In stinging remarks, Pentagon chief says lawmakers are spending more on jets than necessary

September 30th, 2009 Senate rebuffs Obama, McCain in backing cargo jetsWASHINGTON — In a rebuff to both President Barack Obama and his former presidential opponent, Republican Sen. John McCain, the Senate on Wednesday rejected an effort to kill $2.5 billion for 10 new C-17 cargo jets and devote the money to military readiness accounts.

August 17th, 2009 Obama criticizes wasteful defense spendingPHOENIX — President Barack Obama says the United States cannot build a military for this century as long as defense contracts are influenced by special interests and wasteful spending. Obama told the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention Monday that he wants to change how the Pentagon does business so the dollars are spent protecting the nation and its troops.

August 11th, 2009 House leaders drop their plans to buy fancy jetsWASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders said Monday that they will not force the Pentagon to buy four new passenger jets used to ferry senior government officials. Democrats have been criticized for adding $330 million to the Air Force's 2010 budget to buy the jets even though the Pentagon didn't request the money.

August 6th, 2009 House provides $200 million for gov't VIP jetsWASHINGTON — The House is ordering up three Gulfstream jets to fly Pentagon and other top government officials — including members of Congress — around the globe in conditions far cushier than coach class. The almost $200 million appropriation to buy three C-37 jets, the military version of the Gulfstream 550, is buried in a $636 billion Pentagon budget passed by the House last week.

July 30th, 2009 House rejects most Obama weapons cutsWASHINGTON — The Democratic-controlled House went along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates' plans to kill the over-budget F-22 fighter jet, but has rejected his efforts to cut off several other big ticket items. Despite objections and veto threats from the White House, a $636 billion Pentagon spending bill passed by a 400-30 vote Thursday contains money for a much-criticized new presidential helicopter fleet, cargo jets that Gates says aren't needed, and an alternative engine for the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that the Pentagon says is a waste of money.

July 28th, 2009 White House issues veto threats; House fights loomWASHINGTON — The White House threatened Tuesday to veto a $636 billion spending bill for the Pentagon, citing funding for F-22 fighters and a much-criticized replacement presidential helicopter. President Barack Obama wants to terminate both programs.

July 22nd, 2009 Panel approves $128 billion for Iraq, AfghanistanWASHINGTON — The total cost of the U.S. response to the Sept.

July 21st, 2009 Senate heads toward vote on F-22s WASHINGTON — The Senate debated Tuesday whether to spend $1.75 billion on seven additional F-22 jets, a decision that pits the possible loss of thousands of defense jobs against Obama administration assertions that the Pentagon has enough of the fighters and the program should be terminated. Lawmakers from states that would benefit from manufacturing the jets want the money pumped into the aerospace and defense industries.

July 21st, 2009 Obama hails Senate vote killing F-22 productionWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has hailed the Senate's decision to stop additional production of F-22 fighter jets, saying the move will "better protect our troops." Obama was referring to a 58-40 vote in which the Senate on Tuesday accepted an amendment killing an additional $1.75 billion that supporters of the F-22 had tried to get into a defense spending bill. In a statement at the White House, Obama said he rejected the notion that the country has to "waste billions of taxpayers dollars" on outdated defense projects.

July 17th, 2009 Pentagon, Congress square off over money for jetsWASHINGTON — The Pentagon and Congress all but dared each other Thursday to a showdown over funding for fighter jets in a multimillion-dollar squabble that each side said they were fighting in the interests of U.S. security. The Democratic chairman of a key House Appropriations panel said he's confident that plans to add $369 million to the Pentagon's budget for a dozen more F-22 jets will survive a White House veto threat.

July 16th, 2009 Dems at odds with White House on F-22 fundingWASHINGTON — Despite adding money for two programs that the White House has said will result in a veto of the defense spending bill, a key House Democrat said Thursday he's confident the legislation will avoid that fate. "We'll work it out," John Murtha, head of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, told reporters following a markup of the bill.

June 25th, 2009 Senators add $1.75B to DOD budget for F-22'sWASHINGTON — Senators on Thursday added $1.75 billion to a Pentagon budget proposal for seven more of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-22 fighter jets, setting the stage for a battle with the Obama administration. The Senate Armed Services Committee added the funds in its version of the fiscal 2010 defense spending bill.

June 24th, 2009 White House threatens defense spending bill vetoWASHINGTON — Preparing for a possible showdown with Congress, the White House has threatened to veto a $680 billion military spending bill if it contains money for jet fighters the Pentagon doesn't want. In a statement of administration policy, President Barack Obama's Office of Management and Budget said the $369 million a House committee added to the bill for 12 additional F-22 fighters runs counter to the "collective judgment" of the military's top leaders.

May 14th, 2009 Navy: F-35 fighter jets needed by 2015 deadlineWASHINGTON — The chief of naval operations said Thursday on-time delivery of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s next-generation Joint Strike Fighter will be critical in closing the gap of the fighter jets needed to match current and future threats. Navy Adm. Gary Roughead told the House Armed Services Committee that the service's current fleet of legacy F-18s from Boeing Co.

April 22nd, 2009 Boeing open to split contract on $35B tanker dealWASHINGTON — Boeing Co.'s top defense executive said Wednesday the company will support splitting a $35 billion contract with rival Northrop Grumman Corp. for new Air Force refueling jets if the Pentagon chooses that approach.