Dear Mr. Braddock: Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue. Our armed forces face a potential future shortage of operational fighter aircraft. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, as the cornerstone of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) tactical aviation modernization strategy, occupies a key place in our military’s arsenal. Moreover, the advanced multi-role capabilities of the F-35 will provide the operational flexibility necessary to successfully confront a wide variety of threats to global peace and security in the coming years. Maintaining a strong commitment to the F-35 program is important not only for maintaining aerial capability during military engagements, but also for preserving our industrial base. The highly specialized workforce currently producing the F-35 in Pennsylvania and across America deserves our support. The Senate Committee on Armed Services, of which I am not a member, has sought to ensure the F-35 program procurement is completed in a cost-effective manner. In its report on the National Defense Authorization Bill for 2012, the Committee recommended that the Obama Administration’s request for funding for the production of 32 F-35 aircraft be fully approved. The Committee also recommended that the contractor assume full responsibility for any costs, under the procurement contract, that exceed the target cost specified in the contract. The 2014 Department of Defense Appropriations Act provides a total of $572 billion in base and overseas contingency operation (OCO) funding, compared to $604.7 billion in pre-sequester FY13 funds. The base budget appropriation is $486.6 billion. The bill also includes $85.2 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations of the DoD. According to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Defense, the bill meets the funding caps established in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 by taking targeted reductions to the DoD budget instead of indiscriminate, across-the-board reductions required by sequestration or relying on last year’s budget priorities if a full-year Continuing Resolution were enacted. The FY14 DoD appropriations bill emphasized three main priorities: addressing critical shortfalls from the FY13 sequestration that threatened combat readiness and caused civilian furloughs; supporting our servicemembers, veterans, and their families; and improving fiscal accountability. The FY14 budget provides full funding for 29 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and a production ramp to 39 aircraft in 2015. On February 24, 2014, Secretary Hagel reviewed the FY15 budget proposal, calling for reductions across the military. Within the Air Force, the proposed FY15 defense budget calls for saving $3.5 billion by retiring the A-10 fleet and replacing it with the F-35 by the early 2020s. Our Nation faces serious fiscal constraints and the military procurement budget will not be immune from scrutiny. As a United States Senator, I am committed to ensuring that our military investments are spent wisely and enhance the capabilities and preparedness of our armed forces. Please be assured that I will have your concerns in mind as the Senate continues to consider defense spending reductions. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you. For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, casey.senate.gov. I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania. Sincerely, Bob Casey United States Senator
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 09:28:42 +0000
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