House Appropriations Legislation Would Spare 32nd F-16s Until Cost-Benefit Analysis can be Carried Out

Press Release

An appropriations bill for the upcoming fiscal year would stop the proposed retirement of 21 F-16s attached to the 132nd Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard, announced Iowa Congressman Tom Latham on Monday.

The FY 2013 Defense Appropriations bill, which is scheduled to go before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, would freeze the proposed retirement of all Air Force aircraft, including the F-16s, until a cost-benefit analysis can be reviewed by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office. The legislation would require the Air Force to conduct the cost-benefit analysis by October, with a review by GAO within 120 days of its completion.

"This is great news for the Iowa Air Guard, and I'll do everything I can to work with Chairman Young and the rest of my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee to make sure this proposal becomes law," said Congressman Latham, Iowa's only member of the House Appropriations Committee. "The 132nd Fighter Wing has served our country time and again with distinction and honor, but a misguided Air Force proposal would summarily eliminate the fighter wing without a proper cost-benefit analysis. As we look for savings in the defense budget, we have to make sure the process remains accountable and based on facts, solid data and a commitment to strengthening our national security."

The Air Force has proposed a reduction of hundreds of Iowa Air Guard positions due to recent recommendations to retire 21 F-16s in the Des Moines-based 132nd Fighter Wing as part of cost-saving measures. Congressman Latham has spoken out repeatedly against the proposed Iowa Air Guard cuts, and has met with National Guard officials and Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley in an effort to find a better way forward. Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee in April, Congressman Latham criticized the proposal because of the absence of a cost-benefit analysis and the irreversible elimination of the considerable experience amassed by the decorated fighter wing.

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congressman Latham will have a direct impact on shaping the FY 2013 Defense Appropriations Bill before it can reach the House floor for consideration by the whole chamber. The House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee is expected to vote on the legislation on Tuesday, while the full committee is expected to take up the proposal next week.

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