Lawmakers critical of Air Force budget

[unhappycamper]

Congress feels ‘played’
No funding to shut down or extend F-22


Lawmakers critical of Air Force budget
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday May 27, 2008 7:39:12 EDT

The Air Force has fared reasonably well thus far in the fiscal 2009 budget deliberations, securing funding for its major programs and keeping the F-22 and C-17 production lines from shutting down. But that good news belies a growing sense of frustration on Capitol Hill, where many lawmakers and their staffs complain that the service ignores the wishes of Congress on key programs and resorts to budget gimmickry to get what it wants — without giving up anything.

“The Air Force sent over a broken budget,” said one Senate staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity. “No funding to shut down or extend F-22 (and) C-17. No funding for (a) second engine on the (Joint Strike Fighter), even though directed to by the Congress. (It’s) not Congress’ job to be played like that.”

The Air Force did not respond to a request for comment.

The budget process is far from over, so a clear picture of the final spending plan has yet to emerge. The Senate and House Armed Services committees both passed their versions of the defense authorization bill in May, and those bills now must be approved by the full chambers before differences between them are worked out in conference. Although fiscal 2009 starts Oct. 1, Congress likely won’t wrap up the process until late fall.

But it is clear from the reports issued by the Senate and House Armed Services committees — responsible for setting policy, as well as authorizing expenditures — that lawmakers have a litany of grievances against the Air Force.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/05/airforce_broken_budget_052708w/



uhc comment: I can think of 355,000,000 reasons why we should rethinking the need for f-22s -->

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