Sasse, Perdue join Armed Services Committee

Republican Sens. Ben Sasse (Neb.) and David Perdue (Ga.) are joining the Senate Armed Services Committee, they and Republican leadership announced Tuesday.

The two are replacing former Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), who lost her reelection bid, and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who is joining the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Sasse has been a vocal critic of President-elect Donald Trump, and joining the Armed Services Committee could put him in a position to be a foil to Trump’s national security plans alongside committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.).

McCain is already on track to be a thorn in Trump’s side, swiftly scheduling a hearing on Russian and other foreign cyber threats in the face of Trump’s dismissal of intelligence assessments that Russia hacked Democratic Party systems during the election.

The committee will also be responsible for the confirmation hearing for retired Gen. James Mattis as Defense secretary. Mattis, who retired in 2013, is expected to be confirmed, but faces the hurdle of needing a waiver to bypass a law that says Defense secretaries must be out of uniform for seven years.

In a statement, Sasse said he will focus on cyber warfare and the fight against terrorism.

“I’ve been asked to serve on these important committees and I’m honored to do everything in my power to make sure Nebraskans help set the federal government’s course with common sense and integrity,” Sasse said. “We also know that Washington isn’t prepared for the national security challenges of the age of cyberwarfare and global jihad that will be my constant focus on the Armed Services Committee.”

In a separate statement, Perdue talked about the need to streamline Pentagon operations.

“It is our responsibility to support our military and ensure our troops have the tools they need to protect our homeland and support our allies around the world,” he said. “We must also look for ways to streamline operations at the Department of Defense so we can dedicate more of our resources to completing our military’s missions and preparing for future challenges.”

The new Republican committee members join the previously announced new Democratic committee members, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Gary Peters (Mich.).