Thomas Daschle: “I share my colleague from South Dakota's support for the B-1 and believe maintaining the B-1's capabilities is in our…”

“I share my colleague from South Dakota's support for the B-1 and believe maintaining the B-1's capabilities is in our national security interests. I am concerned that the cuts proposed, particularly in the House version of the bill, are imprudent and could do lasting damage to our nation's military capabilities. Although I have not yet been able to confer with the Air Force about the newest test flights with the towed decoy, the results would seem to obviate the need to delay or restructure this program. More tests are expected in the weeks to come, and I am hopeful that in conference we will find a way to restore DSUP funding. If that seems imprudent when this matter is taken up in conference, I urge the committee to transfer the proposed DSUP funding into other B-1 modernization programs. For example, the B-1 is next scheduled to have its radar replaced with a version of the system now used on the F-16. It is important to me that we retain the funds within the B-1 upgrade program and reinforce the Administration's pledge that all savings from fleet reduction will be reinvested in B-1 modernization.”