Ranking member slot on House Armed Services panel filled

The House Democratic Caucus voted Thursday night to make Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the next ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, several House Democratic aides said.

Smith, who has long been considered a rising star on the A-list committee, shot to his party's top job on the panel after Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., the current chairman, and several other more senior Democrats on armed services lost re-election on November 2.

The contest for the job came down to Smith, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas. Smith won the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee's recommendation Wednesday after a run-off between the Washington Democrat and Sanchez.

Smith and Sanchez tied on the caucus's first ballot Thursday, but Smith ultimately prevailed, 97-86, on the second round of votes.

Reyes' loss for the Armed Services job could pit him against Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., for the ranking member post on the House Intelligence Committee. That decision will ultimately be made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Eshoo is seen as having a close, personal relationship with Pelosi, which could give her the inside track.

Smith now serves as the chairman of the Armed Services Air and Land Subcommittee, which oversees Army and Air Force programs and is arguably the most powerful of the panel's seven subcommittees. He previously served as chairman of the Terrorism and Unconventional Threats Subcommittee.

The Armed Services post is a big win for Smith, whose district includes Joint Base Lewis-McChord, an Army/Air Force installation.

Smith led a congressional delegation to Afghanistan last month. After the trip, he said he saw "some signs of success," but added that he remains "very concerned about the high cost of our efforts and the challenges we continue to face in developing a reliable partner in the Afghan government."