this move this week.
[Also read: Jim Inhofe: ‘John McCain is partially to blame’ for White House flag controversy]
