The House just voted to eliminate funds for an alternate joint strike fighter engine -- a move championed by Rep. Tom Rooney -- but opposed by House Speaker John Boehner.
The vote comes as House conservatives vow to trim $61 billion from the federal budget amid howls that the knife is cutting too close in several areas, including housing and social services.
Rooney called the development of an alternate engine a "luxury our country simply cannot afford."
Opponents, including Boehner, whose Ohio district is near a General Electric Aviation plant helping to build the alternate engine, said the competition would save money in the long run. Palm Beach, of course, is home to a competing Pratt & Whitney plant.
The vote drew kudos from Taxpayers for Common Sense’s President, which called it "an important vote to demonstrate that nothing should be off limits when it comes to cutting wasteful spending."
Republicans have also taken aim at funding for Radio and TV Marti and a House battle is expected.
This mad man should be recalled
Posted by: Bruice Blumenstein | July 14, 2011 at 09:04 AM