SHAHEEN, AYOTTE TO LEAD KEY ARMED SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) have been appointed to serve as Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support.  As the senior Democrat and Republican on the subcommittee, Senators Shaheen and Ayotte will be in a strong position to advocate for military facilities and programs that are important to New Hampshire and the nation -- including the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease Air National Guard base.

“Congress has a responsibility to provide our servicemen and women with the resources and training they need to complete their mission and as Chair of the Readiness Subcommittee I’m looking forward to having a leadership role in the oversight of that effort. The responsibilities that come with chairing this committee – including jurisdiction over depots and shipyards like our own in Portsmouth, business management and contracting oversight, and energy security issues – will allow me to continue to work on a range of programs critical to our armed services and to ensure proper and rigorous oversight over Pentagon spending,” said Senator Shaheen.  “I’m honored to have this opportunity and I’m eager to get to work with Senator Ayotte on behalf of our men and women in uniform and our national security priorities.”

"As Chair and Ranking Member, Senator Shaheen and I will continue to work to ensure that our military men and women have the resources they need to fulfill their missions, and to protect Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease -- which are irreplaceable national security assets,” said Senator Ayotte, who also served as Ranking Member of the subcommittee during the 112th Congress.  “Especially during this time of budget uncertainty, we must continue to identify efficiencies and savings in the Pentagon’s budget while guarding against irresponsible cuts that would leave our troops, our defense suppliers, and our nation less prepared for future contingencies.”

The Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee oversees military readiness including training, logistics, and maintenance; military construction; contracting and acquisition policy; business and financial management; base realignment and closure; defense industrial and technology base policies; and industrial operations, including depots, shipyards, arsenals, and ammunition plants.

New Hampshire’s Senators have worked closely together to advocate for New Hampshire’s military facilities and defense suppliers, with a particularly strong commitment to ensuring the future strength of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Most recently, they have worked to highlight the strategic value of Pease Air National Guard Base as the Air Force considers where to base the next generation KC-46A tanker.  The Senators have also strongly supported the New Hampshire National Guard’s Deployment Cycle Support Program -- a model program that provides strong support for New Hampshire service members and their families.