Smith Statement on the Passing of Colin Powell

Press Release

Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement on the passing of Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and National Security Advisor.

"Today we mourn the loss of a committed public servant in Colin Powell. Secretary Powell served multiple presidents both in and out of uniform as Secretary of State, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and National Security Advisor -- and as the first Black person to serve in these three critical roles. But the central theme of Colin Powell's impressive career and life was service ultimately to the United States. The son of Jamaican immigrants, a proud product of New York City public schools, and a Vietnam War veteran, Powell witnessed history even as he made it. Our thoughts today are with his loved ones and all who may walk the trails he blazed."

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