In case you’ve been in France, the Republican Party will be taking over the House of Representatives and has closed its gap in the Senate.
What does this mean for defense? While current budget woes and runaway Defense Department check writers scream for restraint, what will be DoD’s path? Will it make the billion in cuts Defense Secretary and Outgoing Superhero Robert M. Gates has promised? A billion is nothing when you look at the price tags of today’s ships, subs and aircraft. One ship can exceed a billion big ones.
We wrote earlier this week of the challenges faced by the civilian defense sector. Can CEOs breathe a little easier now? Defense spending means jobs, a priority with voters and elected officials. Does defense remain flush with cash and become (remain?) the Works Project Administration of the 21st century? Are lobbyists and company honchos prepping for meetings on the Hill?
And veterans’ issues? Congress has already thrown a chunk of change at the Veterans’ Administration. Much of it is being spent in feel-good initiatives rather than improving care. Hey, but Carpe Diem! Now seems the time for veterans’ groups to rally on the crucial issues like concurrent receipt. Some veterans receive their retired pay plus disability pay. Others have their retired pay cut by the amount of their disability allowance. This does not seem fair. Some veterans’ organizations have been working behind the scenes to change this, but they have not gone far enough. Now is the time to take it farther and help the veterans below the current disability threshold. Just a thought, boys.
So dust off your crystal ball. What could this election mean for defense and vets?