July 21, 2009 12:49 PM

Senate Votes Against Funding For New F-22s

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
Domestic Issues
(AP)
Updated 1:03 p.m. ET

President Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have won a standoff over funding the creation of new F-22 fighters.

The Senate voted 58-40 Tuesday to take out $1.75 billion from the 2010 defense appropriations bill that would have gone toward building seven new F-22s.

Mr. Obama immediately hailed the decision, saying it will "better protect our troops."

"I reject the notion that we have to waste billions of taxpayer dollars on outdated and unnecessary defense projects to keep this nation secure," he said. "…And that's why I'm grateful that the Senate just voted against an additional $1.75 billion to buy F-22 fighter jets that military experts and members of both parties say we do not need."

"At a time when we're fighting two wars and facing a serious deficit, this would have been an inexcusable waste of money," the president added. "Every dollar of waste in our defense budget is a dollar we can't spend to support our troops or prepare for future threats or protect the American people."

The president and defense secretary have strongly opposed the creation of new F-22s, $140 million fighter jets which have not performed a single mission in the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan. The military already has 187 F-22s at its disposal.

Before the vote, the president said he would veto the $680 billion defense bill if the final version included the F-22 funding, stating flatly, "we do not need these planes."

Gates has pushed for the military to spend money on tools better suited to fight the unconventional wars in which the U.S. is now engaged. He calls the F-22 "a niche, silver-bullet solution required for a limited number of scenarios."

But members of Congress, led by Republicans Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson of Georgia, have been pushing to keep the $1.75 billion for the planes in the bill. They have argued that more F-22s are needed and that many jobs depend on them being built.

Lockheed Martin, the maker of the F-22, has warned that 95,000 jobs in a variety of states are directly or indirectly tied to the manufacture of the plane.

Sens. John McCain, a Republican, and Carl Levin, a Democrat, have fought to remove funding for new F-22s, characterizing a potential outlay as wasteful.

But Chris Dodd, a Democrat who backed the funding, suggested last week that Congress should be able to spend $1.75 billion to help the aerospace industry when the government is spending far more to bolster automakers.

Add a Comment See all 68 Comments
by babooph July 22, 2009 2:49 AM EDT
You mean we could wipe out some goat herder & his family with something cheaper---nooo....
Reply to this comment
by jschmidt27 July 21, 2009 10:24 PM EDT
Obama just wants Dodd to look good. He'll cave in a few weeks and credit Dodd with changing his mind. Making Dodd look like the good guy so he'll get re-elected.
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by dscott2009 July 21, 2009 10:06 PM EDT
The F-22 is definitely one bad-a$$ jet fighter, but in our current conflicts, no one is challenging our air superiority here. Another 7 jets will not be missed in a conflict they're not being utilized...
Reply to this comment
by daffy64 July 21, 2009 9:41 PM EDT
The USA spends more on "defense" than the next ten countries COMBINED and borders on Canada, Mexico and two vast oceans.

Don't worry. They have no immediate plans to invade you. I think you can cut back on the military industrial complex spending and put it into silly things like.. oh say...roads, education, and health care.

You know, the kinds of things that would affect the average persons' quality of like and actually make your country more competitive in the future.

Just a crazy thought.
Reply to this comment
by vietnamwar July 21, 2009 11:26 PM EDT
Don't worry. They have no immediate plans to invade you.

DO WE EXPECT WWI.
DO WE EXPECT WWII.
DO WE EXPECT VIETNAM WAR.
DO WE EXPECT BOSNIA WAR.
DO WE EXPECT NKOREA WAR.
DO WE EXPECT KUWAIT WAR.
DO WE EXPECT 9/11
DO WE EXPECT ANOTHER 9/11
DO WE EXPECT WWIII
NO BOBY KNOW BUT IT HAPPEN....
by SAMTORRES66 July 21, 2009 7:54 PM EDT
$140m a piece is way to high. Droping the price to $75m, they might get a few more ordered.
Reply to this comment
by pw08-2009 July 21, 2009 6:21 PM EDT
Have ANY of the Northrop-Grumman project ever finished for what the original cost estimate was? NO, in fact they ALWAYS have cost over-runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars and we just keep paying them. I'm for a strong defense, but sick of these large corporations stealing money all the time. I mean they're threatening to lay off 90,000 people to build such a small number of jets...I don't care how sophisitcated they are...it's just BS
Reply to this comment
by edgy44 July 21, 2009 5:47 PM EDT
The secretary of defense wants 20,000 more men authorized for the Army. With this 7 plane cut, he can get those troops for 4 years, and equip them with rifles and bullets. The money saved can be used for the air transport of these troops to the front. God Bless America, and the Crusade.
Reply to this comment
by pjk12354 July 21, 2009 5:38 PM EDT
Hey Republicans...........there is a better way to live than cutting taxes for your rich buddies & building military stuff we don't need.
Reply to this comment
by hungry1968-16 July 21, 2009 5:34 PM EDT
by speakinup22 July 21, 2009 5:25 PM EDT
95,000 jobs for 1.75 billion.

Sounds like better than he's been getting on the 787 billion stimulus package.

But hey - it's his Presidency to make look bad.






At least were getting roads and bridges out of the stimulus, and not just $140 million paperweights that'll never see combat.
Reply to this comment
by ffoulkes-2009 July 22, 2009 2:57 AM EDT
Where are these roads and bridges? They haven't been spotted in my county yet.
by hungry1968-16 July 21, 2009 5:32 PM EDT
by darthcheney072109 July 21, 2009 4:44 PM EDT
The North Koreans and Al Qaeda sure are.







Uh huh.

The North Korean and Al Qaeda Air Force's will now control the skies, unhindered with their militarily superior equipment, that makes our F-16's look like the Red Baron's bi-plane, right?
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