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SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ANNOUNCES OPPOSITION TO FUNDING REQUEST TO COVER F-35 COST OVERRUNS
July 14, 2011
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Department of Defense’s recent request to transfer money from other defense programs to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter because of cost overruns:
“Earlier this week, the Department of Defense (DOD) briefed the congressional defense committees on a request that an additional $264 million be paid for the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program to cover cost overruns incurred in building the first 28 jets. In addition, the Department notified the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) that it needs to find an additional $496 million to pay for the remainder of the cost overruns on the first three lots of production aircraft, which total $771 million.”
“Based on the current information submitted to the Senate, I intend to oppose the Department’s ‘reprogramming request’ to transfer $264 million for unacceptable cost overruns on the F-35 program.
“Today, Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and I sent a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that raises serious concerns about that overrun, largely a result of basic manufacturing and labor costs and inefficiencies that exceed the amounts planned for the F-35 program by the Department of Defense and authorized by Congress. This cannot be allowed.
“I intend to strongly oppose future ‘reprogramming requests’ unless they can be fully justified to the American taxpayer.
“Any new requests for additional funding by the Department of Defense should be submitted to the Congress for formal review, debate, amendment, and approval by the appropriate defense committees and the full body of both Houses of Congress. This should be done as a request for emergency funding or be funded through supplemental appropriations legislation by Congress and offset against commensurate, identified cuts in spending.”
View Full McCain-Levin Letter To Secretary Panetta On F-35 Cost Overruns
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