Senate panel OKs F-22 funding

A showdown between Congress and the Obama administration is brewing over continued funding for the F-22 fighter jet.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) on Thursday added $1.75 billion for continued production of the Raptor. The plane is assembled at the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta.

Chambliss’ amendment came during debate in the Senate Armed Services Committee on the fiscal 2010 defense authorization bill.

The committee approved the amendment 13-11, according to Chambliss’ staff. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) voted against it, according to McCain’s press secretary.

The White House said this week that President Obama will veto the defense bill if it contains funding for more F-22s. Chambliss said he was undeterred.

“Our debate and vote took place with full awareness of the administration’s veto threat,” Chambliss said in a statement. “The result of the vote speaks for itself.”

The money would be enough to fully fund an additional seven fighters, which could keep the Marietta assembly line open several more months. The line is now slated to stop in 2011.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has proposed halting the F-22 program at 187 planes to focus on other priorities, effectively killing the program.

But last week, the House Armed Services Committee narrowly approved adding $369 million to pay for initial production of a dozen more stealth fighters.

“These sorts of issues come up in every new administration,” said Loren Thompson, chief operating officer of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute think tank.

“It’s always a question mark during the first year if the president will have his way with Congress or not,” Thompson said. “I am betting when the dust clears, the president will have lost because there are so many legislators who have constituents with a stake in the program.”

The money Chambliss introduced would put the total number of F-22s at 194.

The Air Force has said it needs a minimum of 243 F-22s to maintain global air superiority. It is using the Raptor to replace the Cold War-era F-15.