"Having spent a career fighting for and defending this country, Dr. Pigman knows that it is honorable to take responsibility for one's actions," Corcoran said in a prepared statement, referring to Pigman's lengthy service in the Navy and the U.S. Army Reserve. "It is the honorable thing to do. Dr. Pigman has done both by informing me that he wishes to step down as chairman of the Health Quality Subcommittee."