House Keeps Second F35 Engine
F35 Joint Strike Fighter
The US House of Representatives voted 193 to 231 on a motion to strip funding from the Defense Authorization Bill of 2010 for a second F35 Joint Strike Fighter engine that the Defense Department does not want. Since the motion failed funds for a second engine stay in the defense bill. The rollcall vote on the motion may be found here
Congresswoman Helen Elizabeth “Betsy” Markey [D-CO4th] voted to strip the funds. 135 other Democrats voted to strip the funds along with 57 Republicans. House members voting to retain funds for a second engine included 115 Democrats and 116 Republicans.
After the vote Markey was critical of her colleagues for being hypocritical on budget deficits. See the story in the Fort Collins Coloradoan This story also ran on the ColoradoPols Blog
Photo Credit:KCBY TV Coos Bay / North Bend, OR
Posted by Gypsy Chief
I would say the JSF is looking like the V-22 program. Being spread out over so many subcontractors in so many bloody states it’s impossible to gather enough Congressional support to do anything meaningful. At least the JSF has weapons… so that’s a good thing.