Lawmakers to Air Force: Spend F-22 money now

[unhappycamper]

Production line threatened
DoD hasn’t spent funds Congress allotted


Lawmakers to Air Force: Spend F-22 money now
By William Matthews - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Nov 7, 2008 18:12:52 EST

In September, Congress budgeted $523 million so the Air Force could continue buying parts and supplies for the next batch of F-22 stealth fighters. But the spending provision included a restriction: The Air Force could spend no more than $140 million until the next president decides whether to keep buying F-22s or end the program.

Now lawmakers are fuming because instead of spending $140 million, the Defense Department has spent nothing.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, four senior members of the House Armed Services Committee said: Spend the money.

By not spending it, the Pentagon could kill the F-22, said Reps. Ike Skelton, Duncan Hunter, Neil Abercrombie and James Saxton.

“The obligation of $140 million for advance procurement of 20 F-22A aircraft is a prudent and necessary action to sustain F-22A production activities,” the quartet wrote.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/11/af_defense_111008_f22_spending/%2e



uhc comment: Maybe these guys didn't get the memo about financial problems on Wall Street. At $355,000,000 a pop for an F-22, $140,000,000 doesn't seem like much. But I'm sure the bucks could be spent on something more beneficial to humanity.