Senate strips extra F-22 funding from defense bill
Two U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor aircraft after inflight refueling off the coast of Florida. Associated Press/U.S. Air Force
The U.S. Senate just approved a measure to strike increased funding for the Marietta-built F-22 Raptor, bowing to a veto threat from President Barack Obama.
The vote was 58-40 — not as close as many expected.
U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss led the support for the purchase of seven additional stealth fighters, forming an alliance with Democrats from states whose economies would be affected by the vote.
The vote was marked by a cross-party flow. John McCain (R-Ariz.) allied himself with President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Gates advocated that the U.S. military cap the number of stealth fighters at 187. Obama promised to veto the $680 billion defense spending bill if the extra F-22 spending were not removed.
Two of the more notable votes against extra F-22 funding were John Ensign (R-Nevada) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). Moderate Republican Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) sided with Chambliss. Barbara Boxer (D-California) sided with Chambliss.
McCain, whom Chambliss endorsed in the 2008 presidential primary, gave one of the closing arguments, and repeatedly called for an end to “business as usual” defense procurement.
“We’re not saying the F-22 is not a good aircraft. We’re saying it’s time to end production,” he argued.
Many senators supporting continued production pointed to jobs that would be lost nationwide. About 6,000 people work at the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta. The plant’s payroll last year was $528 million. It is Cobb County’s second-largest private employer, trailing WellStar Health System.
Lockheed has been relatively silent during the debate over the F-22. The defense bill at issue also contains spending for production of another jet, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. This spring, Georgia’s congressional delegations said they were assured by Lockheed Martin that the 2,000 employees who assemble the F-22 will probably still have their jobs with or without the plane.
Chambliss acknowledged concerns about cost. “This is an expensive weapon. But this is the most sophisticated weapons system ever designed by mankind,” Chambliss said. Much of the debate had to do with limited U.S. resources and whether warfare involving air-to-air combat was on the horizon.
The F-22 is designed to destroy rival air power — which barely existed in the Iraq war and plays no role in the Afghanistan conflict.
From the floor, Chambliss read this paragraph from a Washington Times op-ed piece written by Richard D. Fisher Jr. of the International Assessment and Strategy Center, in today’s Washington Times:
Though the Chinese government says next to nothing and the U.S. government says very little, what is known about China’s fifth-generation fighter program is disturbing. Both of China’s fighter manufacturers, the Shenyang and Chengdu Aircraft corporations, are competing to build a heavy fifth-generation fighter, and there are serious indicators China may be working on a medium-weight fifth-generation fighter similar to the F-35. China can be expected to put a fifth-generation fighter on its future aircraft carriers, and it can be expected to build more than 187.
As noted in The Hill, passions stirred by the debate could be measured by the appearance of a frail Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.), who voted to preserve F-22 funding:
Byrd, 91, had been hospitalized with an infection for the better part of two months. An initial infection had worsened while Byrd was in the hospital. He was finally released June 30, but only returned to the Senate on Tuesday.
The Washington Post gave this assessment:
The decision was a key policy victory for Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who has been campaigning against the plane since April as a centerpiece of his effort to “fundamentally reshape the priorities of America’s defense establishment and reform the way the Pentagon does business — in particular, the weapons we buy and how we buy them,” as he put it in a Chicago speech last Thursday.
Gates had depicted the F-22, which was conceived in the 1980s, as a “silver bullet solution” to a high-technology aerial warfare threat that has not materialized. He said other warplanes will adequately defend the country for decades to come, and won support from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Air Force’s two senior leaders. But his view was strongly opposed by others in the Air Force and by military contractors and unions that have benefited from the $65 billion program.
The New York Times adds this coda from the White House:
Immediately after the vote, Mr. Obama praised the Senate’s decision, saying that any money spent on the fighter was an “inexcusable waste.”
Senate aides said that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, pushed hard to rally support for the president through phone calls to crucial senators.
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson just issued the following reaction:
“I’m extremely disappointed the Senate did not recognize how essential the continued production of this aircraft is to our national security as well as to the many local economies and thousands of workers that will be devastated as a result of these cuts.”
