Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 9, 2012
Pg. 1
Dicks Calls Approps Bill 'Slap' On Air Force Wrist
Lawmakers are supremely unhappy with the Air Force's defense of its fiscal 2013 budget
request, and it was on display May 8 after the House Appropriations defense subcommittee
approved its bill.
The $607.7 billion bill pauses the Air Force's request to retire and reassign aircraft
for the Air National Guard and Reserve until Congress and the Government Accountability
Office review the service's analysis. The bill also provides $278 million to maintain
Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk Block 30 aircraft, which the Air Force had recommended
mothballing.
"The Air Force got a real slap on the wrist here today," says Rep. Norm Dicks
(Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee. "Our
committee is not real happy about how the Air Force handled these issues."
Panel Chairman Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.) maintains that Congress is not "at
odds" with the Air Force, but says service officials have not convinced lawmakers to
support the Global Hawk and Air Guard decisions. "What we're trying to do is get
some realistic answers why they think these aircraft are not important to our
states."
On Global Hawk, Young says one year ago the high-altitude surveillance aircraft was one
of the Air Force's most important issues. "Something happened to change their
mind," Young said of the Air Force. Despite the Air Force's argument that the
service would save $2.5 billion by continuing to operate the U2 spy aircraft, that did
not satisfy Young and other lawmakers.
"We think the AF was right last year, and we think maybe they haven't explained why
they changed their mind this year," Young says.
Regardless, Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) says sticking with the Global Hawk is a
forward-looking decision to use a more capable aircraft. If the problem is with the
Global Hawk's optics, those can be installed on the unmanned vehicle, he says.
Although the full details of the defense spending bill have not yet been released, many
of the decisions track closely with a bill the House Armed Services Committee will
consider May 9.
That is why Dicks is expressing confidence that the bill will have "smooth
sailing" in the full appropriations committee. The committee is expected to consider
the bill May 17.
Even though President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the spending bill governing
NASA because it exceeds the budget caps outlined last year by the Budget Control Act, and
this bill is more than $3 billion higher than the spending cap, Dicks waives away
questions about whether the top line of the defense bill will hold up consideration of
the bill.
"We're talking about - just - a few billion here and a few billion there. ... In the
context of the defense bill, these are not big differences between the House and the
Senate," Dicks says. "It'll work out."
- Jen DiMascio
May 9, 2012
Pg. 1
Dicks Calls Approps Bill 'Slap' On Air Force Wrist
Lawmakers are supremely unhappy with the Air Force's defense of its fiscal 2013 budget
request, and it was on display May 8 after the House Appropriations defense subcommittee
approved its bill.
The $607.7 billion bill pauses the Air Force's request to retire and reassign aircraft
for the Air National Guard and Reserve until Congress and the Government Accountability
Office review the service's analysis. The bill also provides $278 million to maintain
Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk Block 30 aircraft, which the Air Force had recommended
mothballing.
"The Air Force got a real slap on the wrist here today," says Rep. Norm Dicks
(Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee. "Our
committee is not real happy about how the Air Force handled these issues."
Panel Chairman Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.) maintains that Congress is not "at
odds" with the Air Force, but says service officials have not convinced lawmakers to
support the Global Hawk and Air Guard decisions. "What we're trying to do is get
some realistic answers why they think these aircraft are not important to our
states."
On Global Hawk, Young says one year ago the high-altitude surveillance aircraft was one
of the Air Force's most important issues. "Something happened to change their
mind," Young said of the Air Force. Despite the Air Force's argument that the
service would save $2.5 billion by continuing to operate the U2 spy aircraft, that did
not satisfy Young and other lawmakers.
"We think the AF was right last year, and we think maybe they haven't explained why
they changed their mind this year," Young says.
Regardless, Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) says sticking with the Global Hawk is a
forward-looking decision to use a more capable aircraft. If the problem is with the
Global Hawk's optics, those can be installed on the unmanned vehicle, he says.
Although the full details of the defense spending bill have not yet been released, many
of the decisions track closely with a bill the House Armed Services Committee will
consider May 9.
That is why Dicks is expressing confidence that the bill will have "smooth
sailing" in the full appropriations committee. The committee is expected to consider
the bill May 17.
Even though President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the spending bill governing
NASA because it exceeds the budget caps outlined last year by the Budget Control Act, and
this bill is more than $3 billion higher than the spending cap, Dicks waives away
questions about whether the top line of the defense bill will hold up consideration of
the bill.
"We're talking about - just - a few billion here and a few billion there. ... In the
context of the defense bill, these are not big differences between the House and the
Senate," Dicks says. "It'll work out."
- Jen DiMascio