The Senate Armed Services Committee announced the leadership and rosters for its seven subcommittees on Feb. 7, with five panels getting new chairs and the influential Airland subcommittee welcoming four new members.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is the new chair of the Airland panel, which oversees both Army and Air Force planning and operations policy and programs (with some exceptions). Kelly, who succeeds Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), is a retired Navy captain and astronaut and represents a state with a robust seven military installations—including Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Luke Air Force Base.
Kelly has been an outspoken in advocating against retiring A-10 close air support jets, fighting Air Force efforts to divest the airplanes. He’s also supported establishing a Space National Guard and has sought more information on the Armed Overwatch program.
Kelly will lead an 11-member panel with several new faces, especially on the Republican side—Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) are all new additions to the subcommittee.
Fischer, who is also the top Republican on the Strategic Forces subcommittee, represents Offutt Air Force Base, home of U.S. Strategic Command and much of the Air Force’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaisance fleet.
Mullin also represents a large Air Force population: Oklahoma hosts Altus Air Force Base, Tinker Air Force Base, Vance Air Force Base, and Will Rogers Air National Guard Base. C-17s, KC-135s, E-3s, T-1s, T-6s, T-38s, F-16s, and MC-12s are all based in the state, and Will Rogers is slated to host the schoolhouse for the new Sky Warden aircraft. The service also relies on the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex to perform maintenance for dozens of kinds of aircraft.
Mullin is one of three freshman Senators to join the committee, alongside Ted Budd (N.C.), and Eric Schmitt (Mo.). All three are on the Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee.
The Emerging Threats subcommittee, which oversees policies and programs related to science and technology, special operations, intelligence, and more, will be chaired by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who shifted from her post atop the Personnel subcommittee.
Replacing Gillibrand atop the Personnel subcommittee is Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Meanwhile, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) flipped their seats; Kaine will now lead the Seapower and Readiness subcommittee and Hirono will head Management Support.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), the only new face among the panel’s top Republicans, will be the ranking member on the Personnel subcommittee.
Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee Rosters
Airland
- Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)—Chair
- Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)—Ranking Member
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
- Sen. Angus King (I-Maine)
- Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
- Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.)
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
- Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)
- Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
- Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)
- Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.)
Cybersecurity
- Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.)—Chair
- Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)—Ranking Member
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
- Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)
- Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
- Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
- Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.)
- Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.)
Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)—Chair
- Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)—Ranking Member
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
- Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
- Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)
- Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)
- Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)
- Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.)
- Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.)
- Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.)
Personnel
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—Chai
- Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)—Ranking Member
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
- Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)
- Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
- Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)
- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)
- Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.)
Readiness and Management Support
- Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)—Chair
- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)—Ranking Member
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
- Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
- Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)
- Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)
- Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)
- Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.)
Seapower
- Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)—Chair
- Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)—Ranking Member
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
- Sen. Angus King (I-Maine)
- Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)
- Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)
- Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)
- Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.)
Strategic Forces
- Sen. Angus King (I-Maine)—Chair
- Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)—Ranking Member
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
- Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.)
- Sen. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)
- Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)
- Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)
- Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)
- Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)