[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

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                              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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

                                     

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                              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