Marine vet wants spot on Armed Services panel

Rep.-elect Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said he hopes to be assigned to the influential House Armed Services Committee in the next Congress.

Moulton, who served four tours in Iraq, told The Lowell Sun, that the panel is his top choice for a committee posting.

“I think we need the perspective of combat veterans on that committee, and we have a bigger defense industry in the 6th [District] than any other district in the state, so it’s important for the district,” he told the newspaper.

Moulton said that, while in Washington for freshman orientation, he sent a letter to congressional leaders explaining what he could offer the 50-member committee.

“I think it’s important to focus on areas where I can have an impact,” he said. “We’ve never had fewer veterans in Congress in our nation’s history, so being a voice for veterans is one of those areas.”

Moulton stunned political observers earlier this year when he beat out nine-term Rep. John Tierney (Mass.) in the Democratic primary, buoyed by high-profile endorsements including the first by retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former top U.S. commander in Afghanistan

He then cruised to victory over Richard Tisei (R) in the midterm elections, one of the few bright spots for Democrats.