{"id":12106,"date":"2018-11-07T05:50:35","date_gmt":"2018-11-07T05:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/07\/democrats-big-night-brings-big-questions-for-defense-policy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:43:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:43:59","slug":"democrats-big-night-brings-big-questions-for-defense-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/congress\/2018\/11\/07\/democrats-big-night-brings-big-questions-for-defense-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats\u2019 big night brings big questions for defense policy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Democrats won the U.S. House in convincing fashion in Tuesday\u2019s midterm elections<\/a>, promising to shake up defense policy<\/a> in the coming year and raising the possibility of tumultuous impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With control of the lower chamber, Democrats will regain powerful oversight and subpoena powers they can use to investigate the Trump administration. For defense, Democrats will also assume leadership of the House Armed Services and House Appropriations committees, presenting a formidable challenge to Trump\u2019s plans for defense spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday is about more than Democrats and Republicans. It\u2019s about restoring the Constitution\u2019s checks and balances to the Trump administration,\u201d said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is expected to become the new majority leader when the next Congress convenes in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTomorrow will be a new day in America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Republicans, the loss of one chamber of Congress was somewhat blunted by a better-than-expected performance in the Senate. The party secured a majority of seats in the upper chamber before midnight, ensuring that Democrats will still have limited ability to slow Trump\u2019s nominations and to override any potential vetoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But GOP defense hawks face a difficult road for defense spending increases next year because Democrats have promised they will prioritize domestic spending in the face of attacks from Trump and his supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the White House has already outlined plans for a $33 billion reduction in anticipated defense spending levels for fiscal 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But all of that assumes that Congress will be able to agree upon any defense budget at all. Lawmakers must reach a bipartisan, bicameral deal to ease statutory budget caps in fiscal 2020. With control of the House, Democrats are expected to press even harder to pursue equal increases between the defense and non-defense sides of the budget, raising the specter of lengthy impasses and government shutdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s if they can even broach the topic. Pelosi and other Democrats have vowed aggressive oversight of Trump\u2019s past business dealings, his connection to Russian operatives, and a host of other potential Oval Office scandals that could upend any chance of regular order in the halls of Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\t