Kaine now top Democrat on Senate panel

Sen. Kaine has been named the top Democrat on a key panel of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Subcommittee on Readiness deals with resources for shipyards, military construction projects and whether bases should be shifted or closed. Overall, it deals with legislation aimed at training, logistics and maintenance for U.S. armed forces.

The announcment came from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who chairs the full commmittee.

Kaine has been a member of the readiness panel for two years. In a statement, he said he looked forward to serving alongside Sen. Kelly Ayotte, the New Hampshire Republican who will chair the group.

Military spending is an important part of the Hampton Roads economy, so any elevation in legislative standing on committees that control the defense budget can be a positive sign for the region.

The region already has legislative strength in the House, where Reps. Randy Forbes, R-Chesapeake, and Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, chair subcommittees of the House Armed Services panel.

Kaine has been an outspoken proponent of the need to seek congressional approval for the campaign against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL In December, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 10-8 to authorize force against the group, but Congress has yet to take up the measure. Kaine on Thursday called on Congress to do so.

Kaine has also joined with a state congressional delegation to protect local military priorities. He was among those who argued in favor of refueling the aircraft carrier USS George Washington after the Navy raised the possibility of retiring it. More recently, he joined in the lobbying effort to form a cyber operations squadron at Langley Air Force Base.

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