Hearings to examine military to civilian transition, focusing on success after service. (Official U.S. Senate photo by Rosa Pineda)
- Mississippi U.S. Senator Roger Wicker will wield significant influence over the nation’s defense contracting and military oversight as Senate Armed Services Chairman.
Mississippi senior U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R) was formally elected by his colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee to serve as Chairman for the 119th Congress this week.
This follows the recent announcement by newly minted Senate Majority John Thune (R) who said Wicker would be returning to lead the key committee, having previously served as Ranking Member in the last Congress.
“I thank my colleagues for their vote of confidence as I begin leading the Committee responsible for one of Congress’ most important constitutional duties: providing for the common defense,” Senator Wicker said.
Wicker is starting a new six-year term after winning re-election in November. He said congressional lawmakers enter the new year in an extremely volatile situation, “as radical Islamic terror rages and our four principal adversaries conspire to threaten the United States.”
“The American people want peace, and the only way to achieve that is through strength,” Senator Wicker said. “I look forward to working with both President Trump and my colleagues to rebuild and reform the U.S. military.”
Advocate for “Peace Through Strength”
Wicker has long advocated for a renewed focus on building up America’s military. In May 2024, he called on the Department of Defense, the executive branch, and Congress to work together to accelerate the development of new capabilities and build up existing ones in the United States military.
Senator Wicker went so far as to release a report published by his officer titled “21st Century Peace Through Strength: A Generational Investment in the U.S. Military” where he said America’s national defense strategy and military budget have been inadequate.
The best way to avoid further conflict, Wicker said, is to be ready.
“Today’s security challenges demand a generational investment to revitalize our armed forces – investments that would restore America’s military strength for decades to come,” the Senator said at the time.
Defense Contracting and Impact in Mississippi
As Senate Armed Services chairman, Senator Wicker will wield significant influence as the committee is tasked with oversight of the nation’s military and its activities associated with the development of weapons systems, military operations, research, and development.
During a tour of Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula in November 2024, four-star General Eric Smith, the 39th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Magnolia Tribune they “look forward to continuing our good, close relationship with Senator Wicker.”
“Senator Wicker’s been a good friend to the Marine Corps. He’s been a good friend to the industrial base, and he’s been a good friend to amphibs,” General Smith said.
Mississippi is a premier player in the nation’s defense industry, from building the Navy and Marine Corps ships that protect America’s freedom at Ingalls to dozens of other suppliers and manufacturers engaged in work to support the nation’s military.
According to the Mississippi Development Authority, defense spending in the state, which includes industry and military personnel, accounts for about $8.9 billion, or 6.1 percent of the state’s GDP. That makes Mississippi fifth in the nation.
The Department of Defense said in October that the Fiscal Year 2023 contract obligations, payroll spending, and grant awards in the 50 states and D.C. totaled $609.2 billion, which is 2.2 percent of the country’s GDP.
The vast majority of the defense contract spending in Mississippi – well over $5 billion – goes to Ingalls for construction at the coast shipyard. Huntington-Ingalls, the parent company of the Pascagoula shipyard, was listed sixth of the Department of Defense’s top ten recipients of defense contracts in Fiscal Year 2023.
In that same fiscal year, the top five defense contractors in Mississippi were Ingalls, Vertex Aerospace, BAE Systems, Olin Corp. and Noble Supply & Logistics.
The state’s workforce also benefits from defense spending, as Ingalls alone employees over 11,000 people.
As for military personnel in state, MDA reports that over 35,000 military personnel are based in Mississippi, accounting for a payroll of nearly $1.8 billion. Harrison County is home to the most military personnel in the state – over 12,000 – while Warren, Hancock, Lowndes and Lauderdale counties round out the top five personnel spending locations.
Vetting Key DoD Leadership
The Senate Armed Services Committee also plays a key role in confirmation hearings for top Defense Department leadership, as it will do on January 14 with the nomination of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense by President-elect Donald Trump (R).
Senator Wicker met with Hegseth in early December. According to his office, the two exchanged views on a range of critical national defense topics, including the military challenge posed by the Chinese Communist Party, continued instability in Europe, and the growing threats of adversaries such as China, North Korea, and Iran.
“We discussed his nomination as Secretary of Defense and the thorough process the committee will go through to consider his selection properly. I will continue to be supportive of the President-elect’s nominees,” Senator Wicker said at the time.
The Senator went on to say that he and Hegseth also discussed how deterring the “Axis of Aggressors” will require making important improvements at the Pentagon.
“Specifically, we talked about the need to increase our investments and simultaneously change the Pentagon’s acquisition bureaucracy, among many other policies,” Senator Wicker said.
Wicker has indicated that the committee will conduct a thorough vetting of Hegseth ahead of the hearing next week. Hegseth, a former FoxNews personality, is facing accusations of sexual misconduct and allegations of financial mismanagement at a veterans’ organization he once managed. He has denied any wrongdoing.
