F-22 funding cut from defense budget
By ConnPolitics.tv Staff on Jul 21, 2009 | In News, President Barack Obama | 17 feedbacks »
Washington (AP) – The Senate has sided with the Obama administration in agreeing to cut off new spending for the F-22 jet fighter program.
The engine for the F-22 is produced by workers here in Connecticut at Pratt & Whitney.
The 58-40 vote removes $1.75 billion set aside in a defense policy bill to build seven more F-22 Raptors, adding to the 187 stealth technology fighters already in the pipeline.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that the Pentagon has enough of the $140 million jets to meet operational needs and President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the defense bill if Congress ignores the request that the program be terminated.
But for many lawmakers, including Gov. Jodi Rell (R-Connecticut) and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut), the F-22 means thousands of jobs for their state or district, and resistance to ending the program has been fierce.
In a written statement Gov. Rell blasted the decision.
“The F-22 is powered by jet engines made at Pratt & Whitney and includes components from numerous Connecticut manufacturers. In all, almost 100,000 jobs around the country have a direct or indirect link to the F-22 program. We must make sure we continue to support the skills, experience and insight of our aerospace industry,” Rell said.
Dodd says he will continue to fight to save the F-22 program.
“I believe it is our duty and responsibility to protect the thousands of workers in Connecticut and across the country from losing their jobs and to ensure that our country maintains the ability to continue building the finest and most sophisticated fighter jets in the world,” Dodd said in a written statement.
Pratt says the last engine for the F-22 is scheduled for delivery in 2011.
“If no additional F-22 aircraft are ordered, Pratt & Whitney would be required to halt orders from our long-lead suppliers within months,” a spokesperson for Pratt said in a written statement. “As this production requirement is satisfied we will scale down our work force as required.”
17 comments
Also, I don't hate America, just ignorant people with no sense of logic.
then it should be scrapped from the budget. Of course I feel for the loss of jobs. Yet, I can't see wasting money on this IF it is shown that we have enough already.
I am surprised at Chris for this. I would have thought He would be in favor of cutting cost my not making any of the planes since we have enough already. ??
Glen
Dodd doesn't speak for CT.
They want to spend the money on the new F35 which I think is a good plan.
The barking Dodd is just trying to get some facetime and dosen't deserve am moment of your time......
THAT makes sense more than manufacturing a plane that can ONLY be used by one military brance..it will save millions in procurement down the line.......
There is NO reason that a company cant come up with a fighter aircraft that can cover BOTH the mission of the NAVY & of the Air Force.....
this isnt 40 or 50 years ago........costs are different.............
But we still need to maintain an edge in the fighter technology..Russia & China are still workin on newer technology for thier aircraft.....
dream on........
The F-35 certainly provides a bigger bang for the taxpayer's money and is set to replace the F-16 as the gold standard of multirole fighters. Too be honest... it can mount the exact same avionics as the F-22 and can carry the same AIM-120 AMRAAM all the while having a stealthier profile (much newer design incorporating more stealth features) so it's supposed inferiority in air to air is nothing more than service propaganda.
Concerning Pratt & Whitney... recent news revealed they are fleeing the opressive taxation of this state along with the other 7000 companies that closed up shop here in the past year. So our State senate and governor have already screwed the state on that score.
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