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145 comments Add your comment
Jack
July 21st, 2009
2:25 pm
AFW
You’d better do some research on china’s Military build up.. It isnt for defence Sir.
F22 Guy
July 21st, 2009
2:25 pm
Frogman
2:19 pm
What department are you in? Where can we work and make the kind of money we make here? I told everyone not to vote for Saxby because he was a crook but not enough people listened, maybe we can get rid of Johnny, he has got to be just as bad as Saxby.
F22 Guy
July 21st, 2009
2:26 pm
UNION FOREVER..
Art Vandelay
July 21st, 2009
2:27 pm
So, a question for everyone griping about the demise of the F-22. If the top military brass says we don’t need it, the Senate (both Democrats AND Republicans) overwhelmingly says we don’t need it, and the President says we don’t need it, isn’t it socialist to keep fighting for the continued production of an unneeded plane simply to protect jobs?
Bob In Winder
July 21st, 2009
2:28 pm
Jack
July 21st, 2009
2:25 pm
Should we believe a crook like Saxby or the Sec of Def and the Joint Chiefs?
Jack
July 21st, 2009
2:29 pm
I’ll never tell, but I am a right wing nut, but 22 guy, I dont like unions.. You gotta love the obama tags in the parking lot,,.,Wonder how many will be pulling them off tonight.
Aaron Burr V. Mexico
July 21st, 2009
2:30 pm
Art, in case you haven’t figured it out, “Socialist” in Republispeak means, “Not a member of the Party. Not aligned with the Party. Not controlled by the Party.”
Jack
July 21st, 2009
2:30 pm
So Bob, explain your comment Crook, He was voted in by the Ga people to do a job, He did his best and you call him a crook.. please detail how he is a crook
Tom
July 21st, 2009
2:32 pm
Just another example of the sterling service Saxby Chambliss is providing our state. It ain’t for nothing that National Journal ranked him the third least-influential member of the Senate.
Art Vandelay
July 21st, 2009
2:33 pm
Aaron, I’m very clear on what it means in Republispeak, but I want to hear it directly from the lips (or keyboards) of those who have spent the past six months decrying every single policy Obama has proposed as either socialism, communism or fascism, with no real idea of what any of those words mean.
rabbit
July 21st, 2009
2:35 pm
what policy has obama proposed thats not socialist.lets start there
Jay
July 21st, 2009
2:37 pm
It’s a shame that the fear tactics rightwing nutcases like Hannity and Limbaugh have been spreading has warped some of your thinking. Just beacuse we don’t build more F22’s doesn’t mean we are defenseless. We have unmatched air dominance over any potential enemy. How do I know? I’ve been in the U.S. Air Force the last 14 years. No one wants to fight us in the air.
rabbit
July 21st, 2009
2:38 pm
Tom
Mr. Chamblis is in the minority if you havent noticed. He has spent countless hours trying to keep the people of cobb and surrounding counties working. Please tell us how you would have done things different.
rabbit
July 21st, 2009
2:41 pm
Jay
14 years doesnt mean jack, I spent 25 in the service too. doesnt mean I know whats going on in other countries. Dont think for one minute that the chinease or even the Russians would give thier left nut to go up against us. Again, please go do a search on the China military build up over the last couple of years, then come back and report to us…
BW
July 21st, 2009
2:41 pm
Frog Legs…an assembly line is an assembly line…final assembly is done in Texas and sub-assembly takes place in multiple areas guy…and by the way no I’m not ok with the bailouts
TW
July 21st, 2009
2:45 pm
Face it, boys, this bird was a lemon. I’m all up for fire power, but we could use the coin in a manner that much better serves our military.
But that’s not even what this was about. This was making jobs. And if you make a job just for job sake, all your making is fancy welfare.
Congress got it right. Once again, Saxby got it wrong – not that it messes with his golf game. And for all of you who’ve not figured it out yet, the tax dollars that pay for that clown’s salary go for nothing but clubs an green fees. Before the GOP got itself castrated by rushannity, they’d have tossed Saxby out on his ear.
