Inhofe to chair Senate Armed Services Committee

Sen. Jim Inhofe became the first Oklahoman to chair the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell named him to replace John McCain.

In a noon statement on the Senate floor, McConnell praised Inhofe for serving as acting chair of the committee while McCain underwent brain cancer treatment in Arizona this year. McCain, who had chaired the committee since 2015, died Aug. 25 after fighting cancer for more than a year.

“He possesses rich experience on the committee, including decades of work on behalf of American service members, as well as his own military service,” McConnell said of Inhofe.

Inhofe, like McCain, is a military veteran and experienced committee member.

“Our national defense is a constitutional responsibility that we cannot take lightly,” said Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City. “Sen. Inhofe is the best person to step into this role to head this vital Senate committee.

“Sen. Inhofe’s experience and passion for the men and women in our Armed Forces have prepared him well to serve in this role. I’m grateful for his leadership, his love for Oklahoma, and his friendship. I know he will serve this committee, our nation, and our state well.”

Inhofe, R-Tulsa, told Gaylord News he wants to work on putting Armed Services subcommittees to better use from his new position, and that he won’t necessarily be as involved as his predecessor was in several aspects of the committee.

“My concern is going to be to accurately determine what the risk is out there, and if it’s a huge risk to America, and then how to best meet that risk through our authorization bills and our legislation,” Inhofe said.

The committee also will be pursuing the president’s proposed Space Force program, a sixth military branch that would oversee defense in space. Inhofe responded to questions about his personal position on Space Force only

the cost of the program has yet to be determined.

As a representative of a state heavily dependent on military spending — Tinker Air Force Base, one of Oklahoma’s six military bases, is one of the state’s largest employers — Inhofe’s

full impact on Oklahoma from his new position isn’t yet clear. Inhofe said he’ll continue to look out for the state’s military interests.

Inhofe’s presence on the committee certainly won’t be detrimental for Oklahoma, said John Fishel, professor emeritus from the National Defense University and lecturer at the University of Oklahoma.

“Having a very senior

member from the state as the chair is obviously going to help,” Fishel said. “When there’s a choice between (Oklahoma) and Texas, guess where Jim Inhofe’s going to be. At least, that’s what I think.”

Emma Keith reports for Gaylord News, a Washington reporting project of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma.