[House Prints, 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
COMMITTEE PRINT
113th Congress No. 3
A Ceremony
Unveiling the Portrait
of
THE
HONORABLE
HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON
A Representative in Congress from the Twenty-fifth District of
California
January 3, 1993-January 6, 2015
Elected to One Hundred Third Congress and Succeeding Congresses
Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, 2011-2014
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
PROCEEDINGS
before the
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
U.S. House of Representatives
September 18, 2014
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2015
90-992
_______________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________
A Ceremony
Unveiling the Portrait
of
THE HONORABLE
HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
U.S. House of Representatives
Thursday, September 18, 2014
_______________________________________________________________________
[ iii ]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
THE PORTRAIT
The portrait of Chairman McKeon was rendered by artist Bradley Stevens
in oil on linen canvas. It measures 54 inches high by 38 inches wide
and is presented in a gold leaf frame.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
U.S. Representative Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon is a champion of strong
national defense, easing the national debt, providing tax relief to
families and small businesses, protecting seniors' rights, and
improving education.
McKeon was selected by his peers to serve as chairman of the House
Committee on Armed Services in the 112th Congress, and again for
the 113th Congress. He was first named ranking member of the
committee in June 2009.
His priorities for the committee include: ensuring that our troops
deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world have the
equipment, resources, authorities, training, and time they need to
successfully complete their missions and return home; building upon
the Armed Services Committee's strong bipartisan tradition of
providing our warfighters and their families with the resources and
support they need; and investing in the capabilities and force
structure needed to protect the United States from tomorrow's
threats, while mandating fiscal responsibility, accountability, and
transparency from the Department of Defense.
As chairman of the Armed Services Committee, McKeon is fighting to
strengthen our military and invest in a force postured to meet the
challenges of the 21st century, while working to provide the
necessary resources for America's sons and daughters in Afghanistan
and Iraq. He has also led efforts to keep terrorist detainees off
of U.S. soil, boost funding for missile defense, and restore the
tradition of passing defense authorization bills devoid of
controversial social items.
Additionally, McKeon has worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between
industry and military leaders in order to ensure that our
warfighters on the ground continue to receive the support they need
and deserve.
McKeon has regularly worked to bolster missile defense programs,
support funding for the F-22, and provide enhancements to
effective, lighter-weight body armor and mine-resistant vehicles.
He has supported veteran resource programs for counseling,
vocational training, and college education.
From his very first term in Congress, McKeon stood as a leader for our
most vital weapons systems, leading the fight to increase the Air
Force's number of B-2s.
Prior to serving as the lead Republican on the House Committee on Armed
Services, McKeon was the top Republican on the Education and the
Workforce Committee for close to 3 years, where he advanced
conservative policies supporting school choice, teacher quality and
accountability, and higher education access and affordability.
In early 2006, McKeon ran the committee as chairman, replacing
Representative John Boehner (R-OH), who stepped down after becoming
House Majority Leader.
Prior to leading the full committee, McKeon headed the House
Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, which held
jurisdiction over issues such as higher education, technology in
education, teacher training, job training, and welfare reform. In
this role, McKeon helped negotiate the formula that resulted in
interest rates for the Federal student loan program dropping to
their lowest level in 38 years. McKeon still serves as a senior
member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.
His leadership in cutting Federal spending and reducing taxes also has
been noted by several national organizations, including the
National Taxpayers Union and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In
addition to his official committees, McKeon is also co-chairman of
the Congressional Unmanned Systems Caucus. As founder of the
caucus, McKeon is helping to educate Members of Congress and the
public on the strategic, tactical, and scientific value of unmanned
aerial systems (UAS). McKeon actively supports further development
of UAS and hopes to more effectively engage the civilian aviation
community on UAS use and safety.
McKeon was born September 9, 1938, in Los Angeles. He grew up in
Tujunga, California, and graduated from Verdugo Hills High School
in 1956. McKeon went on to attend Brigham Young University for 2
years, at which time he chose to put his studies on hold to serve a
2\1/2\-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
After returning from his mission, McKeon took a hiatus from his
studies. During this time, he married his wife, Patricia, started a
family, and began his career as a businessman in the Santa Clarita
Valley, located in the northern part of Los Angeles County.
He was soon involved in his community through such organizations as the
Boy Scouts, Little League, the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital
Board, the Chamber of Commerce, and serving as founding chairman of
the Valencia National Bank.
It was three decades later that McKeon returned to college and earned
his bachelor's degree in 1985, together with his eldest daughter.
It is for this reason that McKeon is often praised by adult
literacy groups. Later, in 2002, he received an honorary doctorate
of humane letters from Strayer University.
Before coming to Congress in 1993, McKeon served on the William S. Hart
Union High School District Board of Trustees from 1978 to 1987.
