With the 2018 midterm elections just days away, national polls continue to weigh the possibility that Democrats may take the House, which would lead to a considerable shakeup of leadership, including the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees.
But campaign fund information compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics shows that as of Oct. 17, defense companies were still putting their money behind the current leaders of HASC and Appropriations, even as 12 HASC members are leaving the lower chamber either to retire or to seek higher office.
Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) received over $330,000 from defense-related firms in the 2018 midterm cycle, according to data compiled by the center, with Raytheon [RTN], BAE Systems and General Atomics filling the top contribution slots for his campaign. Should Republicans maintain control of the House for the next two years, Thornberry is eligible to remain chairman for one more term.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the current ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, has received nearly $207,000 from those same industries, which include aerospace, electronics and “miscellaneous” sectors.
Some companies are hedging their bets that Smith could lead HASC next year. Boeing [BA] – the largest private employer in Smith’s state – contributed $27,000 to his 2018 reelection campaign. Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII] has contributed $11,500 to Smith’s reelection campaign, while Northrop Grumman [NOC] donated about $22,700.
By contrast, the current chairman received $10,500 from Huntington Ingalls and about $21,000 from Northrop Grumman.
On the House Appropriations Committee side, chairman Rodney Freylinghuysen (R-N.J) received over $172,000 from defense-related companies, including $46,900 from Northrop Grumman.
Freylinghuysen was the top House Republican funded by General Dynamics [GD], with $27,900 listed.
Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), who chairs the defense appropriations subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, received nearly $313,000 from defense-related industries, over 40 percent of which came from Lockheed Martin [LMT] which contributed $128,000. Lockheed Martin assembles the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and other products in Granger’s district.
The subcommittee’s ranking member, Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.), received over $251,000 from defense firms for his reelection campaign. Top contributors include Lockheed Martin with nearly $50,000, Harris Corp. [HRS] with $23,000, and Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems each contributing around $20,000. Raytheon, Oshkosh Corp. [OSK], General Dynamics and Boeing each contributed more than $10,000 to his campaign.