The First Pentagon Budget Battles Between President Obama And Congress Are About To Begin

Four F-22s On The Runway

From In From The Cold:

The Obama Administration is facing an early showdown with Congress on a rather unlikely program--the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter.

Roxana Tiron of The Hill reported late last week that a group of influential senators, led by Democrat Patty Murray of Washington and Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, are pressing Mr. Obama to extend production of the fifth-generation fighter. Raptor production is currently scheduled to end in 2011, after delivery of 183 aircraft to the Air Force:

A group of 44 senators — 25 Democrats and 19 Republicans — sent Obama a letter with the request. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), a defense authorizer who represents a state where Lockheed Martin builds the fighter plane, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), a defense appropriator whose state is home to Boeing’s operations, headlined the letter. Boeing is a subcontractor for the F-22.

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My Comment: With the economy going downhill .... Congressmen are not going to be responsible for cutting jobs in their districts. These programs are not going to be cut. In fact .... they may be increased.