Steve Driehaus: “I appreciate the gentleman from New York for yielding. This is a critical issue, and I share his concern with regard to…”

“I appreciate the gentleman from New York for yielding. This is a critical issue, and I share his concern with regard to stripping of the authorization for the competitive engine. Just this past year, the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 was passed by this Congress. It passed by a vote of 411-0. And I would draw Members' attention to section 202, the acquisition strategies to ensure competition throughout the lifecycle of major defense acquisition programs. That includes the Joint Strike Fighter and its propulsion system subject to its provisions. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, the alternative engine has been funded every year since 1996. The House has voted nine times to support the competitive engine. Already $2.9 billion has been invested in the alternative engine. And now that development is 75 percent complete, now that it has been qualified for production in 2012, now as both engines are approaching the starting line and are in the starting blocks, Pratt and the folks in Connecticut want to suggest that they should be declared the winners of the race before the race has even started. We believe in competition when it comes to acquisition, Mr. Speaker. This is a critically important program. It's critically important to keep competition in the engine program. And I will close with a quote from our former Member Jack Murtha, who fought for this competitive engine for years and years and years. "We're going to build thousands of Joint Strike Fighters.…”