God I miss the real Republican party.
gayle
July 21st, 2009
2:45 pm
For all of you chicken littles on this blog, the defeat of the F-22 today does not mean that the doors at Lockheed will be shuttered tomorrow – or anytime soon. It means that the production of the F-22 will conclude after 187 of them have been built – that will not occur for some time.
The people supporting sustaining this aircraft program speak of weak defense and buckling to the enemy – but if the statistics of this plane’s performance are correct – as stated by the Air Force – a kill ratio of about 120 to 1, then I think we will be fine with 187 of them. Suplant that with a robust force of upgraded F/A-18 Super Hornets and the existing fleet of F-15C, F-15E and the coming F-35 Lightning.
How much deeper into debt much this country get in the name of defeating an enemy and answering a threat that does not exist and won’t for many years to come? There are much more credible threats out there that we need to worry about – not the least of which is the proliferation of Diesel-Electric submarines with Air-Independant-Propulsion (AIP) being produced by Sweden, Germany and Russia. These are being sold to any comers and our Navy is having a hard time finding them.
That is something to worry about now – not some Buck Rogers dogfight 30 years from now.
Goose
July 21st, 2009
2:46 pm
We have no new tankers, the ones we do have are restricted, we’re still flying B-52’s we only have 20 B-2’s . the F-15 is over 30 years old and corroding and falling apart, B-1 is a flying POC. And the Navy has a couple of hundred E&F -18’s The older f-18’s are working them selves to death and have zero stealth advantage… yea, we dont need no stinking F-22
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
2:52 pm
Jack July 21st, 2009 2:21 pm SAID: Jay, the B-1 and B-2 were used in both Afgan and Iraq.. Frog is right, please do some research
CHRIS SAYS: That is correct. Both are bombers and along with the 50 year old B-52, have been used in combat extensively in Afghanistan. And correct about the F-16, designed for the FGA (Fighter-Ground Attack) role and also used in the air-combat role. However, the F-22 is exclusively an air-air fighter. The F-22 was designed around the time the Cold War was coming to an end to fight the Soviets. Our primary mission right now is to fight the Taliban, Al-Qaeeda and assorted terrorist groups around the world. We do not face a conventional enemy. We already have 187 F-22’s which should be enough for air-air threats in the near future (doubtful). The only potential air-air threats I can think of right now are North Korea and Iran which our current fleet of F-22’s plus the older F-15’s and navy F-18’s should be more than enough to dominate.
So, again. The Pentagon, the Defense Secretary and the Joint Chiefs recommended to terminate the F-22 program and Obama accepted their advise. Get over it! Amazing that the very same people who complain about Obama’s being socialistic are now complaining that Obama didn’t keep this program funded to keep people employed building a jet that isn’t needed anymore!!! I’m sorry that people are losing jobs but that’s how it works in the real world.
ATL
July 21st, 2009
2:56 pm
Ole ‘Porkbarrel Saxby’ strikes out again… the word hypocrite comes to mind as well…
Seems that Saxby may be the most ineffectual member of the Senate in DC today–
Doesn’t bode well for Georgia…
Billy Bob
July 21st, 2009
2:57 pm
The 58 of the people who know Saxby best did not trust him, of course Boxer, Dodd, Kennedy and the rest of his immigrations buddies were with him. Guess Saxby has sold us out again on immigration.
Goose
July 21st, 2009
2:58 pm
Chris,
How do you figure its not needed anymore, its stealth is the reason its needed, its also, if you do a little more research a ground bomber, it was called the F&A -22 first. The Airforce removed the A for various reasons.targets are not only planes young man.
Goose
July 21st, 2009
2:59 pm
Billy
Saxby voted the second time against kennedys bill.
The REAL GodHatesTrash, Superstar
July 21st, 2009
3:00 pm
All that welfare $$ for Georgia – poof!
Jimmy
July 21st, 2009
3:01 pm
Those lobbyist that were paying Saxby sure wasted their money..
The REAL GodHatesTrash, Superstar
July 21st, 2009
3:02 pm
Poor Georgia.
The morons aren’t in charge any more, and Chickenhawk Chambliss can’t speak any other language than moron.
