By Joi Preciphs
(Bloomberg) — House defense appropriations panel rejects Pentagon request to shift ~$1.5b in war spending to buy 8 additional Lockheed Martin F-35 jets, spare parts, 21 Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, Bloomberg’s Tony Capaccio reports.
- House panel informed Pentagon Comptroller Mike McCord of decision in OCO ATR HACD Resp 14-13PA F35 9-18-14
- Panel chairman Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., cited requests as having “only tenuous links to the fight in Afghanistan and other current operations”
- Pentagon requested shift of funds as part of about $2b reprogramming request submitted Sept. 8
- Pentagon sought to shift $880m to buy 6 Lockheed F-35B Marine Corps model short-takeoff and vertical-landing jets, spare parts to replace 6 older Marine AV-8B Harriers destroyed in Sept. 2012 Taliban attack
- Pentagon also requested $256m to buy 2 Air Force versions of the fighter jet meant to replace 2 Boeing F-15 fighter jets lost in combat operations
- Pentagon also requested $404m to buy 21 new Apaches to replace scout helicopters lost in combat operations
NOTE: Items in Pentagon reprogramming request must be approved by all 4 congressional defense authorizing and appropriating panels or be rejected and the money returned to U.S. Treasury
via House Panel Rejects Spending Shift for F-35 Jets, Helicopters | Bloomberg Government.