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Mr. KLINE. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Chairman, I rise today to oppose the gentleman's amendment and impress upon my colleagues the importance of the short takeoff vertical landing capability of the F 35B and its contribution to the continued success of the United States Marine Corps.
Mr. Chairman, so many years ago, as a young marine and a young marine pilot, I remember watching a jump jet--a Harrier--hovering over the ground. That Harrier, that AV 8A, went from being a novelty to growing and maturing to becoming an essential, integral part of the Marine air-ground team. That Harrier today is old and getting outdated and needs to be replaced.
Similarly, I've watched the magic of the FA 18, a fantastic, top-of the-line, frontline fighter. Terrific aircraft. It can't take off and land vertically. It doesn't have the capability. And we need those capabilities that the ranking member, Mr. Smith, talked about--the stealth capability, the advanced capability--to become that integral part of the Marine air-ground team.
So I encourage my colleagues to support the continued development of the F 35B and oppose the gentleman's amendment.
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