United States Congressman Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA) serves as the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee for the 113th Congress.

Chairman McKeon is a champion of a strong national defense, the men and women of America's Armed Forces and their families and returning fiscal discipline to the Department of Defense.

In June 2009, Chairman McKeon was named the Ranking Member of the Committee for the remainder of the 111th Congress and began serving as Chairman in the 112th Congress.

As Armed Services Committee Chairman, Chairman McKeon fights to strengthen our military and invest in a force postured to meet the challenges of the 21st century, while working to provide the necessary resources for America's warfighters.  He also led efforts to keep terrorist detainees off of U.S. soil, boost funding for missile defense, and restore the tradition of passing defense authorization bills devoid of controversial social items.

Additionally, Chairman McKeon has worked tireslessly to bridge the gap between industry and military leaders in order to ensure that our warfighters on the ground continue to receive the support they need and deserve.

Chairman McKeon was a small business owner before he was first elected to Congress in 1992 to represent California's 25th Congressional District.

Additionally, before coming to Congress, he served on the William S. Hart Union High School District Board of Trustees and as the first mayor of the City of Santa Clarita.