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Sen. Doug Jones Appointed to Senate Armed Services Committee

By CAROLINE BECK, Alabama Daily News

Sen. Doug Jones has been appointed to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) when the 116th Congress convenes in January.

This is an important apointment for Jones and the State of Alabama because there are five military installations in the state that employ 8,500 active duty service members and more than 23,000 civilians. More than 375,000 veterans, including 65,000 retirees, also live in Alabama, as well as the Department of Defense spending $7.7 billion in contracts in the state.

Sen. Jones said he understands his responsibilities to Alabama and to the country and hopes that this appointment will bring economic growth for the armed services and the whole state in general.

“Alabama and its citizens have long played a significant role in our national defense, from building or maintaining ships and other vehicles to leading cutting-edge research and development to volunteering to serve in our armed forces,” Jones said in a release.

“It is vital that we have a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee, a role that I am honored to be able to fill in the next Congress. I am committed to serving as Alabama’s advocate for a strong national defense, which also means a strong and prosperous economy in our state. I look forward to working with Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed to advocate for our service members and their families, and for a robust national defense posture that protects our interests at home and abroad.”

Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) is the chairman for the committee and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) is the ranking member.

“Senator Jones is a tremendous advocate for Alabama and a true champion for our service members and their families.  I am pleased to welcome him to the committee and know he’ll continue working on a bipartisan basis to help keep America strong militarily and economically,” Reed said.

Jones will still be serving on the Senate Committe on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, as well as the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.  He also will still be serving on the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Since he will now be on the SASC be will no longer be serving on the Senate Committee on Homeland Secruity and Governmental Affairs.

Jones joins Tammy Duckworth (D-ILL) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) who are the other new members joining the committe who are replacing Sens. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) who were not reelected to Congress this year.

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