Charles W. Stenholm: “Mr. Chairman, as we all know, and certainly the subcommittee is aware very strongly, the B-1 bomber is an integral part…”

“Mr. Chairman, as we all know, and certainly the subcommittee is aware very strongly, the B-1 bomber is an integral part of our bomber fleet. The long-range strike capability of our national defense is enhanced by the superior payload capability, speed, and accuracy of this aircraft. The Defense authorization and appropriation committees and my good friends, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the gentleman from California. (Mr. Hunter), and the gentleman from California (Chairman Lewis), have recognized the importance of the B-1 to the Air Force. It performed admirably in Afghanistan and Iraq. I rise today to discuss provisions in the Defense appropriations and authorization bills that address the reinstatement of B-1s to the fleet. As a strong supporter of the B-1 and having been closely associated with this issue since 1985 when the first B-1 was assigned to Dyess Air Force Base, my support is, and always has been, a commonsense approach that advocates the best for the Air Force. The B-1 fleet was recently reduced to its current size of 60 aircraft, with assurances that upgrades will be made to the fleet to increase mission capability rates, defensive systems, and lethality. I supported the Air Force decision in its plan to keep fewer, but top-quality, mission-capable B-1s.”