During that time, the city of Santa Clarita was incorporated and
its citizens selected McKeon as a member of the City Council.
It was during the council's first meeting that its members selected
McKeon as Santa Clarita's first mayor. During his tenure on the
City Council, Santa Clarita expanded its parks and safety programs,
increased the size of the police force, and earned a reputation as
one of the safest cities in America.
The McKeons have 6 children, 30 living grandchildren, and one great
grandchild. They live in Santa Clarita, California.
THE ARTIST
Bradley Stevens
Raised in Westport, Connecticut, Bradley Stevens came to Washington,
DC, to attend George Washington University, where he earned a
Bachelor of Fine Arts and Masters of Fine Arts. In addition to his
art studies, Stevens spent 5 years copying several hundred Old
Master paintings at the National Gallery of Art. He taught drawing
and portrait painting as an adjunct professor at his alma mater and
Georgetown University for 18 years.
In his career of over 30 years, Stevens has forged a reputation as one
of America's leading realist painters. His style is contemporary
realism--rooted in classical training, yet boldly depicting the
modern world with his penetrating eye. Stevens is unique among his
contemporaries for his exceptional achievements in three domains of
representational art: portraiture, landscapes, and figurative
cityscapes. He frequently works on commission and many of these are
large-scale paintings for public and corporate spaces.
Stevens has painted the portraits of luminaries and leaders in the
fields of education, business, medicine, law, science,
philanthropy, and politics. His stellar list of patrons includes
Governor Mark Warner of Virginia; Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. (National
Portrait Gallery collection); the family of Senator John D.
Rockefeller IV; Glenn L. Martin, co-founder of Martin Marietta; C.
Michael Armstrong, chairman of Johns Hopkins Hospital; Senator
Jennings Randolph of West Virginia; and Bruce Wasserstein, chairman
and CEO of Lazard.
Stevens was commissioned by the U.S. Senate to paint an original
historical mural commemorating the Connecticut Compromise of 1787
for the Senate Reception Room in the Capitol.
Stevens has reproduced historical portraits for the White House, U.S.
Department of State, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Embassy in
Paris, National Portrait Gallery, and Monticello. In 2002, the
Smithsonian Institution commissioned him to reproduce Gilbert
Stuart's Lansdowne portrait of George Washington for the museum in
Mount Vernon.
Stevens' landscapes and figurative cityscapes are found in the
collections of America's preeminent corporations, associations, and
professional firms, including AARP; Carr America; CSX; Cushman &
Wakefield; Fannie Mae; Gannett; Holland & Knight; McGuire Woods
Battle & Boothe LLP; Verizon; Wheat First Butcher & Singer;
Williams & Connolly LLP; and Wiley Rein & Fielding LLP.
By invitation of the U.S. Department of State, Stevens is a participant
in the Art in Embassies Program, which places the work of renowned
American artists in their embassies around the world.
Stevens and his artist wife live and work in their home in the Virginia
countryside, near Washington, DC. He is represented by galleries in
Washington, DC; Charlottesville; New York; and Boston.
SPECIAL APPRECIATION
Airbus Group, Inc.
Association of Private Sector Colleges & Universities
AT&T Services, Inc.
BAE Systems
Emergent BioSolutions
GE Aviation
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
General Dynamics
Honeywell
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Oshkosh Defense
Raytheon
Rolls-Royce North America
Science Applications International Corporation
SpaceX
The Boeing Company
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO
Ms. Harmony Allen
Ms. Sid Ashworth
Mr. Bob Cochran
Mr. Larry Duncan
Mr. Mat Dunn
Dr. Mark Esper
Mr. Ed Fortunato
Mr. Guy Hicks
Ms. Lesley Kalan
Mr. Jay Killeen
Mr. Jay Kimmitt
Mr. Tim McGivern
Mr. and Mrs. William Nixon
The Honorable Ed Pease
The Honorable Jon Porter
Mr. Peter Prowitt
Mr. Doug Ritter
Mr. Bart Roper
Ms. Nicole Sarouphim
Mr. Alan Tennille
Mr. Mark Valente III
Mr. Mike Waclawski
Ms. Candace Wagner
Mr. Greg Walters
CHAIRMAN, PORTRAIT COMMITTEE
Mr. Robert A. Cochran, Chief of Staff, 1993-2012
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Mr. Bradley Stevens, Artist
Ms. Farar Elliott, House Curator
Mr. Paul McGuire, U.S. Capitol Historical Society
P R O G R A M
2168 Rayburn House Office Building,
6:00 P.M., September 18, 2014
Master of Ceremonies:
Mr. Robert L. Simmons II
Republican Staff Director, House Committee on Armed
Services, 2005-Present
Invocation:
Mr. William Nixon
Remarks:
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker of the House
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
House Majority Leader
The Honorable Mac Thornberry
Vice Chairman, House Committee on Armed Services
The Honorable Chuck Hagel
Secretary of Defense
Mr. Robert Cochran
Chief of Staff, 1993-2012
Mr. Robert L. Simmons II
Introduction of the Artist:
Mr. Bradley Stevens
Unveiling of the Portrait:
Mrs. Patricia McKeon
Remarks:
The Honorable Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon
Unveiling Ceremony of Portrait of
THE HONORABLE
HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON
Thursday, September 18, 2014
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC.
