AURORA | Freshman Congressman Jason Crow, an Army veteran, has landed a seat on the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees the military budget and related policies.
“…Our most solemn responsibility is the decision to send our young men and women into harm’s way. As a former Army Ranger, I have seen firsthand the horrors of war and understand force should always be a last resort. It is an experience that will guide my work on the committee and in Congress,” Crow, who ousted former Republican Mike Coffman in November, said in a statement.
Coffman, an Army and Marine Corps veteran, served on the House Armed Services Committee as well throughout his five terms. The committee assignment is considered coveted in the 435-member body.
During his tenure, Coffman touted that the Armed Services Committee was among the most bipartisan in Congress due to is serious nature, and an important place for the representative of Colorado’s 6th Congressional District to be, as Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora is the largest employer in the district.
Local Aurora lawmakers have been vying for the base to get the F-35 program. City council members named it among their top federal priorities for the year last month.
Military service was a sticking point throughout the grueling campaign between Crow and Coffman, each often citing their experience. Upon winning the Democratic nomination earlier in June, Crow, said his campaign was “battle tested,” an ode to his credentials.
Crow served in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division after the 9/11 attacks. He eventually earned a Bronze Star for leading a platoon of paratroopers in Iraq.
He returned to the Middle East for two more tours.
— KARA MASON, Staff Writer