Caucus forms to save the F-35 from budget cuts

[alp227]

by T.W. Farnam, Washington Post "Influence Industry" columnist

Even before the congressional “supercommittee” failed to reach a deal averting drastic cuts to defense spending, one group of lawmakers began mobilizing to protect a favorite weapons program.

Reps. Kay Granger (R-Tex.) and Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) announced the formation of a Congressional Joint Strike Fighter Caucus with 49 members from both parties. Its purpose: to protect funding for the F-35 stealth fighter. The plane, as the most expensive weapons program in history, is one of the biggest potential targets in the defense budget.

The members of the caucus are also some of the top recipients of political money from the company that designs and builds the fighter, Lockheed Martin. The company’s political action committee and its employees have given the caucus members $1.3 million in political contributions over their careers, according to a Washington Post analysis of data from the Center for Responsive Politics.

Granger, whose west Fort Worth district includes the main Lockheed airplane-assembly plant, which employs 15,000, has received $210,000 from the company’s PAC and employees. That includes $33,500 so far this year.

full: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/caucus-forms-to-save-the-f-35-from-budget-cuts/2011/11/22/gIQA6QDupN_story.html

[DJ13]

1. The GOP was screaming for spending cuts

You reap what you sew.

[provis99]

2. get rid of the useless F-35.

and scrap the whole bloody nuclear attack submarine fleet. Why the hell do we need 50 attack submarines, whose sole purpose is to hunt Soviet subs?

Defense spending is the most useless side of government.

[KeepItReal]

3. Make the contractors eat every dime of cost overrun

Maybe then they will give accurate cost accounting up front.