Womack Condemns Biden's Removal of Board of Visitors Members

Statement

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) released the below statement following the announcement President Biden has removed all presidentially-appointed members of the Service Academy Boards of Visitors, including the West Point Board of Visitors, which he Chairs:

"President Biden's calls for "unity' have stood in stark contrast with his actions. As our nation faces crisis after crisis--including a botched withdrawal in Afghanistan that abandoned American citizens and our partners, an overrun border, and skyrocketing inflation--his focus is now hijacking the Board of Visitors panels of our nation's Military Service Academies. He is forcing the unprecedented removal of advisors, including distinguished veterans, without cause. In all my time serving the West Point BOV, I have never seen anything like this. It's an action expected of a dictator, not a Commander-in-Chief. Playing politics with these institutions sends the wrong message to our future military leaders. The USMA Board has been well-served by its appointed members, and the unilateral removal of their wise counsel is a shame."

The West Point Board of Visitors is governed by Title 10 United States Code Section 4355 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The board is comprised of 14 members with four Senators, four Members of the House of Representatives, and six presidential appointees. The six presidentially-appointed members who were removed by President Biden today are GEN (ret.) John M. "Jack" Keane, LTG (ret.) H.R. McMaster, LTG (ret.) Guy C. Swan III, Ms. Meaghan C. Mobbs, Mr. David J. Urban, and COL (ret.) Douglas Macgregor.

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