Defense

McCain names Armed Services panel chiefs

by Martin Matishak - 01/08/15 5:03 PM ET

The leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday announced the panel’s subcommittee chairmen and ranking members for the new 114th Congress.

The panel chiefs were selected by new Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.), the top Democrat.

{mosads}In a major shift, McCain on Wednesday told reporters that cyber warfare would likely fall under the Emerging Threats panel. He previously said he wanted a subcommittee devoted exclusively to cyber threats, in the wake of the Sony Pictures hack.

McCain, though, said Senate rules prevent the Armed Services panel from having more than six subcommittees.

In a nod to the number of freshman lawmakers serving on the panel, first-year Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who served in the Army in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, will lead the Airland subcommittee. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) will be the ranking member.

McCain’s close ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), will head up the Personnel subpanel. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) will be the panel’s top Democrat.

Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) will lead the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, along with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.).

“This subcommittee’s jurisdiction is expected to include cybersecurity policy, and as the recent attacks on Sony Pictures have shown, current policy is failing to deter our adversaries in the realm of cyberspace,” Fischer said in a statement Thursday.

The Readiness and Management Support subcommittee will be helmed by Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

“I will fight to ensure that our troops, their families, and the DoD civilians who support them have the training and resources they need,” Ayotte said in a statement. “I will also focus on cutting wasteful Pentagon spending and advocating for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease Air National Guard Base — which are critical national security assets.”

Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) will be responsible for Seapower. Lastly, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) will chair the Strategic Forces subcommittee. He will be joined by Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.).

This story was last updated at 6:20 p.m.