Lamborn wins coveted seat on 60-member defense panel

Tom Roeder, The Gazette

Published October 11, 2007 at midnight

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COLORADO SPRINGS - U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn won his long-sought appointment to the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday in a reshuffling of the panel following the weekend death of a Virginia congresswoman.

Lamborn replaces Republican Rep. JoAnn Davis, who died Saturday after a long battle with cancer.

Lamborn, a freshman Republican, has been under fire for months for not having a voice on the defense budget and policy body while representing a district where more than 30,000 troops are assigned.

"I'm sad it happened under these circumstances, but it's a marvelous opportunity for the district," said Lamborn.

Lamborn was targeted by his opponents within the GOP as recently as this month for lacking influence in the House to help sustain the five military bases in the Pikes Peak region.

Last summer, Lamborn lost a lopsided 389-34 vote in his bid to block a move by two other Colorado lawmakers to ban the Army from spending money that could lead to the expansion of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site.

While he's the junior member of the 60-member committee and is unlikely to have power to sway it without a few more terms in office, Lamborn's backers say the appointment gives him a power boost that will only grow the longer he stays in Congress.

"He's the only freshman Republican on the committee," said El Paso County commissioner and longtime Lamborn backer Wayne Williams. "It means he's accruing seniority now."

The Armed Services Committee will give Lamborn a say in the more than $400 billion spent annually on defense.

Facing fellow Republicans Jeff Crank and Bentley Rayburn in a 2008 primary, Lamborn also gains a more powerful station as an incumbent.

"I knew all along that the leadership respected my abilities and contribution," he said. "I think even those critics will be happy for the district about this appointment."

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