Mr. Simmons. Welcome.
And thank you all for coming. Speaker Boehner, Leader McCarthy, Vice
Chairman Thornberry, Armed Services Committee members, Members of
Congress, we are honored to have you all here tonight.
We would also like to recognize members of Chairman McKeon's family who
are with us.
Sir, I would take the time to introduce them all, but I think we would
be here all night.
I would also like to recognize the other part of Chairman McKeon's
family, the HASC [House Armed Services Committee] and personal
staff who have stuck with you all these many years, sir, and are
proud to call you boss.
There is an old line that you can tell a man's character by how many
people show up for his boot roundup. Well, this isn't quite a boot
roundup, and I am sorry to say, there are no free cowboy boots
tonight. But in a way it is a form of a goodbye. This is our last
day of session before the election and the last day before the lame
duck. And looking into this crowded room, it is an honest testament
to the high esteem that we all have for our chairman.
At this time, I would like to introduce the chairman's longtime friend
and a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
Mr. Bill Nixon, for his invocation.
INVOCATION BY MR. WILLIAM NIXON
Mr. Nixon. Our Father who art in Heaven, as we bow our heads in
gratitude before thee on this beautiful day, we are mindful of the
blessings that you have given us to live in this great Nation, this
land of the free, this land of opportunity and hope. We are
grateful for the leadership that you have given us, for the
doctrines, for the guidance, the opportunities we have to excel
here.
We are grateful for those who have sacrificed so much for this great
Nation, for those who continue to sacrifice in harm's way and
distant lands. Be with and strengthen them. Let them be mindful of
the fact that we as a Nation stand behind them, that we love them,
that we appreciate their sacrifice.
We are mindful of our leaders and ask that thy might bless them,
strengthen them, give them the resolve they need to guide and
direct the affairs of state, to be more than just those who pass
laws but those who are the moral ideal of what we can become.
Please bless us as a people that we will focus on strengthening
ourselves and self-reliance, that we will work hard seeking to give
more than we take, that we will be mindful of those who are less
fortunate but always be about strengthening and building upon the
blessings we have received.
We are grateful for all of these things and mindful at this time as we
celebrate the life of a man who has given so much in the service of
the country, Chairman Howard ``Buck'' McKeon. Be with his family,
particularly in this transition of their lives, that thy spirit
might be with them, that thy might be mindful of their future
endeavors and that, in all things, this great and noble man will
remain in the fight.
And we say these things, in the name of thy son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Mr. Simmons. Thank you, Bill. We appreciate that.
And now it is actually a great personal honor to be able to introduce
the next person's remarks, the Speaker of the House, Speaker
Boehner.
[Applause.]
REMARKS OF HON. JOHN BOEHNER
Speaker of the House
Speaker Boehner. Well, let me just welcome all of you, and thank you
for being here for Buck.
For those of you in the back room making all that noise, as Elizabeth
Taylor told her fifth husband, Don't worry, honey, I won't be here
long.
[Laughter.]
Speaker Boehner. It is my honor as the Speaker of the House to accept
this portrait into the House collection. That is one of those
official things we have to say.
But I am here tonight because Buck is my friend. And Buck came here 22
years ago and we were on the Education and the Workforce Committee
together in the minority, having fun with George Miller----
[Laughter.]
Speaker Boehner. God bless you, George.
But most of you don't know that George and I actually have a great
relationship, as he does with Buck.
But, you know, everybody gets to know Buck because he is such a nice
guy. And around here, we get some nice guys, and then we have some
others.
[Laughter.]
Speaker Boehner. But Buck would work hard. He would work with both
sides of the aisle, never play games with anybody.
And, in 2004 or 2005, I don't know, somewhere around there, Buck and
some other Members had decided that we were going to have a group
to help me become the majority leader at some point. And so I knew
why Buck was in the room, because I was the chairman of the
committee, and if I got elected majority leader----
[Laughter.]
Speaker Boehner. But you all know Buck, you know, he is much more pure
of heart than that.
But Buck did take my place as chairman of the committee. While I was on
the committee and I was chairman, Buck was my right-hand guy. And
so it was not a hard decision as to who was going to be my
replacement. And then it wasn't that much longer after that, that
the chairmanship over at the Armed Services Committee came up. And
Buck really wanted to do this. And, frankly, it was some stiff
competition. And but, you know, Buck is my friend, simple as that.
