Election 2014: What's Next for Defense? - Blog: The results of election 2014 carry high stakes for the national security policy establishment and industrial complex. With Republicans poised to increase their majority in the House and take over the U.S. Senate, the defense industry is viewed as one of the beneficiaries of the power shift.
A big question on the minds of Pentagon officials and defense industry CEOs is whether the new balance of power in Washington will mark a turning point after four years of fiscal turbulence fueled by partisan warfare. Analysts have predicted that a Republican majority will tip the scales in favor of larger military budgets and possible relief from the 2011 law that set strict spending caps.
Another unknown is whether the new Republican leadership will change course on defense and foreign policy issues given voters' unhappiness with President Obama's management of international crises. GOP defense hawks will seize on voters' discontent and the perception of American weakness to push for higher military spending. They will face resistance, though, from hardcore anti-spending Republicans and from outside groups that don't believe the Pentagon deserves a get-out-of-sequester free card.
