Defense News
Heeding Veto Threat, Senate Votes To Kill F-22 Funding
ABC World News (7/21, story 7,00:20, Gipson) reported, the Senate yesterday voted "to kill funding for the F-22 jet fighter program by a vote of 58-40. The Senate withdrew nearly 2 billion to add seven of the jets to the Air Force fleet. The planes are popular in congressional districts where they are built, but neither the Pentagon nor the President wanted them."
In its lead story the Los Angeles Times(7/22, A1, Sherry) notes that the decision will "strip" $1.75 billion designated for constructing the jets from the $680-billion defense bill. "The F-22, which has not been used in Iraq or Afghanistan, has come under particular scrutiny for its price tag. The Pentagon has invested an estimated $65 billion in the program since it began, and each aircraft costs an estimated $44,000 per hour to oprtate." The Times noted that if the House also passes the action, "F-22 production would cease at 187 planes," and says the shift is part of Gates ' "plans to invest more defense funds in intelligence and personnel."
The AP (7/21, Abrams) reports, however, that "F-22 supporters complained the action would be a blow to long-term national defense - and cost thousands of jobs in the middle of the recession." The AP notes that Gates and Vice President Joe Biden had both lobbied "wavering lawmakers" on the vote, which Arizona Sen. John McCain called "a signal that we are not going to continue to build weapons systems with cost overruns which outlive their requirements for defending this nation."
The New York Times (7/22, Drew), the Wall Street Journal (7/22, Cole), McClatchy (7/22, Abdullah), The Hill (7/22, Tiron), The Politico (7/22, Rogers, DiMascio), AFP (7/21), and the Washington Times (7/22, Miller) also cover this story.