I get to go to a lot of these retirement parties; staff, Members, they
are leaving. And, you know, you hate to see people go, but it is
part of what happens around here. And I will just say this: You
know, we have got important jobs. We get to put our fingerprints on
the course of history. Whether we are staff or Members, we get to
play a role. But when you step back and think about the most
rewarding part of what we do as Members, it is that we get to meet
people that we would have never met, other than the fact that we
have been elected to Congress. People in our own districts. In my
case, I travel all over the country, meet people all over the
country. But you get to meet and work with people right here on
both sides of the aisle. And the friendships and the relationships
that you develop, they are endless. But they are meaningful, and
frankly, it is the most meaningful part of this.
Buck--now, you all know me, I am holding it together.
[Laughter.]
Speaker Boehner. You all know. You are my friend. You are my buddy.
Congratulations.
[Applause.]
Mr. Simmons. It is my pleasure now to introduce Majority Leader
McCarthy.
[Applause.]
REMARKS OF HON. KEVIN McCARTHY
House Majority Leader
Mr. McCarthy. Thank you very much.
And I, too, will be brief. I know we have got votes. You would think I
could control that.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McCarthy. You know what is most interesting here, I walked
precincts with Buck McKeon to win his first congressional race. He
was just down the way, and he was the district over from me, and I
was just a volunteer. But I watched a guy that was a small business
owner. If you could ever imagine, in southern California, they
decided to put a city together. They created a city late in life,
and who did they put there, Buck McKeon. This was a guy that
understood how to put something together with thousands of people
starting out--infrastructure and all.
This race was a close race. It wasn't decided until a number of days
afterwards. I walked those precincts because I knew that was the
type of man that we wanted to go to Washington, one that not only
knew small business and also government, he was a man of faith, a
man that understood what he believed, and it propelled throughout
his family as well.
Well, I never thought I would ever get to serve with him, but when I
decided to run, he was the first person to call me and say, I will
be there. And lots of times we serve with Members that have
adjoining districts, and most of the time, they don't like each
other. You all know----
[Laughter.]
Mr. McCarthy. We do all of our meetings together. And it has been a
great honor because he has been a great mentor.
Now, we have a big privilege to become Members of Congress. But how few
Members of Congress are going to be able to say they were chairman
of two committees? Think about that. Chosen by his peers and by his
leadership. That is a great testament to this man. And then when
you think about what he has worked on, his true passion has always
been about the common defense of his country.
But, just yesterday, it was his amendment that was passed that he
worked with the Administration. And he doesn't sit back and say, I
will just take whatever you ask for. He said, you know what? We do
need to move forward and we do need to train, but I think there
needs to be greater accountability. So he wrote an amendment that
was a little different, that took both sides. And his last
amendment was one of the most bipartisan votes on the floor, but
also, that last amendment that he passed not only protects America
but will change the direction of this world. That is the type of
man you all are getting.
So I just thank you for making me be a small part, and I never dreamed
walking those precincts that I would be able to be here today and
say thank you for all the work you have done.
I do want to thank Patricia and all the six kids and I don't know how
many grandkids.
[Laughter.]
Mrs. McKeon. Thirty. That would be 30, Kevin.
Mr. McCarthy. Every Christmas, that is the card we wait for.
[Applause.]
Mr. Simmons. Now, our next guest is somebody that on the HASC staff we
know real well and have had the privilege to work with, the vice
chairman of the committee, Mac Thornberry.
[Applause.]
REMARKS OF HON. MAC THORNBERRY
Vice Chairman, House Committee on Armed Services
Mr. Thornberry. Well, I think I can speak on this occasion for all
members of the Armed Services Committee on both sides of the aisle
when I say that we very much appreciate the fairness, the
respectfulness, and the good humor with which Buck has always
chaired our committee.
I haven't seen the picture yet, but I hope it has a big smile on his
face because he always has a big smile on his face.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Thornberry. However intense the debate and however emotional people
get, he always has that even temper, that big smile. That is
exactly the way any good chairman should be.
He has also always been interested in members and staff, and I think
the compassion he showed as we have lost two key members of the
staff, pretty close together here, has really been remarkable.
And talking about the family, I got to tell you all, you can't have a
conversation with Buck that lasts more than 3 or 4 minutes before
he starts talking about a child, a grandchild, or Patricia. If you
have 30 grandchildren----
[Laughter.]
Mr. Thornberry. But it is really clear that family is at the center of
his life and also that family is a big part of what motivates him
in the job he does every day to protect the country. That really
comes through. And I know you all are proud of that.
Circumstances have meant that Buck has had to chair this committee
during difficult budget times and also in a very volatile
environment. But he has always, as you all well know, forcefully
spoken up for the men and women who serve our country and also for
a strong national defense, and that is a pretty impressive legacy
for any of us to leave.
