By Richard Lardner
Preparing for a possible showdown with Congress the White House on Wednesday threatened to veto legislation authorizing a $680 billion military budget if it contains money for more F-22 jet fighters than the Pentagon says it wants.
The White House Office of Management and Budget said the $369 million that a House committee added to the bill as a down payment for 12 additional
F-22 Raptor
s runs counter to the collective judgment of the militarys top leaders.
Defense Secretary
Robert Gates wants to end production of Lockheed Martins radar-evading F-22 after 187 aircraft have been built. Last week in a preview of the Whit
e Houses veto threat Gates called the funding boost a big problem.
Gates has pointed to the F-22 which has not been used in Iraq and Afghanistan as an example of a Cold War-era weapon that doesnt fit well into 21st-century warfare against terrorist groups and other elusive threats.
But the F-22 has broad support on Capitol Hill. About 1800 employees at Lockheeds west Fort Worth plant work on the F-22 building its midfuselage. Other key parts are made in California and final assembly is in Marietta Ga.
The House Armed Services Committee narrowly approved the funding June 17. Republicans largely backed the measure introduced by Rep. Rob Bishop R-Utah and were joined by a handful of Democrats in a 31-30 vote.
The extra funding was adopted as part of the 2010 Defense Department spending bill markup. The bill still needs to make its way through the full House and Senate.
Read more HERE
*This story is from www.Star-Telegram.com
By Richard Lardner
Preparing for a possible showdown with Congress the White House on Wednesday threatened to veto legislation authorizing a $680 billion military budget if it contains money for more F-22 jet fighters than the Pentagon says it wants.
The White House Office of Management and Budget said the $369 million that a House committee added to the bill as a down payment for 12 additional F-22 Raptor
s runs counter to the collective judgment of the militarys top leaders.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants to end production of Lockheed Martins radar-evading F-22 after 187 aircraft have been built. Last week in a preview of the Whit
e Houses veto threat Gates called the funding boost a big problem.
Gates has pointed to the F-22 which has not been used in Iraq and Afghanistan as an example of a Cold War-era weapon that doesnt fit well into 21st-century warfare against terrorist groups and other elusive threats.
But the F-22 has broad support on Capitol Hill. About 1800 employees at Lockheeds west Fort Worth plant work on the F-22 building its midfuselage. Other key parts are made in California and final assembly is in Marietta Ga.
The House Armed Services Committee narrowly approved the funding June 17. Republicans largely backed the measure introduced by Rep. Rob Bishop R-Utah and were joined by a handful of Democrats in a 31-30 vote.
The extra funding was adopted as part of the 2010 Defense Department spending bill markup. The bill still needs to make its way through the full House and Senate.
Read more HERE
*This story is from www.Star-Telegram.com
