We welcome the 114th Congress, as there are significant changes in makeup of our key national security committees, including the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, and the House and Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittees. These committees are responsible for setting the budgets and policies that would keep our nation’s air and missile defense systems modernized and ahead of the air and missile threats facing our homeland, our forward deployed forces and our allies.

The leadership of the 114th Congress has the opportunity to end the gridlock and work together on bi-partisan support for critical national security programs such as missile defense. Pragmatic leadership will be critical in the coming months as the new defense budget takes shape, especially as sequestration continues to threaten America’s ability to adequately fund programs across the entire defense enterprise.

The new defense committee leaders for the 114th Congress are:

Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC):
Chairman: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
Vice Chairman: Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)

SASC Subcommittee on Strategic Forces:
Chairman: Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Vice Chairman: Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN)

Senate Appropriations Committee:
Chairman: Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MI)
Vice Chairman: Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense:
Chairman: Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MI)
Vice Chairman: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)

House Armed Services Committee (HASC)
Chairman: Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX)
Ranking Member: Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA)

HASC Subcommittee on Strategic Forces:
Chairman: Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL)
Ranking Member: Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN)

House Appropriations Committee
Chairman: Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)
Ranking Member: Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY)

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense
Chairman: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
Ranking Member: Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN)

As part of your advocacy for air and missile defense, please take time to write or call a member of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees in support of modernization of our air and missile defenses. We have provided contact information for members of all of these key committees on our website, as well as information on how to address your letter, email, or fax. We have also provided template correspondence for your convenience.

As a democracy, our elected officials in Congress take correspondences from citizens and constituents very seriously.

Let’s make a difference!

Riki Ellison