Last thing I want to say is this: I just had the opportunity to shake
hands with President Reagan a couple of times. I didn't know him,
but you know, the way I knew him was through the media, like all of
us. But I will tell you, and I have never told Buck this, there had
been a number of occasions when he will say something, and what he
says or the way he says it, I see Ronald Reagan. And I think it is
more than just being California.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Thornberry. I think it is more than just, you know, the strong
national defense. I think there is a basic, deep decency, a deep-
seated love of this country that comes through a lot of times when
he talks.
And so, to me, that is really the essence of Buck McKeon. And so every
time in the future those of us on Armed Services Committee look up
and see this picture, that is what we are going to think about.
[Applause.]
Mr. Simmons. And now it is, again, my great pleasure to introduce
somebody that the chairman and the Armed Services Committee work
very closely with, great pleasure to introduce our Secretary of
Defense, Secretary Chuck Hagel.
[Applause.]
REMARKS OF HON. CHUCK HAGEL
Secretary of Defense
Secretary Hagel. Thank you.
Buck, I think Mac just announced your candidacy for President.
[Laughter.]
Secretary Hagel. I am privileged to be part of that. President Obama
will be glad he is retiring.
[Laughter.]
Secretary Hagel. I came to see the pretty new picture, really.
Well, first, I am particularly pleased that you let me in. A former
United States Senator, I know, has no credibility over here.
[Laughter.]
Secretary Hagel. In fact, as Secretary of Defense, I know I have very
little credibility. But you let me in anyway, and I am glad you did
because the words that have been spoken here tonight by the
Speaker, the majority leader, vice chairman of the committee, ring
so true and everybody in this room knows it.
In all my years of different jobs and the privilege I have had to work
in different capacities in public service, it is rare to have an
opportunity to work with someone like Buck McKeon. The words that
have been used: fair, always mindful of others, whether that is
personal relationships, professional relationships. He has strong
opinions and feelings, as he should. I think that is an obligation
and a responsibility for all elected Members to let people know
where they stand.
But he has always allowed everyone their time to make their case, and
he has done it in a way that we would all benefit from in this town
if we would take a little more of the Buck McKeon school of
personal conduct and take a little bit of his decency and apply
that to everything we do in our professional lives.
I will miss you, Buck, personally. I can tell you the Department of
Defense and the men and women all over this country who serve our
Nation with such distinction and selflessness will miss you
greatly, which you have represented, how you have led and the
courage you have shown and always sticking up for our military all
over the world has not gone unnoticed.
I know, though, that like the responsibility of any great leader, you
build a team behind you. And I know that Mac and others in this
room on the Armed Services Committee will follow in your wake and
that may be the most significant contribution you will have made in
your public service, is building a team, a team that not only can
follow your leadership but you have represented a certain model and
a standard that you have given everyone, all of us, which we will
always be grateful for.
So, Patricia, to your family, to the thousands and thousands of McKeons
all over----
[Laughter.]
Secretary Hagel. I know how proud you all are of your father, your
grandfather, I don't know great grandfather yet. But I know,
Patricia, what you have meant to Buck and to your family and how
you have given him such support and courage and love over these
years, and he knows it more and better and deeper than anyone.
Thank you for the privilege to be here tonight to participate in
honoring Buck McKeon.
[Applause.]
Mr. Simmons. Thank you.
Now I would like to ask Mr. McKeon's former chief of staff and long-
time friend, Bob Cochran, please come forward.
[Applause.]
REMARKS OF ROBERT COCHRAN
Chief of Staff, 1993-2012
Mr. Cochran. You know, it is amazing. I stand before here and I look at
all your kids and I know what an inspiration they are and how
family plays such an important role.
And as was said before, and certainly, Patricia, you are Buck's
inspiration. You are the one that energizes him, each and every
day, and that is something that I got to see as his former chief of
staff for 20 years, day in and day out.
You know, I can't say enough about what Buck means to myself, but also
I speak on behalf of the staff. I know Bob, in terms of the
professional staff on the Armed Services Committee, but also the
personal staff and the many people that you have influenced and you
have affected in such a positive way. Your leadership, your
guidance; you are not only a boss but you are a mentor, and that
was the thing that you always set out from day one.
I can remember in that first term when you had this book ``I Can,'' and
you sat down chapter by chapter and you went through it, and what
you were trying to achieve is you were trying to make all of us
raise the bar to become more active and more engaged. And, for
that, I thank you personally in terms of what you provided me all
those years as chief of staff.
