Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment with my friend from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) to cut funding for the V 22 Osprey and put the savings toward deficit reduction. As many know, the Osprey has a long and troubled past. According to a 2009 GAO report, the Osprey was not suited to fly safely in extreme heat, excessive sand, or under enemy fire. The GAO also found that the Osprey was 186 percent over budget, costing over $100 million per unit to produce, or five times more than the Sea Knight helicopter it was designed to replace. More recently, the Pentagon testing found that the readiness rate of the V 22 was well below that of traditional aircraft, noting: Its average mission capable rate was 53 percent from June 2007 to May 2010, well below the required rate of 82 percent. Sadly, due to these severe shortcomings, the V 22 has taken the lives of 36 individuals, including 31 servicemembers. Just last month, two marines lost their lives when an Osprey crashed in Morocco. Now, I understand that since the 2009 report, a number of improvements have been made. Costs are being reduced and safety is being improved. I also understand the unique benefits the V 22 can provide to our servicemembers, especially for rescue operations. But these operations can be completed with less expensive helicopters. And here's the bottom line: we're emerging from a recession.…”