F-22 Funding Included In Defense Authorization Bill

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey, M.D. today voted in support of H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 - the annual funding blueprint for the Department of Defense and America's military activities. This year's bill authorizes $550.4 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy. Additionally, the legislation authorizes $130 billion in funding to support operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the Global War on Terror.

"By and large, this is good legislation that funds our war fighters, crafted in a bipartisan way with months of hard work and tough compromise," said Gingrey. "It is critical that we continue to provide our men and women in uniform the tools they need to fight - and win - the Global War on Terror, while remaining prepared to combat other potential threats to our homeland."

"Further, this bill authorizes $368 million for the advance procurement of long-lead supplies needed to build 12 additional F-22's in 2011. As the world's only 5th Generation Fighter line currently in full-rate production, the F-22A Raptor is the key component of our nation's air superiority platform - and despite the Obama Administration's plans to terminate F-22 production, I have continued working to educate my fellow Members about how critical the Raptor is toward ensuring America's air superiority decades into the future. The additional funding included in the 2010 NDAA clearly demonstrates that Congress does not agree with the President's plans for the premature closure of the F-22 line. The 2010 NDAA as well as the War Supplemental should send a strong message to the President that the fight for the F-22 is not over."

"While I do support the bill, I feel that it could be made stronger. I find it counter-intuitive that the Democratic leadership would block efforts to restore $1.2 billion that had been cut from our nation's missile defense programs when the President of the United States has just declared that Kim Jong-Il's regime poses a ‘grave threat' to U.S. national security interests. North Korea is planning a missile launch towards Hawaii, and the House is cutting funding to missile defense? Decreasing funding for the very programs that keep our citizens safe while our adversaries aggressively seek to enhance their weapons programs is irresponsible, and I hope that the leadership in the House and Senate will reinstate this critical funding for our missile defense shield before this bill reaches the President's desk."

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