I just can't say enough. An honorable man, a man of integrity, the
smile on your face. Now, I will get a smile out of these kids when
I say, now, sometimes I walked into the room and there was this
straight face. You could always tell the body language. But you
knew, Bob, I need to talk to you. And that serious tone. But I will
tell you what, the things that we got to experience from your
presidency of freshman class, from the time that you were chairman
of the Higher Ed Subcommittee, to the full committee chair on
Education and the Workforce Committee, to the ranking member and
then chairman of the Armed Services Committee, it has been a great
ride and I know you have enjoyed it.
And this is a very distinguished event with a lot of distinguished
guests to be a part of this. So I am just very honored and
privileged that I could be here and serve a part of this.
I would also like to just say, thank you for the financial support from
the donors that helped the Capitol Historical Society to make this
event possible. We just thank you for that.
So, with that, Buck, my friend, we appreciate everything that you have
done, and you have really made a mark on this institution. Thank
you.
[Applause.]
REMARKS OF ROBERT L. SIMMONS II
Republican Staff Director, House Committee on Armed Services, 2005-
Present
Mr. Simmons. Now I get to talk from the inside looking at Chairman
McKeon. You know, we will long remember the accomplishments of
Chairman McKeon, as Mac Thornberry said, in this tough time.
I mean, you are tireless in leading the fight.
Now, I never, ever, ever heard the chairman ask me, what is the
politically correct or the political environment going to allow us
to do? It was always, what is the right thing to do? And we never
got down to letting politics get in the way of the possible courses
of action. And, for that, I will tell you the HASC staff will be
forever in your debt for that leadership.
But, you know, it is not really the measure of the man, really, at
looking only at his accomplishments, because it is really why those
things happen. And for my years here, being blessed to be able to
serve on the Armed Services Committee and looking at other things I
have done in my life, it is important to look at what you really
are. And you and I have had some of these discussions, and it is
the measure of a man in leadership is really what he does to create
an environment of success for others.
And, sir, that is actually what you have done. You have made it
possible for so many Members and staff to be able to work for you
and accomplish things that only come from servant leadership. And
this is one guy that, no matter what, in any circumstance, it was
always others before self. Always. And that is what opened up this
committee to be able to accomplish so much.
And we have talked about the Boy Scouts and everything else, and, sir,
you are the epitome of what we all hope to be, and the HASC staff
is greatly honored to have been able to work these years with you.
It has been a great, great personal pleasure and ride. For that, we
are all very thankful. Thank you.
[Applause.]
INTRODUCTION OF THE ARTIST
Mr. Simmons. Now I would like to talk about and introduce our artist
for the portrait.
Mr. Bradley Stevens was raised in Westport, Connecticut. Came to
Washington, DC, to study at George Washington University, where he
earned his bachelor of fine arts and master of fine arts. In
addition to his art study, Stevens spent 5 years copying several
hundred Old Master paintings at the National Gallery of Art. He
taught drawing and portrait painting as an adjunct professor at his
alma mater and Georgetown University for 18 years.
In his career of over 30 years, he has forged a reputation of one of
America's leading realist painters. His style is contemporary
realism rooted in classical training, yet boldly depicting the
modern world with his penetrating eye. Stevens is unique among his
contemporaries for his exceptional achievements in three domains of
representational art: portraiture, landscapes, and figurative
cityscapes. He frequently works on commission, and many of these
large-scale paintings are for public and corporate spaces.
Stevens has painted the portraits of luminaries and leaders in the
fields of education, business, medicine, law, science,
philanthropy, and politics. This stellar list of patrons includes
Governor Mark Warner of Virginia; Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., in the
National Portrait Gallery collection; the family of Senator John D.
Rockefeller IV; Glenn L. Martin, the cofounder of Martin Marietta;
C. Michael Armstrong, chairman of Johns Hopkins Hospital; Senator
Jennings Randolph of West Virginia; and Bruce Wasserstein, chairman
and CEO of Lazard.
Stevens was commissioned by the United States Senate to paint an
original historical mural commemorating the Connecticut Compromise
of 1787 for the Senate Reception Room in the Capitol.
Stevens has reproduced historical portraits for the White House, U.S.
Department of State, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Embassy in
Paris, the National Portrait Gallery, and at Monticello.
By invitation of the U.S. Department of State, Stevens is a participant
in the Art Embassy Program, which places the work of the renowned
American artists in their embassies all around the world.
Stevens and his wife, who was also an artist, live here and work in
their home in the Virginia countryside near Washington, DC. He is
represented by galleries in Washington, DC; Charlottesville; New
York; and Boston.
And we thank you very much and we look forward to seeing the fruits of
your labor.
At this time, I would like to invite Mrs. McKeon to please do the
honors.
[Whereupon, the portrait was unveiled.]
[Applause.]
Mr. Simmons. It is now my pleasure to introduce our chairman, Chairman
Buck McKeon.
[Applause.]
REMARKS OF HON. HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON
Mr. McKeon. Secretary, thank you for being here. That was a big
surprise.
Can you hear me? Do you want to?
