HR0073 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0073 LRB097 10520 GRL 50844 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The federal government, now more than ever, needs to eliminate wasteful spending programs from its budget; and

WHEREAS, The federal deficit recently hit $13.5 trillion; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Defense will spend $708 billion on defense spending in the 2011 fiscal year for both base defense programs and overseas contingency operations to promote the safety and welfare of our nation; and

WHEREAS, Congress has planned to appropriate $465 million for an alternate GE F136 engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in the Defense Appropriations Bill; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Defense has already contracted the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, which has gone through multiple series of testing and development; and

WHEREAS, No military aircraft in the past three decades has been procured with multiple engine suppliers; and

WHEREAS, Developing the alternate engine would cost $2.9 billion dollars over the next two to three years; and

WHEREAS, Having multiple engine suppliers will require additional spending for two sets of parts, two production and maintenance lines, and additional personnel and training, which will lead to the production of fewer Joint Strike Fighter planes; and

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama, with urging from military officials and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, vows to veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the alternate engine appropriation is included in the bill; and

WHEREAS, Defense spending can be used more efficiently for more vital military programs; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage the members of the Illinois congressional delegation to vote against the F-35 alternate engine appropriations measure; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to President Barack Obama, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President pro tempore of the United States Senate, and the members of the Illinois congressional delegation.