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
3:02 pm
ATL July 21st, 2009 2:56 pm SAID: Ole ‘Porkbarrel Saxby’ strikes out again… the word hypocrite comes to mind as well…Seems that Saxby may be the most ineffectual member of the Senate in DC today–Doesn’t bode well for Georgia…
CHRIS SAYS: Look, I’m no fan of Saxby. This guy avoided the draft and Vietnam by getting 5 student deferments and then later again by claiming he had a bum knee. I hate the man for what he did to Max Cleland during that election campaign. That all said, he was fighting a losing battle in the Senate and there was no way he was going to win this one.
moose lips
July 21st, 2009
3:03 pm
Real
Let me clue you in on who this affects
1100 Vendors in 44 states. wings are made in Seattle, mid fuselage in texas, all the other parts are made all over this US 0f A. It only comes together here in Ga.
Billy Bob
July 21st, 2009
3:04 pm
Goose
July 21st, 2009
2:59 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK5TprmkgRw&feature=related
moose lips
July 21st, 2009
3:05 pm
Max Cleland! He never did squat for us Vets. give me a break. He lost because he didnt do ^%$%$
AFWarrior
July 21st, 2009
3:05 pm
Jack-
You missed the point… a weapon system is only as good as the people operating that system. I served side by side with Chinese Officers in Southern Iraq (UNIKOM)… they are bound by centralized command and control and lack the creativity to orchestrate and employ a “five rings” campaign plan. It’s my profession to know an advisary’s tactics.
moose lips
July 21st, 2009
3:05 pm
effects that is
McCain
July 21st, 2009
3:05 pm
McCain/Obama 1, Chambliss 0
Jay
July 21st, 2009
3:05 pm
Rabbit,
Your 25 years should tell you that our military is more then just equipment. If China is so powerful why have they not taken Taiwan? Because they can’t project power far from their coast that’s why. Iraq had Russian built planes and did nothing against our AF in Desert Storm. Check your history and China’s current military and report back.
Tifton Tom
July 21st, 2009
3:08 pm
Moose Lips: Cleland always added F-22’s to the budget; Chambliss is the first US Senator from GA on the Armes Services Cmte to lose critical funding for our state. Chambliss is ineffective and not respected by his colleagues b/c of what he did to Cleland–that’s a fact.
moose lips
July 21st, 2009
3:08 pm
I read the book on their command and control you are correct. but they “chinease” were given a free hand in Korea along with russian pilots
gayle
July 21st, 2009
3:09 pm
Goose – the ground mission was added to the initial RFQ for the plane to broaden its appeal. The recent loss of an F-22 in testing and the death of the pilot was caused when the plane was being flown at low altitudes with the weapons bay open. This plane was not designed for ground attack, it was designed as an interceptor.
F-22SingleMomofTwo
July 21st, 2009
3:09 pm
Okay, all of you who are against the F-22, now that I will no longer have a job, I will be on your dime! A single mother with two children who needed her job on the F-22! When I am laid off, I am signing up for welfare, unemployment, peach care and everything!
Obama, you have gotten the last vote from me!
moose lips
July 21st, 2009
3:09 pm
Cleland wasnt even a factor in the F-22,..please
darkness
July 21st, 2009
3:10 pm
“Socialist” in Republispeak means, “Not a member of the Party. Not aligned with the Party. Not controlled by the Party.”
No this means we have to sit back and watch our country be given away by some guys who thinks they are doing good for all.
The plane we are talking about may come in handy here in the next few years the way we are headed. Democrat or Republican doesn’t matter at this point because we are talking about jobs. But wait, I thought Obama was trying to help everyone and we are going to put 100,000 hard working Americans out of jobs. Lets think about all the money that is being handed out for companies that are failing because we think it will help them get on their feet. But when it comes down to a company that works for America’s freedom then we have a problem with it. Overspending is overspending and we are doing it more than just in our military programs.
Let’s stop with all the retoric and begin to think of the impact that we are talking about. Hold on to your jobs tightly because before this is all over we all may be without. Don’t hate someone for the pride they take in their jobs just because you feel as if you know all that is going on.