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. Well, I think I already told the Secretary that I feel like
this is my funeral.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. I would like to ask all of you to show up there, say the
same thing, and we will just be done with it. It is hard to improve
on that.
I have got a whole lot of stuff prepared right there, and you know that
the thing that has kind of been with me all day today is, 77 years
ago today my mom and dad got married, and a year later, I joined
the family, and then four more brothers joined. And, you know, I
did a fantastic job of selecting parents.
And then, the decision I probably have a little more to do with, I
selected the best woman in the world as my wife.
[Applause.]
Mr. McKeon. I didn't get this from Boehner.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. I was born with it. I passed it on to my kids, but I am
going to try to just get through this.
I have been so blessed in my life, and this--to come here to see such
great, wonderful people that I have had the opportunity to rub
shoulders with and work with and learn from and benefit from--is a
culmination.
Years ago, when I was a missionary, I learned a poem, and it stuck with
me all my life. I read it about the time I read ``I Can.'' First
time. And it was, if I can remember, it was,
Isn't it strange that princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common folks like you and me,
Are builders for eternity.
To each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass, a set of rules;
And each shall make ere life is flown,
A stumbling block, or a stepping-stone.
And you know, we are all in this together. We all do it together. And
it has been fantastic.
And there is a king, a great king that, as he was leaving his reign, he
said to the people, Remember when you are in the service of your
fellow men, you are only in the service of your God. That is what
it is all about.
And I could, man, I could go around the room. I could take hours. I
will start with my kids: Tamara, number one; Howard, number two;
John Matthew is not here; Kimberly, number four; David is not here.
He was here last week for that tremendous honor that the military
gave us; and then our baby, Tricia.
Now I can start on the grandchildren. We have got Jenna. We have got
Alyssa. We have got Daniel. Carlie. Carlie is all grown up. You
know, somebody asks me, every time they hear we have 30 kids, can
you name them? I said, sure, I just have to prep.
And now we start on great grandchildren. Londyn. But I don't know how
to spell it. How would you spell it?
Mrs. McKeon. I don't know. Ask him.
Unidentified Speaker. L-o-n-d-y-n.
Mr. McKeon. See, the grandma knows. I could go on and on. If I started
getting in--let me just say one thing. For a period of time, I had
three Bobs: Bob Simmons, staff director, and most of you know him;
Bob Cochran, chief of staff with me for 20 years. He reminds me
periodically, you know, that he was born the year I graduated high
school. And Bob Haueter. I met them both together at the same time,
so Bob, Bob, Bob. Bob, Bob, Bob. Bob. It was good because I am not
good with names so I can just say, Hey, Bob. One of them would say,
What?
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. And then, a couple years ago, Bob Haueter left; Bob Cochran
left. I had to hire new people and I couldn't find a Bob.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. But I got Morris. Morris. That was, you know, about as far
from Bob as you can get.
Morris, raise your hand so people--he is from the district. He is my
district director.
[Applause.]
Mr. McKeon. Mr. Secretary, take off. I am going to go for another
couple of hours.
Secretary Hagel. I know. I wanted to say, and I did forget this, and I
can't walk out of this room without saying it.
President Obama wanted me to say thank you, congratulations, and he
also very much appreciates your leadership, what you have done for
this country. I sure as hell can't go back to the White House and
not tell you.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. I took our interns for lunch the other day. We do that
before they leave, and I let them ask me questions. One of them
said, Have you ever met a President? Yeah. Yeah. I have had that
opportunity.
I forgot what I was going to say for the second hour.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. Alan, yeah, I had to replace the other Bob, my chief of
staff. Where is Alan? Alan has been so involved in all of this and
in holding my hand, you know, as we plan to leave. And that is hard
because he doesn't have a job to go to. Of course, I don't either.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. But we will work it out. We will find a way to keep bread
on the table. We will do that.
Hey, let me--Bob, Alan, Morris, Bob, Bob, all of the staff that I have,
Vic, all of the staff--I got chosen to be chairman of the Education
Committee, and then you need a staff director. And I didn't even
think of asking Vic because he was making a fortune, and somebody
said, you have got to ask Vic, because we had worked very closely
together before he left committee. I said, geez, he is making so
much money. No way he would come back and do this. I asked him, and
he came back. And that was--he will never make up for that. I will
never make up for it, but I sure appreciate it, and it really
helped me because Boehner took a lot of the staff with him, and we
had to get the whole committee reorganized.
Hi, Karen. Karen was our first, after Bob, hire. I could tell you a
story about her, but she probably rather we don't do that right
now.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. General, Commandant, standing over here, we are going out
together. Bonnie's probably a lot more happy about it, and he will
get used to it.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. But, you know, I didn't even want to get started going on
names because I know it would be a real big problem. Let me just
say, this is such a fantastic experience. I have had, as I said, so
many blessings, the opportunity of working with you.
