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Kline and Cravaack part of committee to hash out defense bill

WASHINGTON - Two Minnesota Republican House members have been appointed to the conference committee delegated with working out differences between the House and Senate Pentagon authorization bills.

John Kline and Chip Cravaack will be just two members of the 100 member conference committee that's split between both parties and both chambers of Congress. Kline, who's also the chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, serves on the House Armed Services Committee. Cravaack isn't a member of the Armed Services Committee but a large number of "outside" members are also included on the conference committee because of the broad scope of the defense bill.

Both Kline and Cravaack have a serious interest in military issues. Kline spent 25 years in the Marine Corps while Cravaack was educated at the naval academy and served as a helicopter pilot.