National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013

Floor Speech

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Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing me the time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition, along with my colleague, Mr. Fattah, to this amendment.

The V 22 Osprey program is a truly revolutionary system that is being used around the world today by both our United States Marine Corps and the Special Operations Command in support of our Nation's missions.

This amendment would eliminate the only cost-effective way to replace the fleet of aging medium-lift aircraft in our inventory. Canceling V 22 does not remove the requirement to replace legacy CH 46 and HH 53 airframes. It would only interrupt the carefully planned transition to a more capable and more cost-efficient alternative--at an additional expense to the American taxpayer.

I quote the United States Air Force Special Operations Command Commander, Lieutenant General Donald Wurster:

This aircraft is the single most significant transformation of Air Force Special Operations since the introduction of the helicopter. Nearly every mission we have faced in the last 20 years would have been done better and faster with the V 22.

Mr. Chairman, who are we, sitting here guarded and completely safe, to not listen to the brave men and women and their commander and not give them everything they need and request to keep them safe and give them the tools to do their job?

I urge you to support the President's budget request and vote ``no'' on the amendment.

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