US defence after the mid-term elections

Elections have consequences – not least on defence matters. On 24 November 2014, US President Barack Obama announced the resignation of Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel, the first major change to US defence policy after the mid-term elections held on 4 November 2014.

The elections increased the Republican majority in the US House of Representatives and shifted the balance of power in the Senate from the Democratic Party to the Grand Old Party (GOP). In a major electoral victory, the Republican Party netted 12 more seats in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, the GOP won eight seats from the Democrats, giving the Republicans 53 seats and a majority in the 100-strong upper house. One Senate race, in Louisiana, will be decided in a run-off poll in December but is expected to go to the Republicans, potentially further increasing their majority. For the first time since 2006, the Republican Party will thus have full control of Congress.

While President Barack Obama was not on the ballot and remains head of the executive branch and commander-in-chief, Congress plays important key roles in the shaping of debates on and funding of US defence. It must approve the annual budget and both the House of Representatives and the Senate have wide-ranging investigative powers to hold hearings and collect evidence on any issue deemed necessary. Moreover, all appointments of high-ranking federal civil servants, ambassadors, and military officers must be confirmed by the Senate.

Written by Jan Joel Andersson.