Some of the biggest GOP players in the Washington defense world are preparing to exit the stage next year, resulting in a major leadership shift that carries sweeping policy and spending implications.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, is retiring at the end of this Congress. House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) is term-limited and will have to give up his gavel absent a waiver. And several other senior defense figures — like Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.) — face uphill reelection battles amid redistricting.
Let’s dig into the lawmakers who could emerge as the next class of congressional defense leaders.
House Armed Services. With Rogers preparing for the final year of his six-year term, people familiar with the committee’s dynamics say Wittman and Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) are the top contenders to lead the panel. GOP conference rules bar lawmakers from serving more than three consecutive terms at the helm of a committee, though members can seek waivers from leadership.
Wittman, who has served in Congress since 2007, is more senior and boasts deep ties to the defense sector. He currently serves as the vice chairman of the full committee and helms the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee. Wittman previously sought the top GOP committee slot in 2020, but Rogers beat him out for the job.
But Wittman faces a competitive reelection bid for his eastern Virginia seat — and that’s before the possible redistricting under consideration by commonwealth Democrats. A new map would likely make Wittman’s district even more difficult to win.
Kelly has represented northeast Mississippi since 2015 and serves as chair of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. If Kelly were to win the gavel for the 120th Congress, his home state would wield even more leverage over defense spending and policy. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker is also from Mississippi.
One factor shaping the candidate pool: the significant shakeup the House Armed Services roster has undergone in recent years. Several prominent Republicans have left or will leave:
— Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) left for the Trump administration.
— Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) resigned from Congress.
— Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) is now in the Senate.
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) is now running for governor of New York.
House Defense Appropriations. Calvert is unlikely to win another waiver to stay atop the defense spending panel. And that’s if Calvert survives reelection after California redistricting, known as Prop 50. He now faces a member-on-member battle against Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.).
“The price of beef and Prop 50 will determine who the next chair is,” one House lawmaker said.
Calvert, who secured a waiver to continue serving as chair during the 119th Congress, has been on the Appropriations Committee since 2009. Calvert was first elected in 1992.
One possible successor is Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), the second-most senior member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Womack currently chairs the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee.
Senate Defense Appropriations. With McConnell’s looming retirement, it’s not immediately clear who will step up to take his place.
Next up in seniority on the panel is Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), followed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). McConnell took Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-Maine) leadership slot on the panel at the start of the 119th Congress when she became chair of the full committee. It’s possible Collins could seek to serve as chair of both the full panel and the subcommittee if she wins her competitive reelection.
