Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group in the Atlantic Ocean, April 2019. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Maxwell Higgins)
WASHINGTON — After more than a year of delays, a congressional commission focused on outlining the optimal size and composition of the future US Navy is set to begin work, according to sources familiar with the panel.
The commission, originally empaneled in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, was tasked by lawmakers to “undertake a comprehensive study of the structure of the Navy and policy assumptions related to the size and force mixture of the Navy, in order— (I) to make recommendations on the size and force mixture of ships; and (II) to make recommendations on the size and force mixture of naval aviation.”
The body’s final work was due earlier this year, but ultimately delayed as key lawmakers who were required to appoint individual members had not made their selections. A congressional aide told Breaking Defense the panel is now able to begin working. A second source also confirmed that “work is underway now” and that “all 8 members have been officially appointed.”
Mackenzie Eaglen, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, was appointed by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and selected earlier this month to co-chair the panel, according to the congressional record.
Breaking Defense previously reported Mitchell Waldman, a defense and aerospace industry executive, and Bryan McGrath, a retired Navy officer, were both appointed to the commission. A spokesperson for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told Breaking Defense today the House Democrat tapped former Texas Congressman Filemon Vela as his pick.
It was not immediately clear who else was appointed to the commission. Spokespeople for the relevant lawmakers did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Breaking Defense.
