Congressman Murtha Says He Won't Insist On Helicopter Funding In Defense Appropriations Bill

Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) said he will not include funding for the embattled VH-71 Presidential helicopter program in the final version of the Defense Appropriations bill despite the fact only 30 members of the House voted against it.

Murtha, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, said he "would not embarrass the President" by forcing him to veto the bill over the VH-71. Murtha told "The Hill" that he has been lobbied heavily by administration officials and Speaker of the House Nance Pelosi (D-CA) to cut the helicopter from the bill.

While President Obama has not made any specific veto threat over the new version of "Marine One", he has made it clear he did not want the aircraft included in the budget. The price tag of the often-delayed helicopter has ballooned from $6.5 to $13 billion. Murtha, who's district includes the Lockheed Martin plant where the VH-71 was being developed, said it would cost far more to start a new helicopter program from scratch. Lockheed said dropping the program would cost 600 employees their jobs.

Congressman John Murtha

The Hill reports that representatives of the Obama administration say that regardless of which aircraft eventually replaces the decades-old aircraft currently in use, it will fly longer for less money than the VH-71.

FMI: http://appropriations.house.gov/