I mean, you know, I mentioned this last night in the bill, you know,
government workers, a lot of times people say bad things about
them, you know, they are on the public dole, blah, blah, that kind
of stuff. And I said it last night, and I will say it again how
much work you do, how much you are appreciated by me and by all of
those that you associate with that know the work that you do. Thank
you. Thank you again.
Members pretty much all had to leave to go vote. I figure missing a
couple votes probably won't hurt my election.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. They are all things I have already voted for, and I know
that I would have voted for them again, and they will pass.
Thank you for being here.
Bradley, Mac left to vote, he wanted a smile. We had a lot of
discussion on that, and it was really hard for me to stand there
and not smile. But we felt the defense of our Nation--and that is
where that portrait is going to hang--is serious business. And you
can go in Education and see a smile; a smile on that one, and then
a serious one. And I think you did such a fantastic job with what
you had to work with.
[Laughter.]
[Applause.]
Mr. McKeon. This guy, he worked a whole lot more than what he got paid,
and any of you guys that are going to be chairman, you ought to
remember that he is really good, and he really works at it, and he
came and took a jillion pictures. We would pose. He first went out
and studied the area and then he took all these pictures. Then he
did charcoal--what happened to those?
Mr. Stevens. They are in my studio.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. I want to talk to you about those.
We did four big charcoal drawings and then we picked out this, and then
he got it almost complete and asked if we would come by and look at
it. And I said, I asked you to make it like Robert Redford in his
heyday.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. But he is too honest, and he said, you know what, you want
to make it so you can recognize the person. And I thought, what the
heck, Robert Redford is aging, too, you know.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. But fantastic job. And I really enjoyed our association,
and the effort you put into this I think was really great.
Did you prepare that speech?
Mrs. McKeon. Yes.
Mr. McKeon. Do you have it ready?
Mrs. McKeon. I do. So we were out on a date, and he said--I said, ``You
are the one.'' And he said, ``The one what?'' And I said, ``The one
that is going to marry me.'' And he said, ``When?'' And I set a
date.
[Laughter.]
Mr. McKeon. It is called setting the hook. And man, am I glad she did,
because the way I get around making decisions, I would probably
still be thinking about it.
But thank you all. Thank you for your friendship, your devotion to our
Nation, for all that you have meant to us in so many different
ways.
And, Bob, thank you.
But those who contributed the resources to make this possible, thank
you, especially. I don't know if there is any food left. If there
is, I hope you will eat it. Enjoy yourselves. And no votes
tomorrow. Thank you.
[Applause.]
[Whereupon, at 6:45 p.m., the presentation was concluded.]
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
One Hundred Thirteenth Congress
HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON, California, Chairman
MAC THORNBERRY, Texas ADAM SMITH, Washington
WALTER B. JONES, North Carolina LORETTA SANCHEZ, California
J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia MIKE McINTYRE, North Carolina
JEFF MILLER, Florida ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania
JOE WILSON, South Carolina SUSAN A. DAVIS, California
FRANK A. LoBIONDO, New Jersey JAMES R. LANGEVIN, Rhode Island
ROB BISHOP, Utah RICK LARSEN, Washington
MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio JIM COOPER, Tennessee
JOHN KLINE, Minnesota MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, Guam
MIKE ROGERS, Alabama JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut
TRENT FRANKS, Arizona DAVID LOEBSACK, Iowa
BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania NIKI TSONGAS, Massachusetts
K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, Texas JOHN GARAMENDI, California
DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, Jr.,
ROBERT J. WITTMAN, Virginia Georgia
DUNCAN HUNTER, California COLLEEN W. HANABUSA, Hawaii
JOHN FLEMING, Louisiana JACKIE SPEIER, California
MIKE COFFMAN, Colorado RON BARBER, Arizona
E. SCOTT RIGELL, Virginia ANDRE CARSON, Indiana
CHRISTOPHER P. GIBSON, New York CAROL SHEA-PORTER, New Hampshire
VICKY HARTZLER, Missouri DANIEL B. MAFFEI, New York
JOSEPH J. HECK, Nevada DEREK KILMER, Washington
JON RUNYAN, New Jersey JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
AUSTIN SCOTT, Georgia TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
STEVEN M. PALAZZO, Mississippi SCOTT H. PETERS, California
MO BROOKS, Alabama WILLIAM L. ENYART, Illinois
RICHARD B. NUGENT, Florida PETE P. GALLEGO, Texas
KRISTI L. NOEM, South Dakota MARC A. VEASEY, Texas
PAUL COOK, California TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma
BRAD R. WENSTRUP, Ohio
JACKIE WALORSKI, Indiana
BRADLEY BYRNE, Alabama
Robert L. Simmons II, Staff Director