Elizabeth Furse: “I was pleased that Chairman Young and Ranking Member Murtha accepted my amendment reducing the account initial spares…”

“I was pleased that Chairman Young and Ranking Member Murtha accepted my amendment reducing the account initial spares and repair parts by $22 million. This was a very reasonable reduction. In its fiscal year 1996 request, the Department of Defense asked for $118 million for spare parts. Since then, the Air Force has told us that the requirement for 120 C-17's is only $96 million--a difference of $22 million. The Milestone III Defense Acquisition Board [DAB] Integrated Airlift Force Decision is planned for this November. Ever since the Deputy Secretary of Defense put the C-17 program on probation in late 1993, the Air Force has consistently told us that this DAB decision will choose a number of C-17's somewhere between 40 and 120. Giving the Air Force money for C-17 spares and repair parts for a number of planes beyond 120 would be a waste of money. DOD has higher priorities, and certainly the American taxpayers do. Frankly, in a program that's experienced as many problems as the C-17 has, I wasn't surprised to find additional waste such as this. I would prefer that we only provide funding for spare parts for 40 C-17's at this time. Buying spares now for 120 C-17's prejudges the DAB decision. I have refrained from prejudging the DAB in my amendments to both the defense authorization and the defense appropriation and I believe it would be a more responsible approach if the C-17's supporters do so as well.”