Another South Carolinian has joined the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican, was named to the powerful defense committee by Senate leadership Tuesday after a divisive Alabama election race left an empty seat. He joins fellow South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is also a Republican member.
Armed Services is responsible for crafting the annual National Defense Authorization Act which sets military policy and spending priorities.
“It’s going to be huge. I am so glad,” said Graham, responding to Scott’s appointment. “I think you [will] find him very conversant in all things military.”
Scott was chosen to fill an open Senate seat in late 2012 by former Gov. Nikki Haley and won a special election to finish out the term of retired Sen. Jim DeMint. He won re-election in 2016.
“Having two brothers who served, I know well the sacrifices made by members of our Armed Forces, and I will continue working to ensure our military is the best trained and equipped fighting force in the world,” Scott said in a released statement.
South Carolina is home to Shaw Air Force Base, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and the Marine Corps’ boot camp at Parris Island.
There was an empty seat left on Armed Services last year when Jeff Sessions left the Senate to be attorney general in the Trump administration. It was temporarily filled by Luther Strange, who was appointed to fill Session’s Alabama seat.
Strange lost the seat during a special election in the state, and it was won by a Democrat for the first time in a quarter-century when freshman Sen. Doug Jones beat out Roy Moore.