Greg
July 21st, 2009
3:11 pm
Georgia’s Senators have ABSOLUTELY NO POWER in the Senate or in a Washington contolled by Obama and the Democrats. Jim Martin or Max Cleland would have had the ear of the White House and Defense Secretary Gates never would have announced a cut in funding to begin with.
Darryl Woods
July 21st, 2009
3:13 pm
Did McCain forget we were one of the few states he carried in November? Also, what concerns me the most is the attached bill the designates it as a “federal” hate crime when people attack homosexuals and transgenders.
Tifton Tom
July 21st, 2009
3:13 pm
Moose Lips: You obviously know nothing about the Senate Armed Services Committe and congressional funding for the F-22; Cleland was the lead proponent in the Senate and the leade Democrat–without him Geoegia has no power in the Senate. Chambliss is a joke.
Do some research Moose Lips. At least 5 minutes, please. You don’t know what your’e talking about. Please do some research, please.
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
3:13 pm
Goose July 21st, 2009 2:58 pm SAID: Chris,
How do you figure its not needed anymore, its stealth is the reason its needed, its also, if you do a little more research a ground bomber, it was called the F&A -22 first. The Airforce removed the A for various reasons.targets are not only planes young man.
CHRIS SAYS: It was designed from the start to PRIMARILY be an Air-Superiority Fighter. The F-35 was designed to complement it in the FGA role which is why that program is still going forward. During development, the designation “F-22″ and F/A-22″ were used interchangeably but the bottom line is that this jet was again primarily designed to fight other jets. It would be exceedingly foolish to put the $120 million F-22 in any ground attack role where, stealth or not, a single 30 MM or 40MM shell could cripple it and bring it down.
Kim
July 21st, 2009
3:16 pm
The F35 will not be manufactured at the Marietta plant, I know – my husband works there.
howard
July 21st, 2009
3:21 pm
Saxby just proved he is a pork barrel spender big time and the only difference in him and some of the others is he was working on behalf of lobbyists to spend millions on a plane the military didn’t want. He has zero credibility to attack the administration on spending and his “claim” to be a fiscal conservative is about as valid as his military experience. He is nothing more than a pawn of big time Washington lobbyist and it is their interests he serves, not the public’s. SACK SAXBY.
darkness
July 21st, 2009
3:21 pm
No Kim you’re wrong. A part of it will but not the entire plane. And especially not enough to absorb the jobs that will come off of the F-22 program.
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
3:22 pm
F-22SingleMomofTwo July 21st, 2009 3:09 pm SAID: Okay, all of you who are against the F-22, now that I will no longer have a job, I will be on your dime! A single mother with two children who needed her job on the F-22! When I am laid off, I am signing up for welfare, unemployment, peach care and everything!
CHRIS SAYS: Welcome to the club. That’s what those programs (Unemployment, Peachcare, etc) are there for. That is why we all pay taxes. So, next time you see someone unemployed, its not because they’re lazy or stupid, it’s because of a lot of other factors beyond their control. Also remember that next time you see a homeless person, just remember that for the grace of God, that could be you! Maybe this will teach you a little bit of compassion.
F-22SingleMomofTwo July 21st, 2009 3:09 pm SAID: Obama, you have gotten the last vote from me!
CHRIS SAYS: Yeah, you’re absolutely right!!!! He should have kept the F-22 program alive as a giant employment welfare program to keep your vote. Which planet do you live on???
darkness
July 21st, 2009
3:22 pm
Saxby serves the interest of his district and his state by protecting jobs. They were not asking to build another 187, just 7.
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
3:26 pm
Darryl Woods July 21st, 2009 3:13 pm SAID: Did McCain forget we were one of the few states he carried in November? Also, what concerns me the most is the attached bill the designates it as a “federal” hate crime when people attack homosexuals and transgenders.
CHRIS SAYS: Okay but I had to point this out. People are going to lose jobs because of circumstances beyond their control and this guy here is MOST CONCERNED about homosexuals and transgenders??? Any wonder why the GOP is heading for the thrash heap and taking its last supporters, the old old old South with it???