Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) will fill a vacancy on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Jan. 9.
Scott will replace former Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.), who lost his re-election bid last year.
The appointment preserves the Republican Party’s one-seat majority on the committee. The SASC’s membership already includes South Carolina’s other senator, Republican Lindsey Graham.
South Carolina hosts several military installations, including Joint Base Charleston, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and Shaw Air Force Base.
“South Carolina is home to thousands of the brave men and women who have signed up to defend our nation, as well as some of our nation’s critical military infrastructure,” Scott said in a statement. “Having two brothers who served, I know well the sacrifices made by members of our armed forces, and I will continue working to ensure our military is the best trained and equipped fighting force in the world.”
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the SASC’s chairman, welcomed Scott’s appointment, saying the “committee will benefit from his principled leadership, integrity and hard work on behalf of our nation’s men and women in uniform.”
Scott has been a senator since 2013. He previously was a House member.