Kelly to Chair Senate Airland, Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittees

Today, Arizona Senator and 25-year Navy combat veteran Mark Kelly announced that he will serve as Chair of both the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee and Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 

“I am excited to continue delivering results for Arizonans in my new role chairing these two critical subcommittees. Chairing the Airland Subcommittee will allow me to take a leading role in getting our airmen and soldiers the tools they need to do their jobs, while also expanding Arizona’s role in our national defense. And my role chairing the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee will enable me to ensure our state gets its fair share of federal funding to upgrade roads, bridges, water infrastructure, and ports of entry. I’m committed to working alongside my colleagues in both parties to strengthen our national security and improve our infrastructure,” said Senator Kelly. 

The Airland Subcommittee oversees Army, Air Force, and National Guard and Reserve planning and operations policy and programs, as well as procurement and research and development activities. Arizona is home to two Air Force bases, Davis-Monthan and Luke, and two Army bases, Ft. Huachuca and Yuma Proving Ground and additional Guard units and training ranges. Kelly, who served in the Navy for 25 years and flew in combat during Operation Desert Storm, served on the Senate Armed Services Committee last Congress, where he also chaired the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. In those roles, Kelly played a leading role in crafting the annual defense bill. Kelly advocated for and secured critical resources to support military servicemembers around the world, investments in technology to maintain our competitive edge over China and Russia, as well as increased security cooperation with allies and partners including to counter illicit trafficking and threats from Iran and affiliated groups. Kelly recently returned from his second trip abroad as a U.S. Senator to the Abraham Accords countries of Bahrain, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel. Last year, during a time of heightened global tension, Kelly traveled to Europe and Asia where he met with foreign leaders, Ukrainian refugees, U.S. servicemembers, and American military leaders. Kelly’s service and continued leadership on the Senate Armed Services Committee extends an already strong legacy of Arizona Senators advocating for Arizona’s defense community and our national security.

As the Chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Kelly will oversee the Federal Highway Administration’s implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Army Corps of Engineers (Civil Works), oversee implementation of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) he helped shape, maintain oversight over the National Dam Safety Program, and have jurisdiction over the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and General Services Administration (GSA), which is the entity responsible for port of entry construction. Last Congress, Kelly was the only member of the Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) who was a part of the group of 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans who shaped and crafted the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law that is already creating jobs and delivering key resources to the state for road and bridge upgrades, water infrastructure, high-speed internet expansion, and more. In his role on EPW, Kelly has advocated for and successfully secured federal resources for water contamination and PFAS clean-up programs, funding for Army Corps of Engineers projects across Arizona, and drought mitigation measures.