Washington, D.C.--“I would like to congratulate my House colleague, John McHugh, for being nominated by President Barack Obama to become the Secretary of the Army. We have served together in the House since he arrived in 1993 and have worked well together despite being of different political parties. It is a testament to both Rep. McHugh and President Obama that bipartisanship is alive and well and differing political views can be set aside for the good of the country. His experiences as the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee will help him substantially in his new duties. With our troops in harms way, the position presents great challenges. The 23rd District may lose their Congressman, but the Army will gain a true leader who will always value our key military assets, the men and women who serve our nation.”