Center for Security Studies in Irregular Warfare

Floor Speech

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Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I would like to highlight an important provision, which Senator Sinema and I worked to secure within division A of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. Within the budget for Defense-Wide Operations and Maintenance, $5 million is provided for the establishment of a permanent Center of Excellence for the John S. McCain III Center for Security Studies in Irregular Warfare.

This Center, named in honor of the late Senator John McCain, would serve as a central hub for developing knowledge and understanding of irregular warfare through research, education, and external engagement across government, civil society, and foreign partners. Congress authorized the establishment of the Center in 2021.

Both Senator Sinema and I have had regular conversations with the Department of Defense leadership about the need to establish a permanent Center of Excellence, which by law, must be located at an institution of higher education that has a proven course curriculum and existing research functions focused on irregular warfare, competition, and asymmetric challenges in statecraft and has an established network with other academic institutions to enhance such functions. We have been assured that, as soon as Congress provided dedicated funding to enable the Center of Excellence to be established, the Department would begin the process of selecting the site of the permanent Center of Excellence. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 provides this funding.

Therefore, we hope and expect that the Department of Defense will act, within the next 30 to 45 days, to begin the process of selecting a permanent Center of Excellence. We appreciate the attention the Department has paid to this important project, and look forward to receiving regular and positive updates as this process continues.

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