WASHINGTON – For the US national security sector, Tuesday mostly was a status-quo election — but with one glaring exception: Say hello to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain.

The Republican tidal wave means defense and national security committees in the Senate will have new chairmen — but all are familiar faces to the Pentagon and arms manufacturers. Voters also sent most sitting members of national security committees back to the Capitol.

By 10:30 p.m. (EST), it was clear the 2014 midterm elections would indeed bring the Republican wave many prominent political pollsters and analysts predicted. The GOP picked up 12 House seats, with several still outstanding. But the big news was the party's seven-seat, with two competitive races outstanding, flip to gain control of the Senate.

Republicans will have at least 52 seats in the upper chamber, and Maine independent Sen. Angus King on Tuesday night indicated he might caucus with the GOP. That would make it 53 GOP seats.

Votes were still being counted in Alaska and Virginia on Wednesday morning, meaning the Republican majority technically could reach 54. But that's still well short of the 60 votes required in the chamber to end debate on legislation like annual Pentagon spending and authorization bills and move to a final vote.

Political scholars and analysts say there is a chance congressional Republicans and the Democratic president with whom they so staunchly disagree, Barack Obama, could reach accords quickly on issues like immigration and tax reform, fast-track trade authority and national security issues.

But on other issues — like finally stitching together a fiscal package that would lessen or replace the remaining defense and domestic sequestration cuts — those experts are predicting continued stalemate in Washington.

"After Election Day, getting anything done in America's increasingly polarized Congress will be very difficult," said Craig Volden, a politics professor at the University of Virginia.

"But not all hope is lost," Volden said. "Lawmakers who want to legislate can still be effective. The recipe for success has 3 parts: cultivating a legislative portfolio that builds on their personal interests and experience, building coalitions, and focusing on issues of special importance to their constituents."

For the US defense sector, voters returned a slew of incumbents to the Capitol. That list includes: House Appropriations Defense subcommittee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., a leading recipient of arms-maker campaign cash; House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif.; former HFA Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla.; Air Force veteran and up-and-coming Foreign Affairs Committee member Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.; F-35 ally and HAC-D member Kay Hagan, R-Texas; and House Armed Services Committee member and Iraq war veteran Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hi.

Senate incumbents currently sitting on national security committees, however, had a bumpier ride.

Gone will be Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee Chairman Mark Udall, D-Colo., as well as SASC member Kay Hagan, D-N.C., both swept up in the GOP wave. Also gone will be Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittee member Mark Pryor, D-Ark.

In the House, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, should easily secure enough GOP caucus votes to become the next HASC chair, sources say. And Frelinghuysen should remain the HAC-D boss. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Kent., was re-elected and will remain the chairman of the full House Appropriations panel, as will ranking member Pete Visclosky, D-Ind.

But in the Senate — due to retirements and a grumpy, anti-incumbent and anti-Democrat electorate — defense and national security professionals should get ready for some major changes.

SASC Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., will retire. His preferred heir apparent, Democratic Vice Chairman Jack Reed of Rhode Island, was re-elected — but could opt to be ranking member of the Banking Committee. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., would be next in line for that position.

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., due to the retirement of Vice Chairman Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., is in line to chair the Intelligence Committee. Current Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., could become the vice chairman. Among other things, Burr has criticized efforts to make the intel apparatus more transparent.

With the GOP taking over, Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Bob Corker, R-Tenn., is poised to take the gavel from the current chair, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

But the biggest change -- and one feared by many in the defense community — will be the new Armed Services Committee chairman. With SASC ranking member James Inhofe, R-Okla., making clear his desire to lead the Committee on Energy and National Resources, the path is now clear for McCain to become SASC chairman.

McCain is a vocal advocate for the use of the US military forces across the globe — for offensive operations, deterrent shows of force and humanitarian work. He also is a leading proponent of ending sequestration and inflating annual Pentagon budgets.

But he also oftentimes is the loudest critic of the military on everything from executing operations to crafting budgets to managing weapon programs. One of his favorite targets is the Navy's littoral combat ship (LCS) program.

"Production should not go forward until the Navy and [the Department of Defense] confirm that LCS provides greater capabilities than the legacy ships it is intended to replace," McCain said in an April floor speech.

The likely SASC chairman dubbed the LCS program a "shameful" waste of taxpayer dollars.

In other speeches, hearings and media appearances, McCain has publicly bashed senior Pentagon officials. During Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's confirmation hearing, McCain harshly criticized his former close friend. And, late last month, McCain, the Senate's "maverick," called Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby an "idiot" for his comments about the war against the Islamic State.

"McCain has a well-earned reputation has being a critic of a litany of Pentagon acquisition programs," according to a note from Guggenheim Securities.

"We think McCain's ascendancy to the chair would mean some rough sledding for Lockheed Martin — the [F-35] and littoral combat ship programs have been frequent targets of his criticism," the consulting group wrote. "McCain has also beaten up the Navy about the cost of Huntington's latest aircraft carrier ... but we think there's little risk to the carrier program."

In another Senate change, the Appropriations Committee gavel should move from Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., to Ranking Member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., who survived a re-election fight. He also should take the Appropriations Defense subcommittee gavel from Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

"Lockheed Martin and Boeing would see some minor dings due to the demotions" of Mikulski and Durbin, according to Guggenheim.

_____

For full lists of how key defense and national security races played out, click here: http://projects.militarytimes.com/elections/​.

Share:
In Other News
Load More