- Conference between the House and Senate on the defense
authorization bill, with the hate bill attached, ended today. Sen. Carl
Levin and Sen. John McCain announced that the compromise bill includes
funding for the development of additional F-35 fighter engines (eventually
costing about $100 billion). Asked whether this would tempt a presidential
veto, Levin said he did not think so because of accommodations to Obama
in the bill that would trim extra spending. McCain said he did not know.
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- The considerations Levin referred to included elimination
of a new fleet of C-17 cargo transports as well as a presidential helicopter
fleet. Also, initial funds to be provided General Electric-Rolls Royce
for development of the engines are only a reported $560 million. Levin
hopes such limited initial spending will persuade Obama that extra engines
will not threaten his request for purchase of as many F-35 fighters as
possible. Obama says extra F-35 engines mean fewer fighters.
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- On the other hand, since F-35 engine production is by
far the largest expenditure to which Obama objects, it is open to question
whether the President will be appeased. He has stated repeatedly, emphatically,
that he will not tolerate a $100 billion expenditure on engine development
he thinks unnecessary.
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- Levin must be disappointed. He was a major architect
of the Senate decision this spring to strip off F-22 Raptor production,
as well as F-35 engine production, from the Senate version of the defense
bill. Liberals did so to avoid a veto and protect the attached federal
hate crimes bill. Levin said that (largely for the sake of the hate bill)
the Senate would "not send a defense authorization bill to the President
that he is likely to veto."
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- Yet that is exactly what conference may have done.
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- Soon, this bill will go to both Senate and House for
approval. If approved, it will go to the President, for either veto or
signing, possibly as early as the end of next week.
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- Is there anything lovers of freedom can do in this very
short time to insure its veto? Absolutely!
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- We must hold Obama to his oft-repeated promise to veto
extra F-35 engine production. We must let him know that many, many Americans
are aware of that promise. We need to bombard the White House NOW with
this message: "Mr. President, we expect you to keep your promise to
veto any military authorization bill that wastes $100 billion of taxpayers'
money on unnecessary F-35 jet engines."
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- Since the defense/hate bill could be on Obama's desk
in a few days, we have just enough time to get our letters to him -- if
we act immediately. White House phones and faxes remain very busy, so write
the President TODAY at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500.
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- We know that Obama is not a man of his word. But, like
all politicians wanting to remain in office, he is aware of the need to
protect his image. The more that voters remind him of his promise, the
greater will be the possibility he will pull back his pen from signing
the defense/hate bill and send it back to Congress.
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