Legislative Action Message: July 9, 2009

Support the Pentagon (For Once)

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We at FCNL don't often find ourselves agreeing with the Pentagon. Yet when Pentagon chief Robert Gates proposed to cut the military budget by ending production of the F-22 fighter jet, we worked hard to build support for these cuts. Now Congress is refusing to shut down production. Urge your senators to cut F-22 funding.

In a late night vote last month, a House committee inserted funding for 12 new F-22 fighter jets into the military authorization bill, which has now been approved by the full House. Now a Senate committee has voted to add more than $1 billion in funding for seven additional F-22s to its version of the bill. To pay for these new planes, the Senate is proposing to take money away from funds used to pay the salaries of soldiers.

You need to act fast. The full Senate is scheduled to vote on the military authorization bill this Monday. Our lobbyists have learned that several senators are planning to oppose the F-22 funding during the debate on the Senate floor. They need your support.

Take Action

Urge your senators to speak out against additional funding for F-22s in the military authorization bill and to vote for any amendment to cut F-22 funding.

Background

The F-22 is a Cold War-era aircraft that has never been used in U.S. combat and likely won't be in the future. The Obama administration, Secretary of Defense Gates, and a number of top military officials have spoken out against funding for this weapons system. Sens. Carl Levin (MI) and John McCain (AZ), among others, have already said they will oppose this funding in the military authorization bill when it comes to the Senate floor for a vote. Urge your senators to do the same.