Senators Still Split On Support For The Project
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) received confirmation from U.S.
Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew that the
Continuing Resolution (CR) passed by Congress Tuesday will continue
funding for the Joint Strike Fighter F136 alternative engine. The
CR maintains government funding through March 4th at FY2010
levels.
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-IL)
The competitive engine, the F136, is being developed by General
Electric (GE) in Evendale. Proponents for a sole sourced,
non-competitive engine had incorrectly argued that a CR would not
require the administration to fund the program in previous drafts
of the spending bill.
“This is good news for GE Aviation workers in Evendale and
good news for Ohio. Continued federal funding means that Ohio
workers can continue building an engine that is good for our
military and good for Southwest Ohio’s economy,” Brown
said. “Every two seconds of every single day, a GE engine
lifts a plane into the air. And today, the work Evendale employees
do is as important as ever. As we rebuild our economy, we are
renewing our focus on American manufacturing.”
F136 Alternate Engine
“GE Aviation is deeply gratified by the diligent work of
Sen. Brown in protecting the critically important F136 competitive
engine for the Joint Strike Fighter. Ensuring competing JSF engines
is vital to the country,” President and CEO of GE Aviation
David Joyce said.
Brown sent a letter to OMB Director Lew seeking confirmation
that the Administration would follow Congress’ mandate for
funding the competitive engine program under a Continuing
Resolution. OMB responded that the Continuing Resolution, as
drafted, would follow Congressional intent and continue the
competitive engine program.
Last year, Brown helped secure $465 million in federal funds to
support the creation of a competitive engine for the Joint Strike
Fighter (F-35) propulsion system. In April 2010, Brown visited the
GE Aviation facility in Evendale to address workers and get an
update on the development of the Joint Strike Fighter F136
competitive engine.
In July 2009, Brown urged support for the program on the Senate
floor. The F-35 program will develop and deploy the
fifth-generation strike fighter aircraft to meet the operational
needs of the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and their allies. The
F-35 employs cutting-edge technologies including synthetic aperture
radar integration techniques, advanced target recognition, and
advanced capabilities in its resistance to jamming,
maintainability, and logistic support. Brown and some other members
of Congress maintain that the engine competition for the F-35 saves
money and improves our national security.
Senator Joe Lieberman
But Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) said in a statement that the
engine should have been stripped from the CR. “It is
unconscionable that while the Air Force and Navy struggle to
sustain their essential programs under the constraints of a
continuing resolution, the administration could be forced to waste
one more dollar on this unnecessary second engine for the Joint
Strike Fighter," Lieberman wrote. "I will continue to fight to
terminate the alternate engine during the term of the CR and when
the Senate considers a measure to fund the government for the rest
of 2011.
“The representations made in Director Lew’s letter
to Senator Brown contradict OMB’s own guidelines about
funding programs under a continuing resolution and is inconsistent
with the strong opposition of President Obama and Secretary Gates
to this second engine. I will ask Director Lew to reconsider based
upon those guidelines.”
Pratt & Whitney, which is building the F135 engine, is
headquartered in Lieberman's home state of Connecticut.